Field Notes

Reason for Hope: New Study Highlights How Washington's Natural Spaces Can Help Fight Climate Change

September 10, 2021

The latest science coming from a partnership between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the University of Washington (UW) highlights ways nature can help Washington achieve its net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal by midcentury.

 The study—"Leveraging the potential of nature to meet net zero greenhouse gas emissions in Washington State”—centers on how Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) harness the capacity of forests, wetlands and farmlands to absorb and store carbon dioxide that’s in the atmosphere, lessening the impacts of climate change.

Three big ways to better enable nature to capture and store carbon dioxide emerged in the study as having the most potential in supporting the state’s net-zero goal:

1. Deferred timber harvest—logging is delayed so that trees can grow bigger and capture and store more carbon.
2. Cropland management—the use of cover crops, no-till practices, and nutrient management in agricultural practices.
3. Avoiding forest conversion—avoiding cutting down forests for urban, suburban and/or rural development.

Not only do natural climate solutions help address the climate crisis, they also often provide many other benefits to people, communities, economies, and nature itself. These “co-benefits” are particularly relevant for communities adapting to, and persisting through, climate change. For example, improved cropland management practices could reduce the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers, in turn reducing nitrates seeping into and contaminating groundwater (nitrate-contaminated water has been directly linked to high cancer rates, low fertility rates, increased water treatment costs and devaluation of property). Reduced use of those fertilizers would also benefit marine, freshwater and soil environments. And, if multiple NCS strategies are employed in combination with each other, the co-benefits are similarly amplified.

Further, the NCS strategies that offer the greatest impact largely coincide with and complement major economic sectors of given geographic regions—for example, cropland management is a key strategy with great potential in Eastern Washington, where agriculture is a major economic driver. This knowledge may support efficient, cost-effective and equitable approaches to NCS strategies.

It is important to note that while this scientific study from TNC and UW highlights tangible and very achievable ways to contribute toward the state’s net-zero emissions goal, NCS strategies won’t address our state’s climate goals alone—they must also be complemented by rapid and widespread emissions reductions in transportation, energy and industry sectors. When it comes to addressing the climate crisis, though, every bit of effort matters.

The opportunity to harness the power of nature through natural climate solutions shouldn’t be passed up. Not only can NCS strategies account for over 9 percent of Washington’s net-zero emissions goal, but this study opens routes to better understanding the long list of NCS co-benefits and complementary economic opportunities that NCS may provide. This supports and informs actions that give plenty of reason for hope in addressing the climate crisis.

A Season of Good Fire in Washington

December 29, 2023

When autumn rains roll in, dampening the soil and putting an end to the summer heat, Washington’s prescribed fire season really begins to heat up.  

This October, Washington’s leaders in prescribed fire came together across the state to take full advantage of the opportunity to put good fire to work on our lands. From the Columbia Gorge to the northeast corner of Washington, prescribed fire training exchanges (TREX) were taking place to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and hands-on experience with prescribed fire as a practice for land management and community resilience. 

WHY DO WE NEED PRESCRIBED FIRE?  

Many forests and grasslands in Washington were historically fire-adapted and benefitted from low-intensity fires every 10-15 years, and cultural burning has been practiced by Indigenous peoples since time immemorial to steward these lands. In the past century, aggressive fire suppression has left people and lands more susceptible to catastrophic wildfires. 

Prescribed burns are a forest management practice that uses low-intensity fire to the land to reduce dead or dying vegetation, leaf litter and small trees that can fuel larger wildfires and helps recycle nutrients into the soil. This helps forests become more resilient to wildfires and reduces the risk to nearby communities. 

TREX ACROSS WASHINGTON 

Training exchanges for prescribed fire take place across the U.S. and in recent years have become a cornerstone of prescribed fire and forest health management in Washington state. These events bring government agencies, Native Nations, non-profits and communities together to provide training for fire practitioners, raise awareness about the need for prescribed fire and create more resilient communities and lands in Washington. 

This year, two TREX events were hosted in Washington—Columbia Gorge and Selkirk—bringing together more than 72 people, burning on 742 acres of public and private lands to learn from one another and grow our capacity for conducting prescribed fire. The role of TREX is pivotal as Washington and many states across the West aim to increase the use of prescribed fire as a practice for protecting our forests and our communities by reducing the risk and impact of future wildfires. To achieve our goals, we need to grow the workforce and train more fire practitioners to conduct prescribed burns.    

As part of TREX, participants receive hands-on training, providing opportunity to advance their professional fire qualifications and maintain the qualifications they have already earned, learning how to prepare, conduct and clean up a prescribed burn. It also enables land managers to implement burns on both public and private lands when conditions are just right and with the help of a dedicated crew.  

TNC and our partners across the state are thrilled to have had such a successful season of prescribed burns and to see Washington’s capacity for prescribed fire growing through TREX each and every year. 

Rain Gardens: A Beautful & Simple Solution

July 11, 2024
Written by Stephanie Koder

What exactly is a "rain garden"?

A rain garden is a bowl-shaped garden specially designed to catch rainwater from roofs and pavement. It helps to slow down the water and clean it naturally before it runs off into our streams, lakes, rivers, and ultimately Puget Sound. Without simple, natural solutions like rain gardens, rainwater picks up nasty chemicals and bacteria from our pavement and built environment. This contaminated water then rushes too quickly into larger bodies of water, where it has very harmful impacts. Untreated polluted runoff can kill an adult salmon in as little as three hours!

Although a rain garden’s main purpose is to prevent the number one polluter of Puget Sound, these natural beauties have other benefits as well. Here are just a few to get you started:

1. Installing a rain garden can be a simple step to beautifying a community space or adding curb appeal to your home. The different colors and textures of stones, grasses, flowers, and plants in your rain garden will break up a boring landscape. Some communities in Puget Sound have already decided to take out unsightly and unnecessary pavement in order to add rain gardens. What a great way to instill pride and a sense of community in a local public space!
2. By using native plants, rain gardens can also promote biodiversity and attract wildlife such as birds, butterflies, and bees. Of course, these creatures are fun to look at, but they are also important pollinators for growing many of our favorite local foods.
3. Since rain gardens slow the flow of water, they also prevent flooding. As climate change gives our region more intense rain events, rain gardens are a plan for resiliency.
4. Rain gardens are a great way to give your neighbors yard envy! Check out this video about the unquestionable community support for installing rain gardens in Snohomish County!

Polluted run-off is a very serious threat to Puget Sound waters. Rain gardens are such an easy solution for tackling this issue and reaping additional benefits along the way. If you’re still curious, one way to understand a rain garden is to see one firsthand. Click here to see where there might be a rain garden in your area.

A Year of Progress, Learning, and Community

November 14th, 2024

This year, many TNC staff, partners, and volunteers were in the field stewarding Washington’s iconic landscapes. Some were in Olympia advocating for policies that center climate and equity as top priorities for our state. Others were piloting innovative science at our preserves that will inform how we adapt our restoration efforts in a changing climate. And beyond Washington, our team worked with colleagues and partners across state lines and country borders to slow climate change and biodiversity loss at a global scale.

As we close on another year marked by climate extremes impacting our communities and landscapes, we know there is much more to do, but there is also much to celebrate. We are proud of the work we have done this year to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. We hope you are, too!

Your support makes a meaningful difference in shaping a sustainable future for Washington and around the globe, and I hope you will join us in celebrating these shared accomplishments. Knowing that we have a strong community of partners and supporters in this collective work gives us hope and energy for the road ahead. Thank you for all that you do.

Move Over Oprah, It's Book Club Time: Welcome to Indian Country 101

June 14, 2023

In February, Indian Country 101—a free, online, self-paced tribal engagement training series—was launched by The Whitener Group, a Native-owned consultant group, and The Nature Conservancy in Washington State. This new tool was created as a way to learn more about the history of Native Nations in the U.S. and how to effectively engage and support Tribes in conservation work. 

The development of the Indian Country (IC) tribal engagement series was grounded in the understanding that you can’t work with Indigenous people in the United States without first outlining the long and complicated history of tribes and tribal governments.  

At The Nature Conservancy, we are piloting internal ‘book clubs’ for our colleagues to talk about what they have learned over the course of the 10 hours of training (20 hours if you also take the Washington State-focused lessons). The tools that we developed for our IC 101 Book Clubs are available for individuals or organizations hoping to host their own or reflect more deeply on their learnings.  

Conversations that stemmed from the prompts were time well spent. Most were shocked over how little of this history they were taught during their formal education – with some exceptions for more recent graduates. Many of us were struck by how much we didn’t—and don’t—know about the experience of Indigenous people in North America and about the depth and duration of the systematic actions taken by the U.S. government (and others) to undermine, erase and assimilate Native Nations. We also recognized that lack of knowledge reflects that same systematic effort. We acknowledged the living reality of treaties as something that many in the environmental and non-profit world have limited awareness of, thinking instead about them as documents of the past. 

Are you now chompin' to start your own Indian Country 101 book club? We've got you!