Our Backyard Conservation Workshops are expanding!!! With the addition of new grant funds, we are now able to offer 2 sets of Backyard Conservation Workshops! The workshops in partnership with San Juan College will still take place in the classroom and cover the knowledge foundation and some of the more technical aspects of each topic, while the workshops in partnership with San Juan County Cooperative Extension Service and the new Growing Forward Farm will take a hands-on practical approach, looking at how the various conservation practices have been applied to the farm and how you could apply them to your own yard, garden, or farm.

~~Workshops at San Juan College~~

San Juan Soil & Water Conservation District, in partnership with San Juan College Community Learning Center, offers a series of Backyard Conservation Workshops designed to bring conservation practices from farms and ranches to your backyard.

Spend a Saturday (or several of them) developing and improving conservation practices to bring beauty and diversity to your yard, regardless if your yard is measured in acres, feet, or flower pots. Learn skills that farmers and ranchers use to help them meet their production goals while protecting natural resources. Workshops have the bonus of free materials given to participants, under guidelines of grant funding and availability. These workshops can be taken individually for $10 each. Each class is 9 am-noon, Saturday. Workshops can be attended either in-person, or virtually with links to online videos of the presentations and a live Zoom workshop; students will need a phone, tablet, or computer to join the Zoom workshop. Please provide an email that you check regularly and can access from home. Course ID: CHOHO 283. (40 max, free materials will be given to the first 25 students registered) Instructors: SAN JUAN SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT (SJSWCD)

To register for a workshop at San Juan College, contact the San Juan College Community Learning Center at 505-566-3214, or register online at the link below.
https://sanjuancollegeclc.coursestorm.com/category/hobbies-home

Summer/Fall 2021 Workshops at San Juan College:
June 26, 2021 – Managing Wildlife, Attracting Pollinators, and Beekeeping (free native pollinator seeds)
July 31, 2021 – Native Plants: Seed Harvesting and Storage (free native pollinator plants and seeds)
August 28, 2021 – Water-Smart Landscaping & Rainwater Harvesting (free rain barrels)
September 25, 2021 – Soil Health: Compost, Mulch, and Cover Crops (free composter)
October 30,  2021 – Managing Invasive Weeds (free cover crop seeds)
November 20,  2021 – Water Conservation and Fertilizer Management (free soil tests)

~~Workshops at Growing Forward Farm~~

San Juan Soil & Water Conservation District is partnering up with San Juan County Cooperative Extension Service to offer hands-on workshops demonstrating the practical application of conservation techniques at a community farm, and discussing how those techniques can be implemented at your own yard, garden, or farm. These workshops will take place at Growing Forward Farm and/or at our new office (currently under construction).

Summer/Fall 2021 Workshops at Growing Forward Farm:
Late July TBD – Native Plants: Seed Harvesting and Storage (free native pollinator plants and seeds)
Late August TBD – Water-Smart Landscaping & Rainwater Harvesting (free rain barrels)
Late September TBD – Soil Health: Compost, Mulch, and Cover Crops (free composter)
Late October TBD – Managing Invasive Weeds (free cover crop seeds)
Mid November TBD – Water Conservation and Fertilizer Management (free soil tests)

To register for a workshop at Growing Forward Farm, contact Andy Bleckinger with San Juan Soil & Water Conservation District at 505-234-6040 x2, or register online at the link below. (Online registration is preferred)
[Link coming soon, once dates are set]

***If you would like to access the presentation or handout materials from a past workshop, select the course topic below. You can also check out our Backyard Conservation Workshop videos on our San Juan SWCD YouTube Channel.