Attract pollinators to your yard this year

Learn how to attract beneficial wildlife, like birds, butterflies and pollinators to your yard, and share your observations with the scientific community. Kathryn Wells, habitat steward and outreach specialist for the Snohomish Conservation District, presents this free, public program at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16, at the Island County Multi-Purpose Center, 141 N. East Camano Drive, Camano Island. 

Camano Wildlife Habitat Project is sponsored by Friends of Camano Island Parks. For information, call 360-387-2236, visit camanowildlifehabitat.org, or email camanowildlifehabitat@gmail.com.

Habitat Stewards training to start soon

Learn how to garden for wildlife and create a personal wildlife sanctuary in your own backyard. Friends of Camano Island Parks’ Camano Wildlife Habitat Project trains Habitat Stewards to help the community create, preserve, enhance and restore wildlife habitat. The training will be offered 6-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays — Jan. 16, Feb. 20, March 20,

April 17, May 15, June 19

— at the Island County Multi-Purpose Center, 141 N. East Camano Drive. Five Saturday field trips are included — 9:30 a.m. to noon on Jan. 19, Feb. 23, March 23, April 20, May 18. Cost is a donation of time or money to assist FOCIP’s Camano Wildlife Habitat Project. To register, see camanowildlifehabitat.org, call 360-387-2236 or e-mail camanowildlifehabitat@gmail.com.

Prepare for volcano dangers

Camano Preparedness Group will feature two presentations — one on Volcanoes in Our Backyard and one on Map Your Neighborhood and Community Emergency Response Training during its public meeting, 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, in the Camano Center, 606 Arrowhead Drive, Camano Island. Learn about the history of the five volcanoes in Washington, how they work, and what danger they may pose to Camano Island and Stanwood. Then see how actions taken in a neighborhood can provide assistance to yourself and others in a disaster and why CERT is so important. Free. To inquire, contact Sue Ryan, KK6SUE@arrl.net, or Rhonda Paulson, 360-387-9923, rspaulson.rp@gmail.com, or visit camanopreparednessgroup.org.

Nominate a recycler for an award

Washington State Recycling Association is seeking nominations by Jan. 11, for its annual Recycler of the Year awards.

Award categories include Individual Recycler, Public Agency, Institution, Nonprofit, Higher Education Institution, Business Generator, Public Education, Youth Education, Innovation, Recycling Business and the Recycling Hall of Fame.

Criteria and nomination forms are available at wsra.net. Call 206-244-0311 for assistance or to inquire.

Early bird plant sale

Snohomish Conservation District is taking orders now for its 34th annual SCD Plant Sale to be held 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, in Commercial Building 400, at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds, Monroe.

Avoid lines at the sale and pre-order online all the plants you’ll need. Go to theplantsale.org, add plants you want to cart and check out. Pick up your order Feb. 9 at the sale.

Choices range from deciduous and evergreen shrubs and trees to ground covers, rain garden plants, seed mixes and wildlife bundles. Rain barrel kits, tube tree protectors and native plant shirts are offered, too. Most prices range from $3 to $8. Proceeds benefit conservation district programs. Call 425-335-5634, ext. 4 to inquire.

Orchard’s Nursery to re-open Monday 

Orchard’s Nursery, 10521 Highway 532, Stanwood, closed for a few weeks after Christmas and will re-open on Monday, Jan. 14, in time to offer plants for bare-root season and prepare for spring landscaping (check the nursery’s Facebook page to verify).

CLASSES

Master gardeners present workshops

Snohomish County Master Gardener Foundation, snomgf.org, is offering its Winter Speaker Series. Here are several upcoming presentations to be held 9:30-11:30 a.m. Fridays at Trinity Lutheran Church, 6215 196th St. SW, Lynnwood:

• Jan. 18: Tony Fararillo,

“Mindful Gardening Through Bonsai”

• Feb. 1: Montgomery/Bikle, “Soil and Microbes From Garden to Gut”

• Feb. 15: Stephen Robins, “Lavender: A Multi-Faceted Gardening Adventure”

To confirm the speakers, topics and location or to purchase tickets, visit gardenlectures.com. 

Garden workshops at Christianson’s

Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, west of Mount Vernon, offers garden classes and charges $8 for most. Reservations are required; call 360-466-3821 or 800-585-8200, or see christiansonsnursery.com for information.

• January through March is bare-root season and time to plant fruit, flowering and shade trees, cane fruit, some shrubs and such edibles as strawberries, asparagus and rhubarb. 

• Propagating Perennials, 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26. 

• Kokedama Workshop, 

10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 2. 

• Bonsai; Extraordinary Rituals, 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9.