Sandy Seed Library News - January 2026

 

Happy December, Gardeners!

I know they say time moves faster when you get older, but seriously … I can't believe it's December already.

I went on the November hike led by Dakota and Erik of Clackamas River Basin Council, and found out that they have resources to help residents that live on a stream to remove invasive species from their property. I was told that they are especially interested in Sandy residents who live off of Tickle Creek that need help removing blackberries. If you, or someone you know, lives off of Tickle Creek and would like some help removing blackberries, please reach out at 503-303-4372. You can also learn more from their website.

Upcoming Events

Growing Culturally Significant Plants: Connecting People to Place presented by Jeremy Ojua of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Jeremy will be speaking about growing plants that grow community. Jeremy Ojua is the Native plant nursery supervisor at the Natural Resources Department for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, operating the Native plant nursery to provide culturally significant native plants for restoration, cultural use, and education for the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde’s projects, programs, and community.

When: Monday, December 8, 7 - 8pm

Where: Milwaukie Center (5440 SE Kellogg Creek Dr. Milwaukie, OR 97222)

Winter Craft Workshop

Attend this hands-on workshop at the Hopkins Demonstration Forest to make decorative swags and wreaths to welcome the season. Participants will gather greenery (incense cedar, red cedar, ponderosa pine, Oregon grape) at Hopkins, but you are encouraged to bring items you find from home, whether tree cones, evergreen cuttings, or ribbon/decorations. Wire and hand tools will be provided.

The workshop will take place under a covered pavilion; please dress appropriately to keep warm in potentially cool weather. Hot cocoa will be provided. This program is open to all.

When: Saturday, December 13, 1 - 4pm

Where: Hopkins Demonstration Forest (16750 S Brockway Rd, Oregon City)

$5 per person

From Lawn to Life: Alternatives to Traditional Turf presented by the Clackamas River Basin Council

Join the Clackamas River Basin Council (CRBC) for an inspiring and practical webinar on transforming your yard into a thriving, eco-friendly landscape! Learn how to replace traditional grass lawns with beautiful, low-maintenance alternatives that conserve water, reduce chemical use, and create vital habitat for native pollinators and wildlife.

Whether you’re looking to convert a small patch or your entire lawn, our team will walk you through the simple steps for designing a resilient yard that supports both people and nature. Participants will see real “before and after” examples from local homeowners and community spaces across the Clackamas watershed that have successfully gone from lawn to life.

Discover how your yard can become part of a growing movement toward healthy soils, cleaner water, and thriving pollinator populations. Together, we can reimagine our lawns to better reflect the beauty and resilience of Oregon’s natural landscapes.

When: Friday, December 19, 12 - 12:30pm

Where: Zoom Link, Register Here

The Mini Habitat Grant Kits from the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District for Sandy residents are still available to apply for! The new deadline is December 15th. Click on the image below to be taken to the application page.

World Soil Day, December 5th: Healthy Soil for Healthy Cities

World Soil Day is an international celebration to raise awareness about the importance of the health of our soil and the responsible management of the resources that come from the soil. This year, the focus is on urban landscapes with the theme of “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities”:

Beneath asphalt, buildings, and streets lies soil that, if permeable and vegetated, helps absorb rainwater, regulate temperature, store carbon, and improve air quality. But when it's sealed with cement, it loses these functions, making cities more vulnerable to flooding, overheating, and pollution.

To learn more about the background of this movement, and the organizations that spearhead it, visit https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-soil-day

What I've Been Reading:

The Living Soil Handbook by Jesse Frost

One of the wonderful things about working in the library is I come across books that other patrons have checked out when I am checking them back in. This book immediately jumped out at me and I thought I would share. And I also thought, what better month to highlight a book on Living Soil?!

The Living Soil Handbook is very thorough, as it is meant to help folks start up and run a successful market garden. Jesse organizes the book by three basic principles: (1) Disturb the soil as little as possible, (2) keep the soil covered as much as possible, and (3) keep the soil planted as much as possible.

This book also led me to Jesse's website and all the various podcasts they support (https://www.notillgrowers.com/podcasts-1):

• The No-Till Market Garden
• The Composter
• The Winter Growers
• The Seed Farmer
• The Collab Farming

Listening to the first episode of The Seed Farmer introduced me to a Clackamas County Farmer, Empowered Flowers.

What I've Been Reading Children's Edition:

Secret Lives of Soil Creatures by Sara Swan Miller

"Have you ever wondered about the little creatures you see moving about in the dirt? If you're like most people, you probably have no idea how many creatures are living their secret lives down in the soil. Without them, though, there would be no soil. And without soil, there would be no plants, no trees, and no animals on the land or in the air."

This book does a fun job of describing various critters: the decomposers, the scavengers, the predators, and those that seem to fall into all categories.

If you're interested in an adult version of this book, check out The World Beneath Our Feet by James B. Nardi.

As always, thank you for being here,

Brianna Chase