Upcoming Workshops
Scroll down to learn more and register for our workshops!
Basic & Advanced Erosion Control Practices – Thursday, May 16 | 8am-4pm | South Paris, ME
This course is necessary to become a Contractor Certified in Erosion and Sedimentation Control Practices by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). In this 8-hour course, participants will learn why erosion control practices are important, be exposed to the principles of erosion and sedimentation, learn how to properly install and maintain Erosion & Sedimentation Control (‘ESC’) Best Management Practices (BMPs), regulations requiring ESC, using the Departments Permit By Rule process, in-water work procedures, and ESC planning. Participants are provided with information on the proper selection, installation and maintenance of ESC practices using Maine DEPs Erosion and Sediment Control Practices Field Guide for Contractors.
The course is of primary interest to contractors but could also be helpful to municipal code enforcement officers, consultants, engineers and public works employees. Courses can be tailored to either an audience of primarily contractors or for inspectors and municipal officials.
This class qualifies for 6 Continuing Education Hours (CEH) for individuals Certified in Erosion Control Practices by Maine DEP. Each CEH afford Certified individuals one year of recertification. This class is approved for 4 Credits for Certified Tank Installers by the Board of Underground Storage Tank Installers, 2023.
Cost: $80.00 per person if paid with check, $84.00 if paid here on our website. Fee includes materials, morning refreshments, and lunch!
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, May 14
To Register:
Step 1 – Sign up using our form. You MUST fill out a form for EACH participant with their full name so we can keep track of who is attending.
Step 2 – Pay for the course. You can either pay here on our website or send us a check or money order (no cash through the mail). Your payment MUST be received before the day of class, so please keep this in mind if planning to mail your fee. Please send to OCSWCD at 17 Olson Road, Suite 3, South Paris, ME 04281.
Basic & Advanced Erosion Control Practices Course Fee
Registration includes the course, materials, and lunch!
$84.00
Mushroom Log Inoculation – Sat. May 11 | 10am-1pm | Tenmile River Demo Forest, Brownfield, ME
Learn about mushroom life cycles, spawn production, types of fungi, including Oyster and Shiitake mushrooms, methods for choosing, drilling, and stacking logs for inoculation, incubation, and fruiting. Drill plug, and wax a log to take home and grow.
This workshop will take place at the Tenmile River Demonstration Forest located at 600 Notch Rd, Brownfield, Maine
This workshop will be led by Scott Vlaun, CEBE’s Executive Director, who has been cultivating mushrooms for nearly two decades as part of his agroforestry and permaculture practice.
Chainsaw Safety Training – Sat. May 18 | 8:30am-3pm | Otisfield, ME
Join Maine Woodland Owners for this hands-on chainsaw training in Otisfield to learn about saw handling and maintenance, protective equipment, firewood cutting, and tree felling. The workshop is beginner level and not a full Certified Logging Professional training. Use your own saw or one of ours. Safety gear is available. The class runs from 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM and the fee is $20.00. Bring a lunch and a folding chair
Registration is Required. Please register here.
“Improving Your Soil Health” – Fri. June 21, 2024 | 4-6pm | Paris, ME
Join Robin Dunn, soil and compost expert, and Michele Windsor, OCSWCD Program Manager for a fun, hands on workshop about soil health!
Topics covered will include:
- Why soil health matters
- The components of healthy soils
- Tools like compost, worm bins, mycelium, and biochar
- Supporting healthy & lively soils in your backyard & garden
- Getting a closer look at soil microbes through a microscope
Participants will leave with ideas for tangible steps they can take at home to improve the health of their soils, plants, and local ecosystem!
Event is limited to 25 participants and pre-registration is required. This event needs a minimum of 10 people to run.
Cost: 10.00 per person
Registration Deadline: Thursday, June 20, 2024
Speaker Bios:
Robin Dunn taught music in Colorado for 30 years before deciding to devote the last portion of her life to a contribution toward the planet’s health. She has always loved compost and soil and gardening, and has spent the last two years studying soil health through programs provided by Elaine Ingham at soilfoodweb.com and Nicole Masters, author of For the Love of Soil. Robin has a vision for helping people turn their farms and backyards into “soil banks”, much like the seed bank in Svaalbard, Sweden. She has been astounded to learn the difference healthy soil can make in pollution mitigation, flood and drought mitigation, and making the food we eat more nutrient dense.
Michele Windsor has been the Program Manager at Oxford County Soil & Water Conservation District for the past 14 years. Her role has included providing technical assistance to land owners and municipalities, with a focus soil erosion and water quality issues. She is currently taking the lead on climate resiliency projects at the district’s Tenmile River Demonstration Forest.
Upcoming Workshops in the 2024 Agroforestry Series
June
“Native Forest Species & Climate Change”
“Improving Your Soil Health”
July
“Making Forests More Resilient”
August
“Enhancing Carbon Sequestration”
Mushroom Foraging
September
Agroforestry Project Tour at the Tenmile River Demo Forest
October
Food Forest: Starting Trees From Nuts
Bareroot Planting Trees
Other Conservation Workshops & Events
The Menacing Moth of Maine: Understanding Browntail Moths and their Outbreaks – April 1, 2024 | 3-4pm | Virtual
Since 2015, the browntail moth outbreak in Maine has left residents and visitors alike itching for a solution. Despite its presence in Maine for over a century, various changes, including shifts in climate, policies, and management practices, have rendered this outbreak uniquely challenging. Learn not only about the history and ecology of this tree pest, but also the research being conducted to help find a solution for this irritating insect.
To learn more and register, visit the UMaine website.
**POSTPONED** Timber Stand Improvement & Pruning | Hiram/Brownfield, ME
Join Maine Forest Service District Forester Mike Richard to learn about best practices with timber stand improvement and pruning. Participants will learn about cost share opportunities, tools, and other topics.
Fee: This program is being offered for free in partnership with the Maine Forest Service.
Event is limited to 25 participants and pre-registration is required.
All programs and activities of the Oxford County Soil & Water Conservation District are offered on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital or family status, political belief, citizenship status, veteran’s status or disability.
Hours
Mon – Fri: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Oxford County Soil & Water Conservation District 