Connecting People, Resources and Knowledge
WSU Extension programs connect the people and communities of Island County with the knowledge base of Washington State University to promote quality of life and advance economic well-being through fostering inquiry, learning, and the application of research.
County Programs
Do you enjoy learning and helping others?
The Master Gardener program provides volunteer training on research-based gardening and environmental stewardship practices to share in the community. Learn more about training to become a volunteer.
Master Gardeners are ready at 5 locations throughout Island County to help answer your gardening questions. See the 2023 schedule for a location near you!
It can hold the most delicate objects AND be detrimental to our environment. The Packaging King — expanded polystyrene foam or EPS — pollutes our water and takes hundreds of years to breakdown in landfills. Once broken apart, the polystyrene components crumble into small bits that contaminate our environment even further. Discover ways to reuse EPS and learn how it can be reprocessed into products with a longer lifespan. Future solutions include using textile waste and biomaterials as sustainable packaging filler.
Preserving the Salish Sea by Reducing Plastic Pollution
Discover simple ways to help keep the Salish Sea beautiful and reduce plastic pollution. National Microplastics expert and WSU grad Julie Masura shares tips to help maintain this biologically diverse inland marine ecosystem. Together, we can make a difference in the health of wildlife, salmon, orcas, and other marine species.
Speaker Series
WSU Extension of Island County, in partnership with Sno-Isle Libraries, is proud to present the annual speaker series, “Our Earth, Our Home”. Please join us for the rescheduled date of Saturday, September 30th for “Forest Health”, a presentation by Washington State University Professor and certified forester, Kevin Zobrist.
Dead and declining trees have proliferated throughout western Washington over the past few years as summer heat and drought have become more extreme. The iconic western red cedar has been particularly affected, causing concern for many property owners. Washington State University (WSU) Extension Forestry will be giving a free public seminar to explain why trees are in decline right now. Learn what makes forests and trees healthy or unhealthy and how to recognize when there’s a problem on your property. Topics include insects, diseases, and drought, including their environmental roles and the important interactions between them. Learn about what property owners should do (and not do) to increase tree resilience and mitigate impacts. The seminar will be taught by Kevin Zobrist, professor of forestry at WSU and author of the book Native Trees of Western Washington.
Climate, Consumption, and Waste
Garbage is not glamorous, or even exciting, but it is interesting and we all produce it.
What do our consumption and waste habits tell us? How are they connected to our climate issues? What changes would we make if we knew more?
See below for links to our programs.
OUR IMPACT STATEMENT IS READY FOR REVIEW!
Please take a look at our most current Impact Statement for 2020 – 2021 by clicking this link:
2020-2021 WSU Extension – Island County IMPACT STATEMENT
ENJOY!
Land-grant mission steers WSU’s drive-in
Wi-Fi partnership
The Drive-In WiFi partnership has begun placing broadband access points at the WSU county and tribal Extension centers, as well as schools, libraries, and community centers statewide. WSU Extension Island County provides one of the first Drive-In Wi-Fi Hot-spots being established by this program. Island County residents may now access free broadband internet from the safety of their vehicle while parked in the WSU Extension Island County parking lot.
