East Merced Resource Conservation District

We did it! Merced, we are now officially a Clean California Designated Community!

A huge thank you to all those in the community who rolled up their sleeves and helped
keep Merced litter-free. Your dedication made this milestone possible!

Now, we invite other communities to join us at the forefront of making a lasting impact
across California. Together, we can create a state where everyone enjoys a .

Make your community’s commitment official today at CleanCA.com/Designation.

🌎✨ Earth Day Recap ✨🌎
What a day. What a community.

We had an incredible turnout this year, together we cleaned up our park, got our hands in the soil, and planted a pollinator garden that will keep giving back 🌱
Toyon . yarrow . deer grass . milkw**d for the monarchs 🦋

This space is now rooted in habitat, beauty, and intention and it only gets better from here.

We’re also excited to share that the restored horseshoe pits (crafted with beautiful redwood) will be finished next week. Huge thank you to Big Creek Lumber for making that possible 🤎

Our education fair was filled with amazing partners sharing knowledge and resources with the community: BEAM Circular . US Fish & Wildlife . Bear Creek Yacht Club . UC Merced College Corps . Rising Sun Center for Opportunity . Merced Parks & Rec . City of Merced . Xerces Society. Grasslands Ecological Center

And of course, our community raffle was a hit! Thank you to Rezip Reusable Bags . The Lost Acre Farm . Sierra Disc Golf for your generous donations 🎁

To everyone who showed up, cleaned, planted, learned, ate BBQ, connected, and cared, this is what community looks like.
Happy Earth Month 🌍

Thank you for helping us take care of this place we all call home 🤍



City of Merced, CA USA, BEAR CREEK YACHT CLUB, The Lost Acre, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, UC Merced, The Xerces Society, Rezip, , Disc Golf,

🌱 Going Zero Waste starts with YOU, Merced!

We’re working to make our community cleaner, greener, and more sustainable but we need your input to get there.

What would make Merced a cleaner place to live, work, and enjoy? ♻️

📲 Scan the QR code to take our quick survey and share your thoughts. Your feedback helps shape real solutions for a cleaner community.

Let’s build a cleaner Merced together. 💚

https://forms.gle/TePT2s5NcYtMkFCLA

**DUE TO WEATHR - RESCHEDULED TO MAY 21st**

🌿 Regenerative Almond Orchard Field Day – Join Us!

We’re excited to invite you to the first annual field day at the UC Merced Smart Farm’s Regenerative Almond Orchard demonstration site!

This event will focus on practical, real-world approaches to establishing almond orchards using regenerative practices that support soil health, water resilience, and long-term productivity.

📅 Tuesday, April 21, 2026
⏰ 8:00 AM – 1:30 PM
📍 UC Merced Smart Farm
5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA
💲 $10 registration fee

🌱 Topics include:

Orchard establishment
Compost, biochar, and cover crops
Biological pest management
Groundwater recharge and infiltration
Whole orchard recycling
Hedgerow and habitat planning

🔗 Register using the QR code on the flyer
⚠️ Attendance is limited to 35 participants due to parking constraints—don’t wait!

Come learn, connect, and explore how regenerative practices can shape the future of agriculture in our region.

🌍 Happy Earth Day! 🌱

Celebrate our planet and community with us on April 11th! In partnership with the City of Merced, we’ll be hosting a creek cleanup and planting a pollinator garden. Come join us to:

Make a tangible impact on our local environment 🌾

Learn from local partners about ways you can support the Earth 💚

Connect with fellow community members and celebrate our shared home 🌎

Together, we can nurture the land, water, and wildlife that make our world thrive.

📅 When: April 11th - 9:30am - 12:30pm
📍 Where: Rahilly Park 3400 N Parsons Ave, Merced, CA 95340

Our team recently completed a successful planting event at the Cottonwood Unit of the Merced National Wildlife Refuge, and we’re proud to share photos from the day.

We planted cottonwood cuttings to restore native riparian habitat work that supports migratory birds, stabilizes soil, enhances biodiversity, and improves the long-term health of the refuge ecosystem. In addition to planting, we collected new cuttings in preparation for next season’s planting efforts, helping ensure continued habitat restoration in the years ahead.

This hands-on conservation work directly benefits the wildlife that depend on this special place.

If you’re looking for a reason to get outside, now is a perfect time to visit. cranes, geese and waterfowl are gathering in impressive numbers before continuing their migration, creating one of the most spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities of the season.

Learn more and plan your visit:
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/merced

Thank you to our host and everyone who supports local conservation, we hope you’ll experience the refuge for yourself soon. 🌾

East Merced RCD was excited to attend the 2026 California Walnut Conference in Turlock, held at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds and hosted by West Coast Nut in partnership with the California Walnut Board and the California Walnut Commission.

This year’s conference focused on both the economics and the ecology of walnut production reflecting how today’s growers must balance global market pressures with on-the-ground stewardship.

The opening presenter shared a powerful reminder that walnuts aren’t just a commodity, they’re part of culture and branding. A standout example was the “Walnut Crunch” color line from Lululemon, highlighting how California walnuts even influence fashion and lifestyle markets. It was a creative illustration of how agricultural products shape trends far beyond the orchard and why storytelling and market positioning matter just as much as yield.

🔎 Key themes throughout the conference included:
• The 2025 crop outlook and shifting acreage trends
• Navigating global trade complexity and pricing pressures
• Regulatory updates impacting water, labor, and pesticide use
• Mold management strategies in variable weather conditions
• Nematode mitigation and soil health approaches
• Human–wildlife conflict resolution in orchard systems

One standout discussion centered on pest management strategies that incorporate natural predator birds as part of an integrated approach. Presenters highlighted how installing barn owl boxes and raptor perches can support hawks and owls that help control squirrel populations and other orchard pests. By encouraging birds of prey to nest and hunt within orchards, growers can reduce crop damage while lowering reliance on reactive control methods.

From an RCD perspective, this is where conservation and agriculture align. Practices like installing bird boxes, maintaining hedgerows, and enhancing on-farm habitat don’t just support wildlife they create more resilient production systems. Supporting predator birds is a practical example of how biodiversity directly benefits working lands while strengthening long-term sustainability.

Researchers from University of California, Davis and UC partners shared practical, field-tested applications growers can implement now, from integrated pest management strategies to soil-based resilience practices that strengthen orchards long term.

And...... innovation extended to the tasting room as well.
Walnut ranch. (yep that's right) Walnut horchata. (soo good!) Walnut pomegranate whip. Savory walnut sauces. Even walnut cocktail foam. + Incoming Walnut .....MEAT! 🥩 🌰

Value-added product development is expanding how consumers experience walnuts, from food to fashion, telling a broader story about versatility, creativity, and stewardship.

For Merced County growers, this matters. Innovation in orchard management, habitat enhancement, and market diversification strengthens both farm viability and regional conservation goals.

🌰 The future of California walnuts is adaptive, research-driven, market-aware, and rooted in stewardship and we’re excited to support it here at home.

The cranes are calling and it’s time to answer.

Join us this weekend at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge for the annual Crane Fly-In! 🕊️✨

Each winter, thousands of sandhill cranes fill the skies over the refuge, creating one of California’s most breathtaking wildlife spectacles. Watch them lift off at sunrise and return at sunset in waves of sound and motion. A true Central Valley experience.

Bring your binoculars, dress warm, and come celebrate conservation in action. Hosted by the Sierra club and the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. This is a perfect outing for families, photographers, bird lovers, and anyone who needs a little wild beauty in their weekend.

📍 Merced County
🗓️ This Weekend: Saturday, February 21, 2026, from 4:45 PM to 6:30 PM
🌾 Free & open to the public

Tag someone you want to watch the cranes with!



https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00001X4NM6IAN

🚜 Big news from EMRCD!
Our Rental Equipment Program is growing—making it easier than ever for local farmers to put conservation into practice.
We’re now offering:
✅ A 1,000-gallon water trailer – perfect for cover crops and tree planting.
✅ A no-till seed drill – helping improve soil health and reduce disturbance.
✅ A dedicated trailer to make hauling equipment simple and accessible!

These tools are already helping producers across the region boost soil structure, water retention, and sustainability.

Learn more about how you can reserve equipment or get involved by visiting our website at www.eastmercedrcd.org

💚 Together, we’re turning conservation plans into action—one field at a time.
📸