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Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series for 2025

We know many Oregon gardeners are seeing changes in weather affecting their gardening. What does this mean for your garden’s future? This year’s Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up series is about growing resilience in a changing climate. We’re digging deep into the science behind invasive pests, best techniques in using less water, understanding what changes our trees are enduring, and harnessing the power of technology to identify and learn more about plants and insects. In partnership with Garden Future, we’re talking and learning about growing resilience in our gardens and communities.

Illustration by Colby Brooks

Topics and dates

Webinars are the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 12 noon (Pacific). The series runs from April through September 2025.

How to attend

Details and registration: See below for webinar details and to register.

Watch online: This webinar series will be available on Zoom and broadcast live on our Facebook page.

Cost: Free

Who can attend: Open to the public, OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers receive 1 hour of Continuing Education Credit for each class.

Watch the recordings

Recordings of the webinars are posted below after the event.

Low Water Lowdown: Successful Water-Wise Gardening

Conserving water doesn’t mean skimping on beauty, so long as you are intentional about design. Whether you’re planning a water-wise garden or are trying to rescue the one you have, this webinar can help. Our presenters will flood you with design tips and info about site preparation, plant selection, irrigation options, use of lawn or lawn alternatives, mulching, maintenance, and retrofitting for water conservation. They’ll also recommend some drought-tolerant plants for both the dry and wet sides of the state.

Presenters: Amy Jo Detweiler, Professor and Extension Horticulturist, is responsible for teaching and outreach in community and commercial horticulture in the high-desert environment of Central Oregon, working with home gardeners and green industry professionals. In addition to coordinating the Master Gardener volunteer program in Yamhill County, Heather Stoven is the Extension Horticulturist there, assisting both home gardeners and small farmers.

View the recording
Photo: Adobestock (Cropped from original)

Low water use plants

Lists of plants recommended for seven different Oregon regions.

Regional low water use plant lists

Low-water use plant lists for seven regions of Oregon.

Master Gardener™

portland skyline with tree in foreground, bench
Photo: Adobestock

Grow Shade: Why Cities Need More Trees, Please

Trees don’t just make a neighborhood prettier; they make it healthier. Differences in canopy coverage can create significant disparities in temperatures. That means that areas with slim shade several degrees hotter than more-treed areas and summer is felt unequally across a city. Tree Equity is the movement to ensure everyone can live, work, learn, and play in a resilient space. Tune in to learn the history and the future of how trees influence public health and shared community values, while discovering how we can all support our urban forests. 

Presenter: Jamie King is an urban forester who brings specialized experience in community engagement, workforce development, urban planning, tree preservation, and tree canopy resilience to his role as Director of Coaching and Consulting for the Urban Forestry Field Delivery Team.

May 13, 2025: Noon-1:00 PM Pacific

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Vast and Curious: Explore Your World with iNaturalist

Satisfy your curiosity while also contributing to community science? Eureka! iNaturalist is a fun and powerful tool that helps you identify any living thing—plants, insects, fungi, and more—with just a picture, making it great for the plant clinic, birdwatching, or just exploring the natural world. On top of that, scientists around the globe actually use the data you collect; your observations can help them conduct research, track trends, and monitor the spread of invasive species and the populations of endangered ones. Let our presenter show you the simple and quick way to use the app and site. (We strongly recommend downloading the app before the webinar.)

Presenter: Rachel Werling is a native-plant botanist and president of the Siskiyou Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon. She served as faculty at OSU’s Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center with the Land Steward Program until spring of 2024. 

June 10, 2025: Noon-1:00 PM Pacific

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Credit: Lynn G. Ketchum (Cropped from original)
exposed area of tree bark with swirling pattern made by emerald ash borer
Photo: Adobestock

Intruder Alert: Early Detection of Invasive Species

Invasive species threaten the productivity and health of our forests, agriculture industries, and homes, and new ones keep appearing. Listen as our presenter explains why early detection is key in managing invasive species, shares some resources for learning more about them and how to report sightings, and highlights a few pests to be on the lookout for in Oregon.

Presenter: Ebba Peterson is a research plant pathologist at Oregon State University, specializing in Phytophthora diseases of woody plants.  Working closely with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Department of Forestry, USDA Forest Service, and industry partners, she seeks to prevent the introduction of invasive pests to keep our wildlands and gardens healthy.

July 8, 2025: Noon-1:00 PM Pacific

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Stress Re-leaf: Saving Trees from Climate Burnout

Trees may not have a mortgage or rent to pay, or bosses to report to at work, but they still can experience stress. That stress increases and intensifies in response to our changing climate, as they struggle to survive extreme weather and other disruptions and disturbances, like insect pests and pathogens—all while their habitats continue to inch toward the edge of habitability. Our presenter will talk about how our Oregon forests are impacted by climate change, with implications for landscape trees; share current research happening in the OSU College of Forestry; and suggest options for caring for stressed trees in your woodland or landscape.

Presenter: Dan Stark (he/him) is the OSU Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Forester serving the north coast of Oregon, from Lincoln on up to Clatsop. His outreach and education focuses on several forest health-related topics, including forest insect and disease ecology and management, invasive insects and pathogens, and wildland and prescribed fire.

August 12, 2025: Noon-1:00 PM Pacific

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Photo: Adobestock (Cropped from original)
rain gauge in garden with red poppies
Photo: Adobestock

Better Watch Your Backyard: Tracking Oregon’s Seasons

Changes in things like bloom timing, the amount/type of precipitation your area receives, or other seasonal phenomena are exactly the kinds of thing the folks behind Oregon Season Tracker are trying to understand. This ongoing community science project teams up volunteers, natural resource managers, educators, and researchers to further the understanding of weather and climate and their effects on our local environment. You can support its efforts simply by reporting precipitation and seasonal plant changes from your own home, farm, woodland, ranch, or school—watch to learn more!

Presenter: Sarah Cameron works for Forestry & Natural Resources Extension in Clackamas County, connecting small woodland owners with local educational resources and opportunities. Part of her role includes coordination of Oregon Season Tracker, a statewide community science project.

September 9, 2025: Noon-1:00 PM Pacific

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