San Juan Islands Conservation District offers free biochar kiln workshops to combat wildfire risk and boost soil health |Hands-on training teaches islanders to transform forest debris into valuable soil amendment while reducing fire danger
By Darell Kirk
Staff reporter
San Juan County landowners have a unique opportunity this winter to learn a centuries-old practice with modern applications: converting woody debris into biochar using low-emission kilns. The San Juan Islands Conservation District is offering free hands-on workshops on all three ferry-served islands, training participants to address two critical challenges facing the region — wildfire prevention and soil health.
The workshops will be held Jan. 25 at JB Farms on Orcas Island, Feb. 21 at Overmarsh Farm Commons on San Juan Island (now full) and Feb. 22 at Midnight’s Farm on Lopez Island. All sessions run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are limited to 15 participants per island.
“One of the things about these kilns is they’re really only burning the small stuff,” explains Maggie Long, farm planner with the Conservation District and workshop instructor. “Those bigger logs aren’t a risk in terms of fire. It’s really that smaller, finer fuels that are the bigger concern.”