As the crisp autumn air rolls through Cumberland County and the leaves turn vibrant shades of red and gold, it’s easy to think our yard work is winding down. But autumn isn't just about pumpkin spice and cozy sweaters—it’s actually the most critical season for building healthy soil, protecting our local watersheds, and prepping a low-maintenance, wildlife-friendly landscape for spring!

Adopting YardScaping practices in the fall means working with nature rather than against it. By shifting a few routine habits, you can save time and money while keeping pesticides and excess nutrients out of local lakes, streams, and Casco Bay.

Here are four simple, high-impact fall YardScaping practices to try right now.

1. "Leave the Leaves" (Or At Least Put Them to Work!)

Before you spend hours raking, bagging, and hauling every fallen leaf off your property, take a breather! Fallen leaves are nature’s free, high-quality fertilizer and mulch.

• Mulch Your Lawn: Run your lawnmower over thin layers of leaves directly on your grass. The shredded leaves will break down over winter, adding organic matter and nutrients right back into the soil.  

• Protect Garden Beds: Scoop up fallen leaves and spread a 2- to 3-inch layer over your garden beds. This insulates plant roots against Maine’s harsh freeze-thaw cycles and creates crucial overwintering habitat for beneficial pollinators like Luna moths and native bees.  

2. Test and Topdress Your Soil

Autumn is the single best time of year to improve soil health. Healthy, deep topsoil holds more water and nutrients, which prevents erosion and reduces the need for frequent watering or chemical inputs.  

• Get a Soil Test First: Don't guess what your soil needs! Grab a soil test kit from the District office or UMaine Cooperative Extension. Testing reveals your soil’s exact pH and nutrient levels, ensuring you only add what’s necessary.  

• Topdress with Compost: Spread a thin layer (about ¼ inch) of quality compost over your lawn or garden. Aerating beforehand helps the organic matter sink deep into the root zone, encouraging strong root growth all winter long.

3. Plant Native Perennials, Trees, and Shrubs

Late summer through early autumn is the ultimate planting window in Maine. The air is cooler, but the soil is still warm, giving young roots time to establish without the stress of summer heat.

• Choose Native Species: Native plants—like Joe Pye weed, red maples, asters, and dogwoods—are naturally adapted to local soil and climate conditions. Once established, they require minimal watering and zero chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

• Feed the Wildlife: Fall-planted native species provide nectar for migrating butterflies and vital seeds or shelter for birds surviving the winter.  

4. Rethink Your Fall "Clean-Up"

Traditional landscaping preaches cutting everything down to bare ground in October, but a tidy garden isn't always a healthy garden for the local ecosystem.  

• Keep Seed Heads Standing: Leave dried seed heads on native flowers like coneflowers and asters. They act as natural winter bird feeders when food becomes scarce.  

• Save Hollow Stems: Many beneficial insects hibernating through the winter nest inside hollow plant stalks. Wait until late spring—after temperatures consistently stay above 50°F—to trim them back.  

Ready to Turn Your Yard Into a Conservation Haven?

Small changes in our own backyards add up to big improvements for our soil and water quality.

Want personalized recommendations for your property? Learn more about our technical assistance programs, request a free site visit, or check out our YardScaping demonstration sites at the Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District. Happy planting!  

It was a classic early autumn day—crisp air, golden sunlight, and the first hints of foliage beginning to turn. But while many were out enjoying the trails, a dedicated crew from the Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District (CCSWCD), Maine Conservation Corps, and Inland Fish & Wildlife was out in a quiet stretch of woodland in Biddeford, rolled up in work gloves and laser-focused on the forest floor.

Our target? Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum).

Why Stiltgrass Is a Big Deal in Maine

To the untrained eye, Japanese stiltgrass might look like an innocent, delicate forest grass. But don't let its humble appearance fool you. Stiltgrass is an exceptionally fast-moving invasive species that threatens to rewrite the story of Maine’s forest floors.

Thriving in shaded, damp woodlands, stiltgrass forms dense, tangled mats that blanket the ground. As it spreads, it smothers native wildflowers, crowds out tree saplings, and prevents the natural regeneration of the forest understory. Even worse, it alters soil chemistry, disrupts local insect and wildlife habitat, and dries out late in the season to create a significant fire hazard.

Because stiltgrass is still a relatively recent intruder in Maine compared to southern New England, early detection and swift response in places like Biddeford are our absolute best line of defense.

Friday’s Work: Boots on the Ground

Armed with weed whackers and a lot of determination, our team set to work mapping and hand-pulling an infestation tucked along stormwater BMPs and streams on the edges of the forest.

The good news? Stiltgrass has very shallow root systems, making it surprisingly easy to pull up by the root.

The tricky news? Timing is everything. Late summer and early autumn are critical windows for stiltgrass control. By pulling the plants right now—before they fully drop their seed heads—we can eliminate millions of potential seeds from entering the soil seed bank for next spring.

After hours of carefully clearing the area, we bagged up every last stem for proper disposal (composting it is a big no-no, as seeds can survive!) and scrubbed our boots clean to make sure we didn't accidentally transport stray seeds to our next field site.

How You Can Spot (and Stop) Stiltgrass

Stopping the spread of invasive species takes a village—and your eyes on the trail make a huge difference! Here’s what to look out for on your next hike or bike:

• The Silver Stripe: Look for lime-green, lance-shaped leaves with a distinctive, shiny silvery stripe running down the middle off-center.

• Bamboo-Like Stems: Stiltgrass stems resemble tiny, delicate bamboo stalks and can grow anywhere from 1 to 3 feet tall.

• Shallow Roots: Unlike many native grasses, stiltgrass pulls out of the damp ground with almost zero resistance.

What To Do If You Find It

1. Snap a photo: Take clear, close-up photos of the leaves, stem, and overall patch.

2. Report it: Upload your sighting to iMapInvasives or email local conservation authorities so land managers can log the infestation site.

3. Play Clean Go: Always brush off your hiking boots, dog paws, and gear before leaving a trail to prevent hitchhiking seeds from spreading to new forests!

A huge thank you to everyone working behind the scenes and in the field to protect our local ecosystems. Every bag of invasives removed gives our native species room to breathe, grow, and thrive for seasons to come.

Interested in joining a volunteer work party or learning more about soil and water conservation in our region? Reach out to the CCSWCD team or visit our website to get involved!

From deep-dive technical sessions to bustling networking breaks, the energy in the room was contagious. This year’s theme, "Stormwater BMPs: The Real World," challenged us all to look beyond conceptual designs and explore what actually happens when stormwater regulations, innovative engineering, and real-world implementation meet the ground.

If you couldn't make it—or if you're just looking to relive the highlights—here is a quick recap of what made this year’s event our best one yet!

Big Ideas & Actionable Insights

Over the course of September 3rd and 4th, attendees dove into packed tracks exploring everything from cutting-edge retrofit designs to stretching municipal stormwater dollars.

• Real-World BMP Solutions: Speakers shared honest, practical lessons learned from the field—focusing on long-term maintenance, cost-effectiveness, and what it takes to make green infrastructure thrive after installation.

• Habitat & Waterbody Protection: Presenters highlighted high-impact restoration projects safeguarding Maine's lakes, rivers, and coastal waters against increasingly intense weather events.

• Policy & Ordinance Innovation: Discussions ranged from updated MS4 standards to practical municipal planning tools designed to keep local communities resilient.

Community, Connection, and Collaboration

Beyond the presentations, the conference lived up to its promise of being the place to connect with the local clean water community.

Between session tracks, the exhibit hall was humming with activity as participants explored innovative stormwater technologies, exchanged notes on regional projects, and reconnected with colleagues across Vacationland. To top it off, kicking off Labor Day weekend right by the Portland waterfront was the perfect backdrop for building new partnerships.

Huge Thanks to Our Sponsors & Partners!

An event of this scale couldn't happen without our incredible network of supporters.

A massive thank you to all of our event sponsors and all of our dedicated exhibitors. Your commitment to protecting Maine's natural resources makes critical educational gatherings like this possible.

We also extend a heartfelt thanks to our volunteer committee, presenters, and every single attendee who brought their knowledge, curiosity, and passion to Portland.

What’s Next?

The conference may be over, but the work to protect Maine's soil and water never stops!

• Presentation Slides: Keep an eye on your inbox! We’ll be sharing presenter slides and key takeaways with registered attendees soon.

• Get Involved: Want to stay engaged with local water quality initiatives? Check out our District Events Calendar for upcoming workshops, Interlocal Stormwater Working Group (ISWG) meetings, and community training sessions.

Thank you for making the 2026 Maine Stormwater Conference an overwhelming success. Together, we’re putting real-world clean water solutions into practice across Cumberland County and beyond! 🌊💙

Summer is officially in full swing here at the Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District, and with it comes an exciting burst of new energy. We are thrilled to welcome our newest cohort of summer interns to the team!

Every year, our interns bring fresh perspectives, passion for the environment, and a readiness to roll up their sleeves. Over the next few months, you’ll spot them out in the field and around the community doing some incredible work, including:

• Protecting Local Watersheds: Assisting with water quality monitoring and stream assessments.

• Community Engagement: Helping out at our upcoming summer events and educational workshops.

• Conservation in Action: Working side-by-side with our project managers on soil health and invasive species management.

We are so grateful to have these talented individuals spending their summer helping us protect and conserve Cumberland County's natural resources. If you see them out by the streams or at our next workshop, be sure to give them a warm welcome!

Dive Into Our Upcoming Summer Workshops & Events!

Whether you want to protect your shoreline, transition to eco-friendly landscaping, or connect with local conservation professionals, we have some fantastic opportunities lined up for you this season.

Here’s what’s coming up at the Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District (CCSWCD):

🛠️ Maine DEP Inland Shoreline Stabilization Practices

• When: Thursday, June 25, 2026 | 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

• Where: CCSWCD Office, 35 Main Street, Windham

• Cost: $30.00 (Includes snacks & drinks)

• What to expect: Learn how land use affects our shorelines, understand state permitting standards, and explore how to use vegetation and natural processes to prevent erosion without harming fish and wildlife habitats.

• Bonus: This 4-hour class qualifies for 4 Continuing Education Hours (CEH) for individuals Certified in Erosion Control Practices by the Maine DEP.

🌿 Ongoing YardScaping & Resilient Yards

Our signature YardScaping programs are in full swing! If you missed our early June workshops, don't worry—you can still dive into our resources online or reach out to request a personalized site visit. Learn how to swap out high-maintenance lawns for beautiful native pollinator gardens, edible landscapes, and wildflower meadows that work with nature instead of against it.

📅 Save the Date: 2026 Maine Stormwater Conference

• When: Thursday, September 3rd & Friday, September 4th, 2026

• Where: Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland, ME

• Theme:"Stormwater BMP: The Real World"

• This is our premier event looking at what happens when stormwater designs leave the drawing board and get implemented. Keep an eye out for agenda updates and registration details coming soon!

How to Get Involved

Space is limited for our hands-on workshops, so head over to our Workshops Page to secure your spot today.

Let's make this summer a season of growth and protection for Cumberland County's beautiful ecosystems!

If you care about ensuring clean water, healthy soils, and a thriving local ecosystem for generations to come, we have the perfect opportunity for you.

The Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District is officially looking for passionate new leaders to join our Board! As a Board candidate, you’ll get to help guide on-the-ground conservation efforts where they matter most: in our community’s lakes, streams, farms, and neighborhood yards.

What’s involved?

We know you're busy, so we keep things streamlined and impactful:

• The Commitment: We meet just once a month (every third Wednesday evening) for a 1-to-2-hour session to make key financial and programmatic decisions that support our amazing District staff.

• Go Deeper (Optional!): Want to roll up your sleeves even more? You can volunteer on one of our dynamic subcommittees, including:

  • Strategic Planning

  • Maine Stormwater Conference

  • Youth Education

  • Parking Lot Demonstration Garden

The Golden Rule: To join us, you just need to be a current resident of Cumberland County and bring a passion for protecting our local environment!

Could you be our next Board member?

Let's chat! Drop us a line and introduce yourself—we’d love to hear from you.

📧 Get in touch:cbrewer@cumberlandswcd.org

Thursday, July 16, 2026

Join the Long Creek Watershed Management District, Maine Turnpike Authority, Maine Department of Transportation, local municipalities, and commercial winter maintenance companies to meet with Phill Sexton, developer of the Sustainable Winter Management (SWiM) program, to improve winter maintenance contract language, reduce insurance liability, strategically invest in equipment, and provide a safe and efficient level of service to customers. The SWiM program has safely reduced road salt applications by up to 50% on state, municipal, and commercial spaces throughout the country.

Following Phill’s presentation, attendees will share their strategies, salt reduction methods, equipment recommendations, and data.

8:00-8:30 AM | Breakfast & Caffeine
8:30-9:15 AM | Sustainable Winter Management (SWiM) Program
9:15-10:00 AM | Facilitated Discussion & Management Strategies
*10:00-10:30 AM | Truck and Equipment Shop Tour

*The Interlocal Stormwater Working Group meeting will continue inside from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM.

Want to grow a healthier garden?

Lead in urban soil is a real danger, but you don't have to guess what's in your dirt. We joined University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Cultivating Community, City of Portland, City of Portland Sustainability Office, Greener Neighborhoods Cleaner Streams, and Fresh Food Gardens for the Urban Soils & Lead Workshop featuring local experts and real-world demonstrations to help cultivate safer, healthier gardens!

📍 Learn more and grab your kit at www.cumberlandswcd.org/yardscape

Dive Into Clean Water Week! 🌊

Clean Water Week is officially back from June 7th through June 13th, 2026, and we have an incredible lineup of informative, hands-on, and fun community events planned all week long!

Our daily choices have a massive impact on the health of our local ecosystems. Clean Water Week is our collective chance to come together as neighbors, learn how our actions affect local water quality, and discover simple, real-world steps we can take to protect Portland’s streams and the beautiful Casco Bay.

Whether you want to get creative with community stenciling, unwind with forest bathing, or catch an award-winning documentary screening, there is something for everyone. Check out the full schedule of events below and find out how you can dive in and make a splash for clean water!

Tuesday 6/9  |  1:00pm - 3:00pm

Storm Drain Stenciling

If you see Portland Water District staff volunteers in their reflective safety vests, be sure to thank them for participating in this community service event! Volunteers will be stenciling storm drains in our roadways to help remind everyone that only rain goes down the drain. Stormwater discharges directly to our streams, rivers, and the bay and we can all help keep stormwater clean! Reach out to Jodie Keene (jkeene@portlandmaine.gov) or Doug Roncarati (dar@portlandmaine.gov), the City Stormwater Program Coordinators, if you would like to host your own storm drain stenciling event!

Friday 6/12  |  12:30pm - 1:30pm

Watershed Model at Children’s Museum

Join the Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District at the Maine Children's Museum and Theater to use our hands-on, interactive watershed model to explore how water from your street connects to the ocean where fish eat. The “Enviroscape” model allows people of all ages to explore the sources and effects of water pollution and the best ways to prevent it. Participants will learn how storm water runoff carries pollutants through the watershed to a pond, lake, river, bay, or ocean. (Free with museum admission)

Friday 6/12  |  12:00pm - 1:00pm 

Lunch & Learn - Clean Water & the Casco Bay Watershed

Come by the Portland Public Library to learn about the Casco Bay Watershed and ways you can help keep our waters clean and healthy. Doug Roncarati (Stormwater Program Coordinator, City of Portland) will give a presentation about threats to water quality and real-world solutions that we can all use! Doug will also discuss approaches the City is using to manage and reduce stormwater and wastewater pollution in order to protect and restore our inland and coastal waters. For more information, visit the Portland Public Library website. Be sure to also check out the Clean Water Week Reading List  curated by library staff for inquiring minds and clean water based literary enjoyment.

Saturday 6/13  |  12:30pm - 2:45pm

Film Screening & Panel Discussion - Unless Something Goes Terribly Wrong

We are thrilled to offer a screening of the widely-acclaimed, award-winning film, “Unless Something Goes Terribly Wrong,” by Kaitlyn Schwalje and Alex Wolf Lewis. This documentary-style film features our very own hometown heroes doing all they can to stay afloat as America’s aging wastewater systems begin to fail. The film runs for 90 minutes, followed by a 30-minute panel discussion and Q&A with Scott Firmin (General Manager, Portland Water District), Bill Boornazian (Water Resources Manager, City of Portland), Troy Moon (Sustainability Director, City of Portland), Matt Grooms (Deputy Director of Planning & Urban Development, City of Portland), Curtis Bohlen (Executive Director, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership), moderated by Ali Clift (Education & Outreach Coordinator, Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District).

Even closer to home, the weedkillers and fertilizers used to keep lawns pristine easily wash into our storm drains, eventually making their way into Casco Bay, local lakes, and rivers.

The good news? You can make a massive difference right in your own backyard. By converting even a portion of your lawn into a wildlife-friendly native garden, you can help combat the steep decline of regional birds and pollinators.

Here is a simple, step-by-step guide to transforming your yard into a conservation haven:

1. Start Small

Don’t worry about digging up your entire yard overnight! Avoid potential weed and erosion issues by picking a manageable pilot spot—like a strip along a fence, a section by your sidewalk, or a "soft landing" garden bed around the base of a mature tree.

2. Plan with Maine Natives in Mind

Native plants have spent millennia adapting to our local climate and soil conditions, making them absolute magnets for local wildlife. For instance, monarch caterpillars depend entirely on native milkweeds to survive. Before buying, assess your chosen spot: Is it sunny or shady? Is the soil sandy, loamy, or frequently wet?

3. Clear the Grass Safely

There are plenty of low-impact ways to say goodbye to your turfgrass without relying on harsh chemicals:

• Sheet Mulching: Cover the grass with cardboard to block out the sunlight.

• Solarization: Lay clear plastic over the area during the peak of summer to bake the turf underneath.

• Manual Removal: Use a shovel or rent a sod cutter for immediate results. If you choose cardboard or plastic, you can leave the dead grass underneath to decompose naturally, adding rich organic matter back into your soil.

4. Source Your Plants Smartly

You might not always find a robust selection of native plants at standard big-box garden centers. Keep an eye out for local plant swaps, regional native plant nurseries, or community plant sales. To save on costs, look for plugs—small, young plants that grow rapidly once they hit the ground.

5. Let Them Touch

When you plant, skip the extra commercial garden soil if your choices already match your yard's natural conditions. Space them so that as they mature, they grow into one another. As our master gardeners like to say, "Plants want to touch each other, not look at acres of mulch." A dense native bed means fewer weeds for you to pull in the long run! Remember the classic perennial rule: the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap.

6. Practice "Lazy" Fall and Winter Cleanup

Once your garden is established, it will require very little watering outside of severe droughts. When autumn arrives, resist the urge to cut everything down to the ground. Leave the plant stems and fallen leaves intact through the winter; our native bees, butterflies, and fireflies rely on that leaf litter and hollow stems to safely overwinter.

Ready to get your hands dirty? Shrinking your lawn is a powerful way to protect Maine’s water quality and bring the joyful sounds of birds, frogs, and pollinators right to your doorstep.

This guide was adapted from an NPR Life Kit feature highlighting community-driven climate and conservation solutions.

Read more at the links below.

Don’t miss these events and workshops coming up this month!

We received so many exciting and insightful proposals for the 2026 conference. The committee will be selecting and contacting presenters in the coming weeks, and we can’t wait to fill our agenda with fascinating talks and topics to address Real World problems and solutions in stormwater.

While the excitement continues to grow as we plan the conference, sponsorship packages are now open and it’s time to secure your spot! Click here to check out Sponsorship offerings for this year’s Maine Stormwater Conference.

Thank you to all the folks who submitted presentations, and thank you to the Maine Stormwater Conference Committee Members.

Aimee Mountain, GZA

Aubrey Strause, City of South Portland

Cara Belanger, Stillwater Environmental Engineering

Cody Obropta, Maine Department of Environmental Protection

John Kuchinski, City of Lewiston

Martha Sheils, New England Environmental Finance Center

Mary Wicklund, Town of Windham

Mike Everhart, EJ Prescott

Scott Gorneau, Convergent Water Technologies

Ali Clift, CCSWCD

Abby Olszewski, CCSWCD

Chris Brewer, CCSWCD

Kat Kranich Wojcik, CCSWCD

Workshop Descriptions

Heathy Lawn Care Made Easy: Do you want a lawn that’s safe for families, pets, and the environment while saving time and money? Learn how to build healthy soil for healthy lawn with tips on fertilizing, weed and pest management, watering, renovating an unhealthy lawn, and more. Whether you maintain your lawn or hire a professional, round up your neighbors and join us!

From Lawns to Landscapes: Learn how to swap your lawn and associated maintenance for pollinator gardens, vegetative buffers, edible landscapes, groundcovers, rain gardens, and other natural landscapes you can choose from to make your yard work for you.