Washington County-Alabama Extension

08/26/2026

Have you registered for the 2026 Homeowner Gardening Conference? 🌿


Join us September 25–26, 2026, at the Jon Archer Agricultural Center in Mobile, Alabama, for a day and a half of research-based gardening education designed for South Alabama homeowners.


This conference will bring together university experts, local gardeners, and Master Gardeners to share practical information on topics such as pollinators, lawn care, backyard greenhouses, new plants for the garden, and much more.


See attachments to get more information on each speaker.


The registration fee is $25, and lunch and dinner are provided. Space is limited, so be sure to register early!

Click here to register: www.aces.edu/go/6407


We hope to see you there as we learn and grow together! 🌱

08/25/2026

🌱 Educators, let’s grow together!

Join us for the Delta Discoveries Educator Workshop, a day dedicated to environmental education. We're teaming up with Project Learning Tree for a fun and informative day of learning. You’ll dive into hands-on activities that bring Alabama’s natural resources to life and youth-friendly environmental lessons.

Guest speakers from the Mobile Environmental Studies Center, Alabama Forestry Foundation, Dog River Clearwater Revival, AWF Delta and Bay Conservation Center, and AL Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries will share their expertise with us!

$15 Registration Fee-
Walk away with 5 TEAMS CEU hours, a copy of Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide and other teaching resources. Lunch is included!

🌿 Registration is open — come be part of this learning adventure!

Register at https://www.aces.edu/go/6541

More about the activity guide: https://www.plt.org/curriculum/k-8-activity-guide-explore-your-environment/

08/24/2026

08/23/2026

🌱 Chamber bitter (Phyllanthus urinaria) is a common w**d found throughout the Southeast and can be found across the entire state of Alabama. This highly adaptable plant thrives in full sun and warm soils, typically appearing in summer and persisting into fall until frost.

Its small, oblong or linear leaves are arranged alternately along yellow-green to sometimes reddish stems. The upper surface of the leaves can range from bright to dark green, while the undersides are lighter gray-green.

Tiny yellowish-white male and female flowers are produced on the underside of stems at the leaf axils. After flowering, chamber bitter produces very small, stalkless fruits that can range from green to red. Upon close inspection, the fruits are three-parted and covered with small scales.

Chamber bitter can make its home almost anywhere—from sidewalk cracks and gravel driveways to landscaping, gardens, nursery pots, forest margins, dry fields, and roadsides. Its extensive root system and large seed production can allow it to outcompete nearby vegetation or suppress container-grown plants.

Listed as a Class C noxious w**d in Alabama, it’s best to prevent chamber bitter from going to seed and inspect nursery pots before purchasing or planting to help prevent its spread. For more information, see this fact sheet - https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/chamberbitter/

🌿 Join the 2026 Year of Alabama Invasive Plants Project to raise awareness, improve identification skills, and take action against invasive species. Visit the ACES Year of Alabama Invasive Plants Project to learn more and take the pledge.

08/23/2026

08/19/2026

What a great turnout for our Disaster Scams & Preparedness Class at the Washington County Public Library, Alabama on Tuesday!

Thank you to everyone who joined us to learn how to stay prepared and protect yourself from scams before and after a disaster.

A special thank you to The Mercantile for preparing the delicious food for our event! We appreciate your support in making the day a success!

08/18/2026

Alright Washington County we would love for you to join us in the pollinator census for our area!! It's super quick and easy. If you have bee hives or simply have bees in your flower beds we would love to have you count and fill out the census for us. Use the QR code or learn more at www.gsepc.org.

08/14/2026

Pine Beetles webinar! Register today.

🌲 What role do pine beetles play in southern pine mortality?

Join Dr. Brian Sullivan, research entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station, for the Forest Health Webinar, “Pine Beetles: Major Drivers of Southern Pine Mortality.”

📅 August 17, 2026
⏰ 1 p.m. CT
💻 Free and online
🎓 CFE & PLM credit available

Registration is required. Learn more and register here:
🔗 https://auburn.zoom.us/meeting/register/exvQA53eT52pMQ_U8wBKeg