Home / Category Archives for Rural Program

Rural Program

Tatiana Taylor

Having grown up in a farming family, Tatiana is well prepared to help rural residents solve problems and practice conservation. As a Rural Conservation Technician, she assists livestock owners in improving pasture health by writing conservation and rotational grazing plans. She supports area growers by providing soil health assessments and information on strategies such as hedgerows, heavy-use areas, and cover crops.

Tatiana graduated from Linfield College and loves working with residents to find solutions that benefit natural resources and the people who depend on them.

Her free time is spent teaching new tricks to her pup, showing registered black angus cattle, and experimenting (sometimes successfully) with new recipes.

Nicole Ruggiero

Nicole works with farmers, rural residents, and community partners to implement conservation practices throughout rural Washington County. She shares her technical expertise to improve water quality, soil health, irrigation efficiency, wildlife habitat and other resources related to agriculture. Having practiced wildlife biology and land conservation in the Pacific Northwest for 20 years, she has a passion for finding natural resource solutions that support the overall health of rural communities.  A focus area of her work is the protection of farmland to keep local agriculture viable for years to come.

Nicole has a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of New Hampshire and M.S. in Wildlife Science from the University of Idaho.

Her free time is spent running on trails, running errands, and running her five kids to gymnastics and soccer practice. She also enjoys fixing up her historical house and gardening with her husband.

Aaron Shaw

Growing up in the shadow of Niagara Falls, Aaron developed a passion for conservation by getting lost in the natural areas around the Great Lakes and upstate New York. After receiving his M.S. in Environmental Research and Education at SUNY College in Buffalo, Aaron moved to the Pacific Northwest where he has spent over a decade managing watershed and riparian enhancement projects. Joining Tualatin SWCD in 2015, he has brought an enthusiasm for habitat conservation, green infrastructure, and environmental health to the Tualatin River watershed ever since. As the Director of Natural Resources, he oversees Tualatin SWCD’s Resource Conservation Programs and collaborates with partners to support conservation efforts across the watershed. Outside of work, Aaron enjoys managing his own urban habitat (Backyard Habitat Certified in 2017!), long-distance hiking, spending time with his wife and twin toddlers, and rooting for the Buffalo Bills and Sabres.