Conservation News

Do you have old plastic lying around your farm? Are you tired of paying for a dumpster just to send it to the landfill? We want to help!
We're organizing our first Agricultural Plastics Recycling Collection Event, planned for Spring 2026, and your input is vital.
Please take 10 minutes to complete our survey.

Do you have tractor tires to recycle? Register today to drop them off at our 5th Annual Tractor Tire Drive event in partnership with Washtenaw County Materials Management Division!
This year’s collection event will be held on December 6th, and registration is required to participate. Recycling your tires helps prevent stagnant water that breeds mosquitoes and stops harmful chemicals from leaching into the soil and water.

We are excited to announce new additions to our tool library, made possible by generous funding from The Stewardship Network and the Lily Pad Fund for Nature! To learn more about their important work, workshops, and annual conference, please visit The Stewardship Network website.

This past month WCCD Community Forester, Matt DeJonge, was featured on WEMU's Issues in the Environment. In the conversation, Matt discusses the change of seasons, tree health, and some specifics about tree disease trends. The interview is just about 10 minutes long, and covers Emerald Ash Borer, Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, Spongy Moth defoliation, among other things. Follow the link to hear more about protecting trees in Washtenaw County.

To learn more about the hidden connections between our environment the water that flows into homes and businesses every day in Washtenaw County, take a look at the new Forest to MI Faucet video.
This video was created in partnership with the DNR's Forest to MI Faucet initiative created to educate Michigan residents about the connection between forests and drinking water.

Join us for the two remaining tasting sessions at our special partner event lead by SEAS Master's student Milan Anderson. This value-added agroforestry project shines a spotlight on underutilized native fruit and shrub crops. Taste the unique flavors and learn how these resilient, easy-to-grow crops can benefit farms across Michigan through their environmental, social, and economic contributions.

Celebrate International Bat Week (Oct. 24–31, 2025)! 🦇 Join us in recognizing the vital role bats play in healthy ecosystems and cheering on Kim Williams-Guillén, WCCD staff and scientist, as she presents “Bats of Wayne County” at Nerd Nite Ann Arbor #103 on Oct. 9, 2025

From vending heritage produce at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market with his father to teaching at U-M, Shannon Brines’ work is rooted in connection — to land, food, and community. As Chair of the WCCD Board, he’s helping strengthen those connections across Washtenaw County and beyond.

Once overrun with dense undergrowth, the Schoen's property now offers a rare glimpse into the region’s once-common oak-hickory forest ecosystem. This transformation is the result of the hard work, dedicated stewardship, and thoughtful ecological restoration efforts. Enrolled in the EQIP program through NRCS, the site now stands as a model for oak regeneration.