Conservation News

The Board of Directors has two candidates running for the next election, scheduled for Thursday, January 16, 2025.

The Washtenaw County Conservation District and partners are pleased to announce that the Ottawa-Stony North Watershed Management Plan has been approved by Michigan’s Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  This plan has been four years in the making, and we are happy to share it with all of you!

The primary goals of this project were to create a visual and physical barrier between the Raptor Loop and Nature Playscape, reducing noise and movement that could stress the resident birds of prey, and to establish a pollinator habitat featuring native plants to support conservation efforts. This garden also serves as an educational tool, enabling visitors to learn about pollinator habitats through observation and programs.

The primary goal of this project is to create an outdoor learning space that allows students to engage in hands-on education about the restoration, preservation, and conservation of Michigan ecosystems. This is being achieved by revitalizing an outdoor classroom into a native habitat learning area featuring woodland and prairie spaces to support pollinators and wildlife, planting native species, and installing educational signage.

Common milkweed is the priority native species to support the Monarch butterfly. Unfortunately, their population is declining toward extinction. Loss of habitat in the summer breeding grounds is another factor that could be contributing to the decline in monarch numbers.

Interested in getting paid for trying different approaches to producing crops without the use of neonicotinoid-coated seeds? American Bird Conservancy is launching our new Untreated Seed Pilot Program and is looking for innovative growers to enroll for the 2025 growing season. Join us in supporting bird conservation through pesticide use reduction and apply today!

A BIG shout out to everyone who made the 2024 Washtenaw Field Day one to remember! Special recognition goes to the Henes family of H & H Harvest for hosting this year's event.

Thanks to a generous donation, the "Extractigator" is the latest addition to our Tool Lending Library.

With this latest addition, we now have 5 puller tools of different sizes and models to borrow!

We envisioned a Native Plant Garden that was not only visually appealing to our human visitors, but also welcoming and supportive to our local wildlife, including pollinators and birds. Our goal was to transform an underutilized space, at the entrance of our Community Center, into an appealing opportunity for education and enrichment, as well as a visual illustration of how native plants and pollinator-friendly planting can be both functional and aesthetically-pleasing.