Conservation News

If you've ever picked up a native plant, a rain barrel, or a no-till drill from the Washtenaw County Conservation District (WCCD), chances are Doug Reith was involved. As WCCD's Resource Specialist, Doug supervises and coordinates a wide array of programs that help residents conserve soil, water, and wildlife—right in their backyards and communities.

Our 6th Native Plant Expo & Marketplace has continued to exceed expectations with over 2486 attendees enjoying plant sales, getting free plants and seeds, learning from a myriad of organizations, enjoying food trucks, music, and kids activities. We're grateful to continue offering this gift to the community and for it to be received so whole-heartedly!

The Native Plant Expo & Marketplace is not only an abundant source of native plants for sale, we also have an abundance of community experts in native plant landscaping, conservation, and more. Look for the "Ask the Expert" signs around at our vendors/exhibitors who can answer your questions! Come to learn and enjoy!

The Native Plant Expo on June 7 will be full of plants for sale from 17 nurseries, it'll also be full of enthusiastic attendees shopping for plants. Beat the crowds with the limited Early Bird tickets and shop from 8am-9am to get first dibs. Then you can enjoy our various food trucks including: lobster, empanadas, ice cream, and coffee!

Thanks to a donation from Stantec Native Plant Nursery, we have hundreds of native wildflower seed packets we'll be giving away at the Washtenaw County Conservation District table. Stop by to learn about us and take home a mix of common milkweed, foxglove beard tongue, coneflower, black eyed susan, and showy goldenrod!

Join us for the 6th annual Native Plant Expo & Marketplace on Saturday, June 7, at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds.

Beat the crowds with the exclusive "Early Bird Hour" from 8 am to 9 am, offering plant enthusiasts first dibs. Limited tickets are available for just $5 each, kids under 10 are free. The main event is free and open to the public from 9 am to 1 pm.

The Spring Native Plant Presale is here! It's a great opportunity to pre-order native plants that support local ecosystems and thrive in our region.

Don't wait—these plants are popular and sell out fast. Secure your selection early and get ready to plant a beautiful, sustainable garden this season.

We expanded and improved the Expo with new features: Nature Kids activity area, more food trucks, return of the Milkweed Giveaway, newly improved Speaker Stage with presentations, and more nurseries than ever! We put our hearts into the work, while navigating some staffing transitions, and the event was a smooth success with over 2,219 attendees!

Coming off of the success of the 2022, we took a great deal of feedback, started earlier planning, and roped in more staff and partners to take this event to the NEXT LEVEL! We exceeded expectations with over 2250 attendees in 2023!