Upcoming events
Photo Credit: Leanna Doty
Forest Habitat Restoration Workshop
Join us for an educational workshop and tree planting event to learn about forest and prairie ecosystems found in Michigan!
Join us for a fun and educational day at our Forest Habitat Restoration Workshop! Learn about natural forest communities and fire-dependent ecosystems found in southern Michigan with a presentation by Shawn Kelly, Soil Conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Contribute to the Charlotte Forest Garden by helping plant trees and shrubs to restore an oak-hickory forest.
The event will begin at 551 Courthouse Dr, Charlotte in the basement conference room, and then will move to the Charlotte Forest Garden, located at 1502 Combsdale Dr. Please bring gardening gloves and a shovel. Refreshments will be provided.
Stream Monitoring Identification day
Stream Monitoring Identification Day
Learn what it takes to be a community scientist at this free event! You will help to identify the aquatic insects collected from Eaton County streams to calculate a water quality score. Volunteers will meet in a science classroom in the C.S. Mott Academic Center at The University of Olivet. Equipment and training will be provided.
For more information, contact Val Reisen at val.reisen@macd.org or 517-588-6302.
Stream Monitoring Collection Day 2
Stream Monitoring Collection Day 2
Learn what it takes to be a community scientist at this free event! You will help to collect aquatic insects to monitor the water quality of Eaton County streams. Volunteers will meet at the C.S. Mott Academic Center at The University of Olivet to review stream monitoring protocols before going out into the field. All equipment will be provided, though volunteers should dress for the weather and bring a water bottle.
For more information, contact Val Reisen at val.reisen@macd.org or 517-588-6302.
Stream Monitoring Collection Day 1
Stream Monitoring Collection Day 1
Learn what it takes to be a community scientist at this free event! You will help to collect aquatic insects to monitor the water quality of Eaton County streams. Volunteers will meet at the C.S. Mott Academic Center at The University of Olivet to review stream monitoring protocols before going out into the field. All equipment will be provided, though volunteers should dress for the weather and bring a water bottle.
For more information, contact Val Reisen at val.reisen@macd.org or 517-588-6302.
2025 charlotte River Conservation Day
Help clean up Charlotte rivers at the 21st Annual Charlotte River Conservation Day on October 5, 2024!
Farm Field Day
Farm Field Day:
Pollinators, Pesticides, Farm Safety and Farmer Well-Being
What you will learn:
Using Pollinators to Increase Production
Using Pesticides Safely Near Pollinators
Safe Storage and Usage of Pesticides
Tips on Farm Safety
Optional Screening of Greener Pastures Documentary
These topics will be presented by Gary Brown - Master beekeeper for Heroes to Hives, Remington Rice - PhD MSU Extension Educator, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture.
FREE LUNCH
RUP CREDITS AVAILABLE
Register NOW for FREE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/growing-strong-pollinators-pesticides-farm-safety-and-farmer-well-being-tickets-1277876917259?aff=oddtdtcreator
Recycle-Palooza
Eaton County Department of Resource Recovery presents RECYCLE-PALOOZA
General Info:
Will be held on August 9th, from 9 AM - 2 PM
Registration Required (limit 2 per household): http://www.eatoncounty.org/913
Charlotte Location will be released upon completion of registration.
ELECTRONICS
Computer Accessories, CPU’s, Laptops, Tablets, Printers, Copiers, Fax Machines, Scanners, TVs, Cell Phones, Chargers, Fans, CD/DVD Players, Camcorders, Small Kitchen Appliances, Hair Dryers, Curling Irons, Vacuums, Remote Control Items, Almost anything with a cord
NO FREON CONTAINING ITEMS, LARGE APPLIANCES OR EXERCISE EQUIPMENT
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE
Acids & Bases, Aerosols, Asphalt/Roofing Tar, Automotive Fluids, Cleaners, Polishes, Fluorescent Light Bulbs/Tubes, Fire Extinguishers, Smoke Alarms, Flammables, Glues, Caulks, Flea Collars & Sprays, Mercury & Mercury-Containing Items, Oil-Based Paint, Stains, Varnishes, Paint Thinners, Wood Preservatives, Pool Chemicals, Solvents, Pesticides, Herbicides, Sharps (must be in a Puncture-Resistant Container)
NO LATEX-BASED PAINTS, MEDICATIONS OR BATTERIES
TIRES
Passenger tires only, with or without rims. No oversized tires.
LIMIT 10 TIRES PER VEHICLE Funding for Scrap Tire Collection made possible through a State of Michigan EGLE Scrap Tire Cleanup Grant
EYEGLASSES & HEARING AIDS
Charlotte Lions Club - Recycle for Sight will be accepting used eyeglasses & hearing aids
Questions?
Contact Eaton County Department of Resource Recovery
Email: Recycle@EatonCounty.Org Phone: (517) 543-3686
2025 Amateur Photo Contest
Our 2025 Amateur Photo Contest is now open and accepting entries! Help us highlight the diverse beauty of Eaton County's natural resources, as we are looking for images of wildlife, nature and agriculture.
Prizes
Winners will receive a gift certificate to be used at ECD’s tree, native plant, and website sales as follows:
“Popular Vote”
1st Place Prize - $50 value
2nd Place Prize - $25 value
3rd Place Prize - $25 value
“Directors' Choice” will be selected by the ECD Board of Directors
Prize - $50 value
Entry Deadline has been extended to Friday, September 12 until 12:00 noon. Read instructions and submit your photo at the link below.
Clean Boats Clean Waters - Mobile Boat Wash
The boat wash event for Eaton County is at Lake Alliance Park on Saturday, July 19th from 11am to 3pm. The community is invited to come get their boat or kayak washed for free.
Mid-Michigan CISMA and the MSU mobile boat wash team will be there spreading the Clean, Drain, Dry, Dispose message. Clean off your boat and your gear, drain your boat and dry it off, and dispose of any fish bait or plant material you removed from your boat. Stop by our booth to say hello, learn about some local invasive species, and grab some free swag! Together we can prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species!
Native Garden Planting at the courthouse
Join us in planting native wildflowers and grasses outside the Eaton Conservation District office and Eaton County Courthouse. Please bring work gloves, a trowel, and a water bottle. Attendees will also have the opportunity to see the progress of the new Demo Meadow, a project that will demonstrate how to convert grass turf to a native prairie.
This native garden planting is a partnership between Eaton CD, Eaton County Facilities, and NRCS. By using native plants, Eaton County will reduce expenses on lawn care and landscaping.
This project is made possible by grant funding from the Wildflower Association of Michigan.
2025 ECD Open House & Annual Meeting
Eaton Conservation District Open House & Annual Meeting at Lions Park in Dimondale, featuring a presentation and tour of the raingarden at the Danford Island Rain Garden
2025 Science Adventure Camp
STUDENTS:
Let’s get fired up for science!
This event is a hands-on fun experience for students entering 4th – 6th grades to get fired up about science. The three-day event is open to students throughout Eaton County for only $15!
Participants can choose between a morning (9am-12pm) or afternoon (1pm-4pm) session. Students will need to check in 15 minutes prior to the session start time to pick up name badges and learn the site for the day. The event will run rain or shine. There are pavilions and Camp Francis available in case of inclement weather.
CAMP COUNSELORS:
Counselors will attend camp on June 24-26 from 8:15am-4:15pm. Donuts and lunch will be provided. Camp counselors accompany groups of 5-10 campers throughout the day, keeping them on schedule and providing support where needed.
To register as a Camp Counselor for 2025 Science Adventure Camp, contact Matt Griffith at MGriffith@charlottemi.org.
CAMP PRESENTERS:
Do you have a fun science or conservation-related activity that you would like to share with our campers? Contact Matt Griffith (MGriffith@charlottemi.org) to pitch your idea and tell us which day you are available. We will contact you to make arrangements. We are always seeking Camp Presenters to teach lessons in the following science subjects: rocks and minerals, fossils, tree and plant life, stream life, tree identification, forestry, groundwater studies, bugs, chemistry, decomposition studies, recycling studies, geocaching, and more!
2025 Native Plant Sale
Join us at Woldumar Nature Center for our annual Native Plant Sale. In addition to a guest presentation, you will be able to shop over 100 varieties of Michigan Native plants from three local vendors.
10:00am-3:00pm - Browse 'n Buy and Order Pickups
Get expert advice and shop a broad selection of native plants including prairie and woodland varieties. There will also be sedges, grasses, and shrubs.
Visit additional booths for relevant resources.
11:00am-12:00pm Presentation by The Garden Guru of Kalamazoo
Topic: Designing for Nature - There’s more to supporting pollinators than planting milkweed
This presentation will discuss the importance of creating habitats for pollinators beyond flowers. Including the value of incorporating grasses and sedges, small-scale water features and overwintering habitat into your landscape.
Finishing with recommendations for designing your own native garden.
VOLUNTEER
We need 8 volunteers to assist with the setup and tear down of the Native Plant Sale, help customers with their orders, answer general questions, and help load orders into vehicles. Visit our Sign Up Genius to register to volunteer.
Vendor Highlights
Bendy Stem Farm is a small, Michigan native plant nursery located in Dimondale. Ben is eager to help you grow your love for natives in whatever way fits into your life.
Wild Ginger Woodlands specializes in shade-loving native woodland species and joins us from Haslett.
The Garden Guru provides consultations, garden makeovers, maintenance plans, and invasive removals, as well as a native plant nursery, located in Kalamazoo.
Please make checks payable to "Eaton Conservation District" or "ECD". Cash and credit cards will be accepted. You can call our office at (517) 543-1512 x5 with questions.
2025 Lansing lugnuts conservation carnival
20+ carnival games with a conservation theme and prizes. Native plant give-away. Fun for the whole family!
Stream Monitoring Identification
This event has been rescheduled to Friday, May 30th from 9am-11am due to a power outage at The University of Olivet.
Join us for our spring stream monitoring as we identify the insects collected from Eaton County streams!
Participants will meet in a science classroom in the C.S. Mott Academic Center at The University of Olivet. Teams will work together to sort and count the insect samples to calculate a water quality score for each stream site. All necessary equipment will be provided.
2025 Grand River Clean Up Day
Join us for river cleanup from Mill Pointe Park to Bunker Landing on Saturday, May 10 at 10:30AM. Help make our community a cleaner, greener place by volunteering to pick up litter and beautify the Grand River! Hosted by the City of Eaton Rapids.
Contact ccagle@cityofeatonrapids.gov for more information!
Stream Monitoring Collection 2
Join us for our spring stream monitoring as we collect insects from Eaton County streams!
Participants will meet in the C.S. Mott Academic Center at The University of Olivet for a training presentation before traveling to a stream site. Teams will work together to collect insect samples that will be used to calculate a water quality score. Waders and other necessary equipment will be provided. Please bring a bottle of water and dress for the weather.
Stream Monitoring Collection 1
Join us for our spring stream monitoring as we collect insects from Eaton County streams!
Participants will meet in the C.S. Mott Academic Center at The University of Olivet for a training presentation before traveling to a stream site. Teams will work together to collect insect samples that will be used to calculate a water quality score. Waders and other necessary equipment will be provided. Please bring a bottle of water and dress for the weather.
Charlotte Forest Garden Planting
Come join us for a fun morning of planting at the Charlotte Forest Garden! The event will begin with a presentation by District Forester, Ben Savoie, to share tips on the care and maintenance of trees. Participants can put what they've learned into practice by planting a tree or shrub in the forest garden.
To learn more about the Charlotte Forest Garden, contact Val Reisen at val.reisen@macd.org, or call the Eaton Conservation District office at 517-543-1512 x5.
2025 Tree Sale Pickup
Pick up the trees you ordered from our Spring Tree Sale, April 12 & 13, 2024.
2025 Tree Sale Order Deadline
Online order or order form with full payment must be received to Eaton Conservation District, 551 Courthouse Dr., Suite 3, Charlotte, MI 48813 no later than March 31, 2024. Earlier orders will have a better chance at being filled. There will be a very small quantity of "extras" available at the pickup site on April 13th.
Produce Safety Coffee Chats
Informal chat time with Morgan Anderson, Produce Safety Technician, to answer any food safety questions as you prep for another great, safe growing season!
All services are FREE and confidential
No RSVP is required
Fruit Tree Pruning WorkshoP
Eaton Conservation District and the Country Mill invite you to sharpen your pruning skills with Steve Tennes, Owner of Country Mill Farms.
Country Mill has been owned by Steve’s family since 1970. Steve will share tips for tending to fruit trees so they can grow and produce beautiful and tastefully delicious fruit.
Winter Seed Sowing Workshop
Join us on February 8 from 2-4pm in the basement of the First Congregational Church (106 Bostwick St, Charlotte) to winter sow some seeds from Michigan native wildflowers and grasses. Participants can keep the flowers they grow to plant in their own yards, or they can donate the plants to the Charlotte Forest Garden, a two-acre food forest in development stages in Charlotte. At the beginning of the winter sowing workshop there will be a short presentation on the importance of native plants for pollinators and on the progress of the Charlotte Forest Garden.
For more information on this event or the Charlotte Forest Garden, contact Val Reisen at val.reisen@macd.org or call the Eaton Conservation District office at 517-543-1512 ext 5.
Fall Stream Monitoring Identification
Help identify aquatic insects collected from Eaton County streams!
Photo Contest Voting
Voting can be fun when you are voting for your favorite photo of Eaton County natural resources! Eaton Conservation District invites you to vote for your favorite photo from those submitted to our contest this year. Vote once before November 12th. Winners will receive prizes up to $50 in value. Check back here in December to see who won!
Photo Credit: Noah Briggs “Butterfield Sunset” - 2023 Photo Contest - 1st Place Popular Vote
Cultivating Edible Mushrooms at Home
Join ECD and Chris from Mychophile's Garden for an introduction to cultivating edible mushrooms at home.
This class will focus on explaining the basics behind mushroom cultivation and the best resources for learning more on your own.
Mushroom Growing Kits and Fresh mushrooms will be available for purchase.
This is a Phase 1 MAEAP event.
Registration now open.
Fall Stream Monitoring Collection Day 2
Help collect aquatic insects to monitor water quality in Eaton County steams!