Happy "New Year" from the Resource Coordinator!
October arrives with the completion of our annual Fall Tree & Native Plant sale, and begins the WCCD's new fiscal year, Happy New Fiscal Year, y'all! So, we start again with our annual cycle of resource distributions, events, and programs. This fall also marks nearly two years since the 2020 Millage, which has supported the WCCD to expand our staff and programs.
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Despite our increased staff and services, we're still often only recognized as "the Tree Sale organization", which for a long time have been a primary funding source for most of the statewide conservation districts providing critical local conservation resources and natural resources management services. We still continue our annual Tree & Shrub and Native Plant sales, but also offer so much more. Hopefully this 2022 round-up of the WCCD Resource Distributions highlights is enjoyable, enlightening, and encourages you to engage ways you can support local conservation efforts!
Sign up to get involved or Contact Us with your conservation needs and questions! - Doug Reith, WCCD Resource Coordinator |
Want to receive the full 2022 WCCD Annual Report and 2023 Spring Plant sales order forms in the mail this Fall?
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Annual Plant Sales & Events
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The WCCD has a long history of Tree & Shrub sales and Native Plant sales in both the spring and fall. We are always looking to evolve and improve, especially with collaboration with the Washtenaw County Water Resource Commissioner's Office and their Master Rain Gardener program. We track our totals across all our annual sales to determine our impact in 2022:
38,690 Trees & Shrubs (bare root seedlings) 15,637 Native Plants (pots & plug flats) We've increased our impact with the growth of the 2022 Native Plant Expo & Marketplace, our biggest event yet that hosted: 27 Nurseries, businesses, and nonprofit vendors 1600+ Expo Attendees More details can be found in the 2022 NPEM Recap. |
Rain Barrels & Supplies Sales & Workshops
In 2022, due to demand, we offered four separate Rain Barrel presales and distributions in March, May, June, and August, at varying locations in Washtenaw county. The June rain barrel distribution in Ypsilanti hosted with Growing Hope included a new Rain Barrel 101 workshop, as we saw the need to not just sell the materials but to support residents in the installation, use, and maintenance of their water catchment systems. Our Rain Barrel sales will return in 2023. Our 2022 rain barrel sales included:
216 Rain Barrels sold!
23 Rain 275 Gallon Totes sold
8 Tumbling Composters sold
24+ Residents attending the Rain Barrel 101 Workshop
216 Rain Barrels sold!
23 Rain 275 Gallon Totes sold
8 Tumbling Composters sold
24+ Residents attending the Rain Barrel 101 Workshop
School & Community Habitat Grant - Year 2
In 2022, the School & Community Habitat Grant started it's second year grant cycle, and awarded 4 of 11 applicants. Also, in 2022, all seven of the 2021 Habitat Grant awardees finalized planting their projects and provided their reports.
The 2021 Habitat Grant Awardees received over $5500 value in consulting services and plant materials! They included 2 schools, 2 Homeowner's Associations, 1 conservancy nature preserve, 1 wildlife rescue nonprofit, and 1 food forest in a city park!
The 2022 Habitat Grant Awardees are budgeted to receive up to $5000 value in consulting services and plant materials planned for 2023, and include: 1 middle school, 1 intergenerational garden, 1 township park community center, 1 nonprofit urban farm.
The 2023 Habitat Grant application will be available in early 2023.
The 2021 Habitat Grant Awardees received over $5500 value in consulting services and plant materials! They included 2 schools, 2 Homeowner's Associations, 1 conservancy nature preserve, 1 wildlife rescue nonprofit, and 1 food forest in a city park!
The 2022 Habitat Grant Awardees are budgeted to receive up to $5000 value in consulting services and plant materials planned for 2023, and include: 1 middle school, 1 intergenerational garden, 1 township park community center, 1 nonprofit urban farm.
The 2023 Habitat Grant application will be available in early 2023.
Equipment & Tool Rental Program: New in 2022
With only an old tree planter lost to time and rust, we have revived our Equipment & Tool Rental Program in 2022 to support residents and producers with professional conservation equipment and tools.
Launched in spring of 2022, the Hand Tools Lending Library offers 8 various soil testing, invasive removal, pruning, and planting tools, in addition to the Herbicide Application tools offered in collaboration with the JLW CISMA. The collection is now also linked from the Ann Arbor District Library catalog.
50 Total hand & herbicide tool rentals
24 Total Residents renting tools
The WCCD also purchased a Truax No-Till Grass Drill (shown here) that is now available for rent for conservation cover crops and restoration plantings. We're launching the rental program with the No-Till Drill Demo Day on October 14th, 2022.
Launched in spring of 2022, the Hand Tools Lending Library offers 8 various soil testing, invasive removal, pruning, and planting tools, in addition to the Herbicide Application tools offered in collaboration with the JLW CISMA. The collection is now also linked from the Ann Arbor District Library catalog.
50 Total hand & herbicide tool rentals
24 Total Residents renting tools
The WCCD also purchased a Truax No-Till Grass Drill (shown here) that is now available for rent for conservation cover crops and restoration plantings. We're launching the rental program with the No-Till Drill Demo Day on October 14th, 2022.
