Conservation News

Your fields and compost piles are critical to turning organic resources back into healthy soil!

Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office Materials Management Division, in partnership with the Washtenaw County Conservation District, wants to learn more about composting on local farms. Whether you already manage a compost system or are just curious about how to do more, we want to hear from you!

With a large number of pollinators and insects relying on leaf litter for cover, what are the pros and cons of raking your leaves? This article covers some options for residents to consider about the annual leaf fall thats about to happen in Southeast Michigan.

Fourteen years ago, when we bought our house, we had exactly one milkweed plant in our rock landscape bed. It was weedy, scraggly, easy to overlook, but I saw it.
We didn't do anything heroic. We just didn't pull it.

A new Michigan handbook developed through the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) helps prospective Technical Service Providers (TSPs) navigate the certification process for developing NRCS Conservation Plan Supporting Organic Transition (CPA 138) plans, while also providing a helpful starting point for individuals interested in becoming TSPs in other conservation areas.

The WCCD has a transplanter that can plant up to 300 seedlings / hour! Soil conditions in fall are often the best for tree survival. The transplanter is on a trailer with a license plate allows easier transport on roads.

Michigan has an estimated 1.3 million septic systems serving roughly half of its population, and over 20% of them may be failing. Michigan is the only state lacking a statewide code regulating septic systems.

SepticSmart Week aims to encourage homeowners to properly use and maintain their systems. WCCD staff are currently working on an education project aiming to educate residents of the Ottawa-Stony North Watershed on how to reduce pollution risks from their septic systems.

Want to give your input on the work we do at WCCD? Want to help shape the direction of our Farmer Programs and conservation within the county? Then volunteer and join WCCD’s Farmer Committee. For over 78 years WCCD has been working with county landowners and producers in conserving our natural resources and farmers have been as a part of our leadership every step of the way.

In August 2026, the Washtenaw County Conservation District hosted an expanded field day, focused on regenerative farming practices. The event focused on soil health, and encouraged networking, education, and peer to peer conversations.

At the end of August, the Washtenaw County Conservation District worked alongside LongSnouts, JLW CISMA, and Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission for a workshop dedicated to combating the invasive Spotted Lanternfly. Participants witnessed a scent dog demonstration and discussed identification, ecology, and management of this destructive pest and its preferred host, the Tree of Heaven.