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SEPTEMBER 2020 CONSERVATION UPDATE
Your Source for Conservation News in Washtenaw County
Goldenrod in full bloom
New Office & Welcoming New Staff

By Megan DeLeeuw, Executive Director

On September 1st we moved two miles down the road from the USDA building into the Washtenaw County Services Building at 705 N. Zeeb Rd, Suite 201, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Although it will take time to settle in, we love the new space and our new neighbors, the Water Resources Commissioner's Office! We are already working together on the Fall Tree & Native Plant Distribution coming up in October.

As tenants in a County Building we will be adopting the County guidelines around COVID and public safety. Although we are open for walk-in service, we recommend setting up an appointment ahead of time. We will be limiting our office space to a maximum of 4 people at once (including staff) and staff will be rotating in-office days and working from home. Our full draft COVID policy can be found on our website here. A drop box for orders and payments is available outside of our office door for your convenience. 

This month we also welcomed Erez Brandvain, the new Conservation Technician! Erez will be working with farmers in the County on Conservation Planning and the Conservation Stewardship Program, focused in the Western Lake Erie Basin (see more on Erez in article below).

We look forward to seeing many of you at the Fall Tree & Native Plant pick up on October 2nd!

Backyard Conservation Spotlight:

Ypsilanti resident Dave Strenski's COVID project: Carving a chair out of a tree! 

Want to share what conservation projects you've been up to? Email your submission to Megan at: megan.deleeuw@macd.org. 

Learn More About Rotational Grazing this Fall

Join us for a virtual visit to Baseline Farm this October to dig into the details of the art and science of rotational grazing management. 

Wednesday, October 14th from 12-1 p.m. This event is hosted in partnership with MSUE. Registration will open on our website soon. Event is free and open to the public.

Welcome Erez!

My name is Erez Brandvain and I am very excited to be joining the Washtenaw County Conservation District team. I am originally from Farmington Hills, Michigan, but have spent the past 4 and a half years working as a MAEAP Technician for the Cass County Conservation District. 

I have been around agriculture for several years now, and hold a degree in Sustainable Agriculture, from Sterling College, in Craftsbury, Vermont. Since I was introduced to Agriculture systems in college, I have become increasingly passionate about using my skill set to help landowners and producers make the best possible decisions for their operations, from an agriculture conservation perspective. 

I have admired Conservation Districts for a long time, and always find it impressive how big of a role Technical Assistance can have in preserving clean water and soil. My time working as a MAEAP technician in Cass County showed me there is always more we can be doing to conserve and improve our natural resources, and I am glad I have a chance to play a role in that here in Washtenaw County as the Conservation Technician.

An Introduction to Conservation Planning

By Erez Brandvain

The Washtenaw County Conservation District (WCCD), in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers Conservation Planning for landowners. What is a Conservation Plan? A conservation Plan is a tool that evaluates landowners' historical decisions made to protect and enhance their natural resources while pursuing their land use objectives. 

MDARD Seeks Public Input for Agricultural Practices

By Nick Machinski

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is currently performing its annual review of the General Accepted Agricultural Management Practices (GAAMPs). GAAMPs are reviewed by committee every year and are meant to provide guidance for farmers and producers in managing their farms to protect the public, environment and natural resources.

The public is invited to weigh in on changes to the following GAAMPs: Manure Management and Utilization; Care of Farm Animals; Site Selection and Odor Control for New and Expanding Livestock Facilities; and Farm Markets.

The proposed draft GAAMPs are available for public comment until 5pm on Wednesday, October 7th, 2020. They can be reviewed and commented on at: www.Michigan.gov/RighttoFarm

There are several other ways to comment:

  • Email to MDARD-RTF@Michigan.gov
  • Mail to MDARD’s Environmental Stewardship Division, P.O. Box 30017, Lansing, MI 48909 and postmarked no later than October 7, 2020.
  • Call into the public input meeting on October 1, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. Join Microsoft Teams Meeting or call 248-509-0316 and enter Conference ID: 599 584 55#

Upcoming Events


Fall Tree & Native Plant Distribution: Friday, October 2nd from 2 - 6 p.m.

A selection of conifer transplants, conifer seedlings and native plants are available for pre-order on our website. Pick-up will be at the Farm Council Grounds (5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd, Ann Arbor 48103).

Virtual Field Visit: Wednesday, October 14th from 12-1 p.m.

Join us for a virtual visit to Baseline Farm and learn about rotational grazing and management. Baseline Farm owner and farmer John Cox, MAEAP Technician Nick Machinski and MSU Extension Educator, Kable Thurlow, will present on various grazing topics RSVP will open soon. Check the website for updates.

2021 Spring Tree, Shrub & Native Plant Catalog

Spring 2021 conservation tree, shrub and plant pre-order forms will be available on the website starting in December 2020. Pre-order forms will be sent with the 2020 Annual Report. To receive a hard copy, please send your mailing address to: megan.deleeuw@macd.org.

Washtenaw County Conservation District

Website: www.washtenawcd.org

705 N. Zeeb Rd

Suite #201

Ann Arbor, MI 48103

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734.302.8715
MEGAN.DELEEUW@MACD.ORG

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