The MACD Summer Conference awaits you!
This year, the event will be held at Treetops Resort in Gaylord on June 20 and 21st. The Summer Conference provides targeted training specifically geared toward Conservation Districts and the opportunity to network with District board and staff members from all over the state, all in the beautiful and relaxing environment of Treetops Resort!
Learn more and register by visiting the MACD Summer Conference 2012 web pages today!
Officially, Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. This international holiday has grown from a small fledgling holiday 42 years ago, to an event celebrated in over 192 countries today!
For me, the Earth Day celebration lasts much longer than one day, I consider April to be "Earth Month". With spring weather settling in here in Michigan, flowers are blooming, farmers are preparing for spring planting, Conservation Districts are holding spring tree sales, outdoor education programs are gearing up including the Michigan Envirothon program. Add to this Earth Day and Arbor Day celebrations held throughout the last two weeks of April and you have one busy, outdoorsy month.
I would like to propose that as individuals, we take the idea of Earth Day to the next level, by making every day an Earth Day. Can you just imagine what would happen if everyone did one little thing each and every day for our earth, our natural resources? Just consider the possibilities!
Tuesday, March 20 is first day of spring! With the weather we are having in southern Michigan, spring has a significant jump start, with the daffodils blooming and the wetlands a chorus of song from Michigan's frogs and toads and many species of birds. I encourage you to take a moment this week to visit a wetland near you to listen and see if you can name the species that are singing the songs of spring.
An easy way to get started is to learn to identify Michigan's frogs and toads. With only 13 native species of frogs and toads, they are easy to learn. In early spring, only a few are calling and in my local wetland I have been able to identify four species at the time of this writing.
There are many resources available to help you learn the about our native frogs and toads and their songs. The Michigan DNR web site (LINK) has detailed information on Michigan's frogs and toads and you can hear recordings of their songs by visiting the MSU Remote Environmental Assessment Laboratory web site (LINK). For those die hard frog and toad enthusiasts the DNR Frog and Toad Survey provides a fun spring and early summer project. Participants document frog and toad abundance and distribution, helping the state to monitor populations over the long term. To learn more about this program, visit the Michigan DNR Frog and Toad Survey page, (LINK).
Your local Conservation District is also a resource for printed materials and identification guides. Many Districts have available for sale identification books and audio CDs with pictures, descriptions and quality recordings of Michigan's native frogs and toads so you can take your guides with you as you visit your local wetlands.
Have fun and happy listening!
Oakland CD Hosting Public Meeting Landowners in the Flint River Watershed in Oakland County are invited to a public meeting on March 6 to address phosphorus and water quality.
The meeting, hosted by the Oakland Conservation District, will begin at 6:45 p.m. at the Holly Public Library in Holly.
The district received grant funds from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to work with landowners to reduce the amount of phosphorus entering surface water in the watershed.
Anyone planning to attend the meeting is asked to RSVP by noon on March 6 by calling 248/328-0594. A dessert made of locally grown food will be served.