Eaton Conservation District

05/08/2026

Some of the easiest plants to grow are also the most beneficial and beautiful!

Many native plants are surprisingly low-maintenance once established, and they bring real benefits to your yard.

Purple coneflower, brown eyed susan, and showy goldenrod are great examples. They’re well adapted to local conditions, come back each year, and provide consistent nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies.

Choosing native plants is one of the simplest ways to create a landscape that takes less upkeep and supports more life.

Vendor Highlight: Wild Ginger Woodlands and Bendy Stem Farm

Shop these plants at our Native Plant Sale at Woldumar, Saturday, May 30, 10 AM–2 PM.

05/07/2026

The Eaton County Farm Bureau is hosting an Equine Emergencies event next weekend, May 16th and 17th!

Join a FREE educational and informative workshop for horse owners. Dr. Aaron Webster of Michigan Large Animal Associates will provide tips and techniques to be an involved horse owner preparing for the inevitable horse emergency. Learn ways to help ensure the best possible outcome from your veterinary emergency visit. Be more prepared for the visit prior to the veterinary’s arrival.

They are also planning similar workshops for livestock producers at a later date, so stay tuned!

05/06/2026

🌾Start your prairie at home.🌾

Prairies once covered huge parts of North America, with grasses so tall they could hide a person on horseback. What looks simple at first is actually one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems, with most of its life happening below ground in deep, dense root systems.

Today, prairies are one of the most reduced ecosystems in the region, but native plantings can help bring some of that function back.

Plants like compass plant, northern blazing star, rattlesnake master, and prairie pussytoes are built for sun and tough conditions. They support pollinators, come back year after year, and add real structure to a landscape.

Find them at our sale and learn more about these incredible plants from our vendor: Bendy Stem Farm at bendystemfarm.com/

05/05/2026

Our 2026 Farm Field Day Series starts next month!!

➡ Pasture Walk with Joe's Happy Acres on June 30th
➡ Pasture Walk with Happy Goat Lucky Ewe & Michigan Merinos July 14th
➡ Cropping System Field Day with Hickey Farms, LLC August 14th
➡ Specialty Crop Field Day with Titus Farms September 13th

These events are designed to cultivate meaningful conversations and strengthen our local farmer network. Together, we can learn from one another, support conservation efforts, and grow a resilient farming community.

Visit EatonCD.org/Agriculture for more information and to register!!

05/05/2026

If you’re coming to our Native Plant Sale, be sure to stop by for a special guest presentation!

11:00 AM–12:00 PM | “A Shared History & Future: Conservation in Eaton County”

Join Woldumar Nature Center Executive Director Kevin Wernet as he shares the organization’s history, programs, partnership with Eaton Conservation District, and the ongoing stewardship of Woldumar’s 180-acre property. The presentation will wrap up with a guided tour of the native gardens and current restoration projects.

05/04/2026

Mid-Michigan Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area and Eaton County Parks were featured in a recent news story. Learn about the status of the work that is being done to track and control invasive species in our area.

Michigan is facing environmental destruction by invasive species, but the state legislature cut funding for the program that fights invasives.

05/04/2026

May the 4th be with you!👽

Some of our native plants look like they belong in a galaxy far, far away, but they’re actually all native right here in the Midwest.

-Rattlesnake Master looks like it could be growing on an alien planet with its spiky blue-green leaves and strange spherical flowers.

-Prairie Smoke lives up to its name, with soft pink blooms that turn into wispy seed heads that look like drifting smoke.

-Bottlebrush Grass adds texture with seed heads that resemble tiny cleaning brushes.

-Lanceleaf Frogfruit might have the most unusual name of all, but it’s a low-growing native that quietly supports pollinators.

They’ll be available at our Native Plant Sale at Woldumar Nature Center on Saturday, May 30th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM!🌿

Vendor Highlight: and

05/03/2026

Michigan alfalfa growers--beware the weevil!

Alfalfa weevil is a pest we thought we had under control for many years, but it is rebounding. A Minnesota research team is evaluating the scope of the problem across the upper Midwest. Please see the below link and fill out their survey if you have alfalfa weevil stories to share. This will help us develop new control systems.

In recent years, Minnesota alfalfa growers have been reporting increased issues with alfalfa insects to Extension staff. Especially for alfa...

05/02/2026

🐦Join Fenner Nature Center next weekend May 9th, 8 AM - 3 PM for their first-ever World Migratory Bird Day celebration! This free event welcomes bird lovers of all experience levels to learn, explore, and connect with the birds that call Michigan home or pass through on their migrations.

05/01/2026

May 4-9, 8-9:30pm, it's Swift Night Out

Swift Night Out returns to Lansing!

Join Michigan Audubon for a free, family-friendly series of evenings May 4-9 to watch hundreds of Chimney Swifts swirl overhead before dropping into their nightly roost at sunset. Arrive early, bring a chair, and connect with fellow bird lovers and Michigan Audubon staff.

When: May 4–9 from 8:00–9:30 PM
Where: Smith Floral & Greenhouses, 1124 E. Mt. Hope Ave., Lansing

🚧Note: Mt. Hope Ave. is closed near the site due to construction. Use posted detours and access parking via Alpha St. (south/west) or Shubel Rd. (north/east).

Learn more about Swift Night Out here: https://ow.ly/mZCU50YTwkm