Come join us for our Pruning and Bramble Workshop!

This workshop will take place Tuesday, March 20 at The Country Mill from 6:00-8:00 pm.

Learn how to care for your fruit trees and berry bushes. This event will be partly outside in the orchard for a demonstration, so please dress for the weather.

This is a free event, but registration is recommended. To register, please call our office at 517-543-1512 x 5 by Friday, March 16. We hope to see you there!

Come see us at Quiet Water!

The Eaton Conservation District will screen well water samples for nitrates and nitrites at this year's Quiet Water Symposium at the MSU Pavilion. This free screening is available for Ingham and Eaton county residents who have private wells for drinking water.

Sampling instructions and Sample Information Form can be downloaded below.

If you have any questions, please call (517) 543-1512 x 5 and speak to Allison Trierweiler, MAEAP Technician.

Well Water Screening Form

Water Sampling Information

The Eaton Conservation District is currently seeking a Statewide Arbor Day and Environmental Outreach Coordinator. This position is responsible for coordinating the State Arbor Day Celebration in Lansing, all programs associated with the Michigan Arbor Day Alliance program, and overseeing the Michigan Water Stewardship Program website. The anticipated start date for this position is approximately March 1, 2018.

Application Deadline: January 31, 2018.

Send cover letter, resume and list of 3 references to: Eaton Conservation District, 551 Courthouse Dr., Ste 3, Charlotte, MI  48813 Attn: Sue Spagnuolo or email sue.spagnuolo@macd.org.

Statewide Arbor Day & Environmental Outreach Coordinator Position Description

If you have any questions about this position, please contact Sue Spagnuolo at 517-543-1512 x 5 or email sue.spagnuolo@macd.org.

The Eaton Conservation District (ECD) is guided by a Board of Directors. In 2018, we will be holding elections for four board positions. Any Eaton County resident over 18 with a passion for our local natural resources is welcome to submit a nominating petition and be on the ballot at our Annual Meeting.

The Annual Meeting and election for the Eaton Conservation District will be held on Thursday, January 25, 2018.
Anyone interested in joining our Board will need to complete a nominating petition and return it to our office by close of business Monday, November 27, 2017. Board members must be prepared to participate in monthly board meetings, direct and promote the mission of the ECD, and participate in planning and executing special events and fundraisers. ECD welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and from every corner of Eaton County.

Nominating positions are available for download below, as well as at the ECD office at 551 Courthouse Dr., Suite 3, Charlotte, MI 48813.

If you have any questions about this process or the positions available, please contact Sue Spagnuolo at sue.spagnuolo@macd.org or call the office at (517) 543-1512 x 5.

The Eaton Conservation District is currently seeking a Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) Technician. The MAEAP Technician will be responsible for the delivery of MAEAP through on-farm technical assistance, using farm risk assessments, education and conservation plan development to implement practices and coordinate local, state, and federal agency resources to help reduce identified environmental risks and make progress toward MAEAP verification.

Application Deadline: October 5, 2017 Send cover letter, resume and list of 3 references to: Eaton Conservation District, 551 Courthouse Dr., Ste 3, Charlotte, MI  48813 Attn: Sue Spagnuolo or email sue.spagnuolo@macd.org.

MAEAP Program Technician Position Description

If you have any questions about this position, please contact Sue Spagnuolo at 517-543-1512 x 5 or email sue.spagnuolo@macd.org.

Kanoe the Kazoo is an annual canoe trip to promote recreation in the Kalamazoo River watershed and raise awareness about non-point source pollution that threatens water quality in our watershed. The City of Charlotte, Olivet, and the Village of Bellevue would like to invite guests to join us in a local canoe/kayak adventure on Indian Creek (tributary of the Battle Creek River). This year's event will take place on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at 9:00am.

If you need to rent a boat the cost is $40, which includes the boat, paddles, and life jackets. A small registration fee of $10 is requested and will cover the cost of an event t-shirt and lunch.

You are welcome to bring your own canoe/kayak if you have one. We will work together as far as shuttling participants. Sign-in for the float will be at Shrontz Memorial Park in Olivet at 9:00am. Participants will be shuttled out to V-Drive North, where the float will begin. You will then float back to Shrontz Memorial Park in Olivet and arrive at approximately 1:00pm. There will be a BBQ lunch and a short educational program following the canoe trip.

Please register before September 15 to receive your t-shirt and lunch.

Fill out this Registration Form and return it to:

City of Olivet
C/O Erin Bierley
117 S. Main St.
PO Box 367
Olivet, MI  49076

Checks should be payable to "City of Olivet."

If you have questions, please call Matt Griffith at (517) 231-2324 or Phil Smith at (269) 317-2220.

EATON CONSERVATION DISTRICT 2017 PHOTO CONTEST

1. Color or black and white photo accepted
2. Only one photo may be entered
3. Photos should be 8" x 10" on photo quality paper
3. Photos must be taken in Eaton County
4. All entries should have a natural resource theme. Ideas include: wildlife, landscapes, agriculture, and people enjoying nature.
5. Amateur photographers only please

Entry Deadline: November 14th!! 

2017 Photo Contest Entry Form (Download here)

Prizes:
1st place $50 Visa Gift Card
2nd place $25 Visa Gift Card
3rd place $15 Visa Gift Card

You do not have to live in Eaton County to participate and you need not be present to win. All entries become the property of the Eaton Conservation District and the District reserves the right to use all photographs in publications or for promotional purposes.

If you have any questions, please call the office at (517) 543-1512 x 5.

The Eaton Conservation District will be screening drinking water well samples for nitrate on July 10 from 12-6pm at the Eaton County Fair in Kardell Hall. This is a FREE water test.

The screening is sponsored by the Eaton Conservation District and the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). It is paid for by funds generated from Michigan pesticide and fertilizer registration and tonnage fees.

Samples from drinking water wells will be screened for nitrate and nitrite only. Public water supplies are tested regularly. Please DO NOT bring samples from public water supplies or non-drinking water sources. You do not have to have a special bottle for this screening. Any small, clean jar will work - 1 ounce of water is enough.

Please follow the directions below to sample your well. Collect samples just before bringing them to the fairgrounds for testing. Samples must be less than 48 hours old for a valid nitrite result.

1. Fill out the water Sample Information Sheet.

2. Pick a tap that supplies water that has NOT run through any treatment devices (water softener, carbon filter, etc.). An outdoor faucet often works well.

3. Run the water for 20-30 minutes before collecting the sample. This will give the pump time to flush the water pressure tank and plumbing so you can collect a valid sample. Disconnect any hoses before collecting the sample; DO NOT sample through a hose. Rinse the sample bottle and lid thoroughly in the water to be sampled; then fill and cap the bottle.

4. Label the bottle clearly with your name, the sampling date, and the wll name (cottage well, Mom's well, etc.) using a waterproof pen. Put the sample information sheet into a waterproof bag and then seal the water sample and the information into a second waterproof bag.

5. Keep the sample dark and cold (on ice or refrigerated) until it is dropped off.

All results are confidential.

Be sure to fill out the Sample Information Sheet completely and bring it with your water sample to the drop-off. You can get more information from the Eaton Conservation District office at 517-543-1512 x 5, or from your local MAEAP Technician, Jay Korson at the same number.