The 2014 annual meeting was a great success! We had a great meal, presented conservation awards, re-elected 2 board members, provided program updates, and saw the debut of the Greening Mid-Michigan Agriculture Video.  Door Prizes and Silent auction made possible by many local businesses.

The Michigan Arbor Day Alliance and the Eaton Conservation District are announcing the launch of the 2014 Go Green Youth Challenge Writing Contest and Coin Collection program.   This is a fundraiser program to plant trees in Michigan.  PreK-12 students are challenged to collect coins between January 13th and March 31st, 2014.  The team that collects the most wins a tree planting for their community/school and an invite to the State Arbor Day Celebration in Lansing in April.
 
A popular component of this program is the Creative Writing Contest.  This is for K-12  students and runs alongside the coin collection program.   We are urging Michigan's youth to express their creativity and use their  imagination to tell us what it would be like “If Trees Could Talk?" For more  information, visit www.miarbordayalliance.com Entries have to be postmarked by March  3, 2014.  All types of creative  writing will be accepted (Stories, poems, essays,  etc).

Eaton Conservation District  ANNUAL  MEETING

The Board of Directors of the Eaton Conservation District cordially invite you to attend our  Annual Meeting and Luncheon. 
 
January 23rd,  2014 at noon.
Charlotte Senior  Center
804 S Cochran Ave Charlotte,  MI

 Highlights of the Annual Meeting:
· Promoting Greening and regional Agriculture
· Luncheon
· Conservation Programs
· Business Meeting and Election
· Conservation  Awards
· Silent  Auction and Door Prizes

 TICKETS are  $12.00

Please RSVP by January 13th, 2014.  
  (517)  543-5848 x 5

 You don’t have to be a professional photographer to take an awesome picture.  Entries in Eaton Conservation District’s 18th annual photo contest are proof positive! The contest was open to  anyone who does not take pictures for profit as long as the picture was taken in  beautiful Eaton County.  Photos entered in the contest were divided into four categories.  This year’s categories included: plants and landscapes, wildlife, people enjoying nature, and agriculture.  Participants were able to enter one photograph per category, a wide variety of photos were submitted by an equally diverse contestant pool.         
  
Gary Mankey of Lansing came away as grand prize  winner in this year’s contest with his picture of a frog in a leather boot. Submitted photos may be displayed on the District’s website, used in promotional brochures and fliers or displayed at District  events.  
  
 Winners were as  follows:
 
Plants and  Landscapes

 1st-Karl Glarner
 2nd-Brenda Hall
 3rd-Alyse VanAcker
 
Wildlife
 1st-Gary Mankey
 2nd-Carol Glarner
 3rd-Gary Haynes
 
People Enjoying  Nature
 1st-Sarah Jansma
 2nd-Gary Haynes
 3rd-Hailey Bennett

 Agriculture
 1st-Hailey Bennett
 2nd-Sarah Jansma
 3rd-Alyse VanAcker
 
Honorable Mentions: 
Rachel Drury, Rod Weaver, Rachel Beland, Beverly  Davids
 
Thanks to everyone who entered the  18th annual photo  contest.  It’s not too early to begin snapping photos for next year’s contest.  We appreciate your participation in the photo contest and are looking forward to seeing future photos taken in our County.