Benzie Conservation District

10/14/2026

Come join the fun! 🎃

🎃 Make your family’s Halloween plans a little more SCIENTIFIC! 🧪

Our Spooky Science Fest is packed with hands-on fun for your curious crew!

Put on your costumes and join us for a scary-good day exploring the science behind the season’s chills and thrills! 👻

🧪 Mix things up at the Potion Making Station
🎃 Watch the Pumpkin Trebuchet in action
💨 Explore Dry Ice Blasters
🐾 Meet our Animal Ambassadors
🐟 Try Franken-Fish Printing
…and much more with our community partners!

📅 Saturday, October 24 | 11 AM–4 PM
📍 The Hoops at Grow Benzie

🎟️ $7 per person or $35 per family - whichever is less!
Members receive 10% off + spooky swag.

Gather your little scientists, invite another family, and join us for a day of spooky discoveries!

10/08/2026

Unfortunate news as invasive red swamp crayfish have been found in a new Michigan county.

Cass County is the latest location to have a confirmed presence of this invasive species. A Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) group, which assists with invasive species management, discovered two dead crayfish while conducting a snorkel survey of a private pond near Niles, Michigan.

This species of crayfish is native to the southern United States but is harmful to Michigan's waters for several reasons:
❎ Causes big impacts on aquatic vegetation, reducing water clarity.

❎ Contributes to shoreline erosion through deep burrows.

❎ Outcompetes native crayfish species that are a major part of our aquatic food chain.

While they are not terribly active this time of year, we hope people continue to report sightings of this invasive crayfish. We know people like to eat them, but please remember it is unlawful to possess live red swamp crayfish in Michigan. They often spread by being used as live bait, escaping as aquatic pets, or being brought into the state live for boiling and eating.

Details on where these invasive crayfish have been found and how to report sightings can be found in the comments.

10/06/2026

Meet the macros! Macroinvertebrates are small critters that don’t have a backbone, like insects, snails, and crayfish. Despite their small size, they play a big role in helping researchers study water quality.

Certain aquatic macros are highly sensitive to pollutants. Their presence in a river can indicate how ecologically healthy the water is.

This Saturday, we need your help to collect macros from local rivers. Join our water quality team for Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program to discover the fascinating world of macros, and help us research water quality at the same time.

Sign up and learn more at www.benziecd.org/vsmp-fall-2026

10/02/2026

Seedling sale pickup is today! It’s beautiful weather for planting, and we have extra pines, white cedar, white spruce, and balsam fir available. Visit us behind our office October 2 from 9:00am to 4:00pm to pick up your order and shop for extras.

09/25/2026

Curious about small-scale homesteading? We’re excited to partner with Eran and Stephanie Rhodzell of Laughing Linden Farm for a Family Farm Day!

Bring the family to enjoy guided tours, demonstrations, and get inspiration for creating native and edible landscapes while improving the soil. You’ll also learn about Conservation District-facilitated programs for getting practical advice unique to your property and goals.

Plus, kids will enjoy hands-on crafts and activities like a farm scavenger hunt.

This event will be October 25 from 11:00am to 1:00pm. RSVPs are required, as parking is limited.

Learn more and sign up at benziecd.org/events

09/23/2026

Join us for a free art workshop! 🍁🍂

Join Kyla Robinson (Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator at Benzie Conservation District) for a beginner’s lesson on painting with oil pastels! 🍁🖌

This workshop will help you learn to capture the beauty of Michigan’s autumnal colors and rich woodland scenery in expressive oil pastel. Bring your favorite fall foliage photos for inspiration. All materials provided.

Thursday, October 15 @ 10 am

09/23/2026

Volunteers needed! Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program is a fan-favorite event and one of our most important research days of the year.

At VSMP, spend a morning “in the field” with us to study local stream health. Together, we’ll collect aquatic insects and other macroinvertebrates that reveal important information about potential pollutants and other water quality data.

This event is beginner friendly, you can volunteer from the shore or the water, and did we mention there’s free lunch?

Learn more and sign up by visiting our website: benziecd.org/events

09/22/2026

How can local food support health and wellbeing? In case you missed it, our region’s Produce Safety Technician wrote an insightful article on food systems and foodborne illness, like this summer’s cyclospora outbreak.

Read it in the Benzie County Record Patriot here:

Michigan’s cyclospora outbreak highlights food safety risks in the centralized produce system and the case for more local growers.

09/18/2026

That’s a wrap on Fall Seedling Sale 2026! Like our other programs, the seedling sale is designed to benefit your goals and the environment all at once.

Whether you’re planting for erosion control, windbreaks, habitat restoration, future forests, or to add Michigan’s natural beauty to your backyard, thank you for joining us in supporting Benzie County’s environment.

And, special thanks to the sponsors of our Fall 2026 Native Seedling Sale!

🌲 Heartwood Tier 🌲
Cherryland Electric Cooperative
Honor Bank
Platte Lake Improvement Association

🌲 Taproot Tier🌲
State Savings Bank

09/16/2026

Happy ! Native species make for a balanced environment, and that includes healthy waters. Strong root systems keep the soil in place and absorb excess nutrients. Tree canopies provide shade that cools down water temps, which is important for fish populations.

If you haven’t already, consider adding a planting day to your fall bucket list. Our seedling sale has one day left—it’s not too late to get a bundle of native trees!

Photo: a red pine on Lake Superior, Jonny Tostenson 2022