Ottawa Conservation District

10/15/2026

Today is Michigan Apple Crunch day! 🍎 Hosted by MSU every year, the Michigan Apple Crunch encourages healthy eating, farm-to-school purchasing, and supports the Michigan apple industry by inviting schools, non-profits, businesses, and individuals to collectively crunch a Michigan apple on Crunch Day.

Look into Michigan Apples for all things apple: recipes, crafts, farming updates, and more! 🍏

10/14/2026

Registration for the Water Quality Forum is coming to an end on October 20th! Register today to learn about Ottawa County's water resources. Ottawa Conservation District staff will be giving an update on our Water Quality Monitoring Initiative after two full years of data colleciton.

Join our Water Resources team and several community partners for the 2026 Water Quality Forum! This event shines a light on the efforts to maintain and improve Ottawa County's water supply, and will give attendees the opportunity to connect with water conservation professionals and learn about new developments and initiatives.

🗓️October 23rd
🕣8:30AM-3:00PM
📍The Pinnacle Center, 3330 Highland Drive, Hudsonville

Registration is required: miottawa.org/wrc/wqf
There is no registration fee, thanks to our sponsors, but we encourage attendees to consider making a small gift of $25 or more to OCCAA.

10/13/2026

Saturday was a beautiful day to look for bugs in the Pigeon River! Thank you to all the volunteers who came out to learn how to sample for aquatic macroinvertebrates. These bug samples will help us learn more about the water quality and current habitat conditions of the Pigeon River Watersheds. Thanks to MiCorps: Michigan Clean Water Corps for funding this event through their Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program grants!

This Thursday, 10/15, from 9 AM - 3 PM, we'll be sorting, identifying, and counting all the bugs we found at the OCD office. Volunteers are welcome to join us for any amount of time that works for you. Anyone interested should contact Sarah Bowman at [email protected].

10/06/2026

The leaves are beginning to turn, and it's time to start collecting seeds from your native plants! Here are some helpful tips & tricks from our friends :

- You can use containers such as paper grocery/lunch bags, plastic containers with lids, envelopes. Don't forget a way to label!
- Have a pair of scissors for seed heads that are easier to cut off vs. pull off
- Check for seed ripeness. Some seed heads will be dry and break up easily (Purple coneflower, Blackeyed susan), the flower head will appear fluffy (Aster/Goldenrods), the seeds easily break off flower head (Cup plant), or the pod will crack open (milkweed species) or the capsule splits open exposing ripe seed (Foxglove beardstongue, Nodding wild onion).
- Then pull or clip the seed head off and place into your container. Don't forget to label!
- Either sow right away, or dry & save the seed in a cool place for winter sowing or to sow when you are ready. You can read more sowing tips on the MI Wildflower Farm website!

**Featuring photos of seeds from our visit to MI Wildflower Farm back in August!**

10/02/2026

Join us on next Saturday, October 10th, to sample for aquatic macroinvertebrates! 🐛 All volunteers for in-field sampling will meet at Pigeon Creek Park at 9am.

To learn more, visit our website under "Upcoming Events" and/or email [email protected]. See you in the creek!

10/01/2026

Happy October! 🎃

We have some fun events planned for this month, including opportunities to get in the creek and be involved in stream monitoring! To learn more details about each event, please visit out website under "Upcoming Events" at https://ottawacd.org/events/

10/01/2026

It's been a busy week of events! Not only did we have our Fall Native Plant Sale this past Saturday, but our Watershed Specialist, Sarah, tabled at the Macatawa Water Fest (hosted by ODC Network's Conservation Connections) to talk about aquatic macroinvertebrates!

On Tuesday we also partnered with Ottawa County to host a Farming Forward workshop focused on farmland succession planning and easement options with some additional information regarding MDARD's regenerative agriculture program, soil sampling resources, and an important discussion on managing stress and farm mental health. Attendees got to enjoy a delicious catered breakfast from Field & Fire Bakery!

09/29/2026

Today is your LAST chance to give us your input on conservation needs here in Ottawa County!

Ottawa Conservation District last hosted a CNA in 2021 and we’re now turning to the residents and visitors of Ottawa County once again to gauge your natural resource priorities and concerns to help direct the programs and services we offer. This survey is open to anyone who lives, works, or plays in Ottawa County and has a vested interest in the natural resources of the area.

After tomorrow (9/30), we will take all of your input and synthesize our top priorities for the next five years in our updated Conservation Needs Assessment.

Take the survey by visiting the home page of our website (linked in our bio)!

09/28/2026

THANK YOU for another wonderful Fall Native Plant Sale! 💚 The sun was shining, and we got to interact with some great folks and talk about plants. We couldn't do what we do without y'all, and the plants don't get planted without each and every one of you!

If you missed it, don't worry! We have always have another Native Plant Sale in the spring. Stay tuned for more details to come later this winter. In the meantime, happy planting! 🌱

09/25/2026

Today is (almost) the day... it's Fall Native Plant Sale eve! 🎉

Tomorrow (9/26) our Fall Native Plant Sale takes place from 9am-12pm at our office (16731 Ferris St, Grand Haven, MI 49417). As you can see on the map, we have limited parking at our office building. In case the parking lot is full when you arrive, please go next door to the Grand Haven Township parking lot, and then you can walk to the sale! We will have helpers available to help you carry anything to and from your vehicle. **Please do not park along the road or in the driveway to the fire station (pictured to the east of our office)**

To learn more about the sale and what plants we plan on having available, please visit https://ottawacd.org/browse-n-buy-sale/. We are excited to see you soon!