St. Clair County

Thank you for your interest in the Michigan State University Extension Michigan Conservation Stewards Program (CSP), an educational program for those who are enthusiastic about learning science-based ecosystem management principles and sharing this knowledge with others to help improve their local communities. Through this program, participants will learn essential strategies to understand and help restore and conserve ecosystems in Michigan communities. 

The St. Clair County cohort will host their weekly evening sessions on Wednesdays from 6-8:30 p.m. on Sept. 13 to Nov. 15, 2023. Weekly evening sessions will meet throughout St. Clair county. Exact locations and speakers will be announced once available. Please note, there will not be weekly evening sessions on Nov. 1 and Nov. 8, 2023.

The St. Clair County cohort's field trips will be on Sept. 23 and Oct. 7, 2023. 

St. Clair County Schedule 

Date

Topic

Location

Speaker

Sept. 13

Program Orientation; Foundations of Conservation: Ecological Foundations; What is a Natural Community?

Mid-Michigan Materials

Prof. Robert Hunckler, St. Clair Co. Community College

Sept. 20

Foundations of Conservation: Society & Conservation

Goodells County Park

Dennis Delor, St. Clair County Parks

Sat., Sept 23, 1/2-day field trip

Aquatic Field Trip: Macroinvertebrates and More

Pine River Nature Center

Sarah Nelson, PRNC, and Erica Clites, MI Sea Grant

Sept. 27

Aquatic Ecosystems: Lakes

Fort Gratiot Light Station

Andrew Briggs, MDNR

Oct. 4

Aquatic Ecosystems: Streams 

Thumb Coast Watershed Center

Sheri Faust, Friends of the St. Clair River staff

Sat., Oct. 7, 1/2-day field trip

Terrestrial Field Trip: Botany and Ecology of the Blue Water Area

TBD

Phyllis Higman and Tyler Bassett, MNFI

Oct. 11

Aquatic Ecosystems: Wetlands

Anchor Bay Woods Preserve

Ian Ableson, Six Rivers Land Conservancy

Oct. 18

Terrestrial Ecosystems: Forests   

Columbus County Park

Larry Cornelis, Lambton Wildlife, Inc.

Oct. 25

Terrestrial Ecosystems: Grasslands 

Port Huron State Game Area

Kaitlyn Barnes, MDNR

Nov. 1

No Class

 

 

Nov. 8

No Class

 

 

Nov. 15

Putting it All Together: Capstone Project Celebration

Goodells County Park

Kirsten Lyons, St. Clair County Parks

For cohort and content related questions, please reach out to Kirsten Lyons at klyons@stclaircounty.org.

For general questions and registration assistance, please contact Shelby Warner at warner80@msu.edu or 517-884-7076.