Muskegon County

Thank you for your interest in the 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 Muskegon County cohort will host their weekly sessions from 6-8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, from Aug. 25 to Oct. 20, 2026. Weekly sessions will meet throughout Muskegon County at the locations listed in the chart below. Location details and more information will be distributed to registered participants in the middle of August. Please note, there will not be a weekly session on Oct. 13, 2026.

Muskegon County's field days will be on Saturday, Sept. 12 and Oct. 10, 2026. 

Muskegon County Schedule 

Date

Topic

Location

Speaker

Aug. 25

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

Five Lakes Muskegon Nature Sanctuary,

Egelston Township, Muskegon, MI 49442 

To Be Announced

Sept. 1

Foundations of Conservation: Society & Conservation/Conservation Heritage; Indigenous Perspectives on Conservation (Past and Current) 

Muskegon State Game Area,
7600 Messinger Road

Twin Lake, MI 49457

Frank Beaver, Cory Wells & Alexis DeGabrielle, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians

Sept. 8

Terrestrial Ecosystems: Grasslands

Muskegon Conservation District,
4735 Holton Road

Twin Lake, MI 49457

Lucas Dykstra, Land Conservancy of West Michigan

Saturday, 

Sept. 12

Field Day: Lake Ecosystem

Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute,
740 West Shoreline Drive

Muskegon, MI 49441

Annis Water Resources Institute Vessel Instructor

Sept. 15

Aquatic Ecosystems: Wetlands

Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve,
2529 Lake Ave

North Muskegon, MI 49445

Emily Eberly, Grand Valley State University

Sept. 24

Aquatic Ecosystems: Rivers/Streams

Ralph C. Wilson Park,
1801 W Jefferson Ave

Detroit, MI 48216

Chelsey Lawton, Muskegon Conservation District, and Grayson Kosak, Muskegon River Watershed Assembly

Sept. 29

Aquatic Ecosystems: Inland/Great Lakes

Montague Library,
8778 Ferry Street, # 2

Montague, MI 49437

Ashley Elgin, NOAA, and Erick Elgin, MSU Extension

Oct. 6

Terrestrial Ecosystems: Forests 

Pioneer Park,
1563 N Scenic Drive

Muskegon, MI 49445

Keely Dunham, American Forest Foundation

Saturday, Oct. 10

Field Day:Urban Restoration, Planting and Pulling Invasives

Svensson Park,

1040 S Lake Street

Whitehall, MI 49461

Lynn Bryant, Lovage Gardens

Oct. 13

Break - No Class

Oct. 20

Putting it All Together: Capstone Project Celebration

Annis Water Resources Institute,
740 West Shoreline Drive

Muskegon MI 49441

JoAnn Barrett, Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve

For cohort and content related questions, please reach out to JoAnn Barrett at thedogalwayswins@gmail.com. 

For general questions and registration assistance, please contact Shelby Warner at warner80@msu.edu.