Oakland 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 Oakland County cohort will host their weekly classes from 6-9 p.m. on Thursdays, from Sept. 4 to Nov. 13, 2025. Weekly classes will meet throughout Oakland County at the locations listed in the chart below. Location details and more information will be distributed to registered participants in the end of August. Please note, there will not be class on Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, 2025.

Oakland County's field days will be on Saturday, Sept. 13 and Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Oakland County Schedule 

Date

Topic

Location

Speaker
Sept. 4

Michigan Conservation Stewards Program: Nuts and Bolts (Program Orientation)

Farmington Hills Nature Center, 24915 Farmington Rd, Farmington Hills, MI 48336

Bindu Bhakta, MSU Extension

Sept. 11

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

Golden Preserve, 
Springfield Township, MI

Ian Ableson, Six Rivers Land Conservancy

Sat., Sept. 13, 
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Field Day: Voyageur Canoe Experience: Travels Back to the Fur Trade Era

Stony Creek Metropark, 
4300 Main Park Dr., Shelby Township, MI 48316

Charlie Shelton, Huron-Clinton Metroparks

Sept. 18

Foundations of Conservation: Conservation Heritage, Society & Conservation, and Capstone Partners Introductions

Indian Springs Metropark,
5200 Indian Trail, White Lake, MI 48386

To Be Announced

Sept. 25

Aquatic Ecosystems: Lakes

Independence Oaks County Park,
9501 Sashabaw Rd., Clarkston, MI 48348

Cleo Harris, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Oct. 2

Aquatic Ecosystems: Streams

To Be Announced

Kaleigh Snoddy, Clinton River Watershed Council

Oct. 9

Aquatic Ecosystems: Wetland

To Be Announced

Ayden Ehgotz, Michigan Nature Association

Oct. 16

Terrestrial Ecosystems: Forests   

Farmington Hills Nature Center, 
24915 Farmington Rd., Farmington Hills, MI 48336

To Be Announced

Sat., Oct. 18,
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Field Day: Rouge River Floodplain Restoration

Southfield Oaks County Park,
22200 Beech Rd., Southfield, MI 48033

Eric Diesing and Katri Studtmann, Oakland County Parks

Oct. 23

Terrestrial Ecosystems: Grasslands 

Paint Creek Cider Mill, 
4480 Orion Rd., Rochester, MI 48306

Ben VanderWeide, Oakland Township Parks & Recreation

Oct. 30

Program Break - No Class

Nov. 6

Program Break - No Class

Nov. 13

Putting It All Together: Capstone Project Celebration

Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 
2100 Pontiac Lake Rd., Waterford Township, MI 48328

Jason Meekhof, Blue Heron Conservancy, and Jonathan Schechter, Oakland County Parks

For cohort and content related questions, please reach out to Cathy Morris at morri735@msu.edu. 

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

Farmington Hills Nature Center logo. Six Rivers Land Conservancy logo. Huron-Clinton Metroparks logo. Clinton River Watershed Council logo.

 

Detroit Zoological Society logo. Oakland Bird Alliance logo. Oakland County Parks and Recreation logo. Michigan Nature Association logo

 

Oakland Township Parks and Recreation logo Blue Heron Land Conservancy logo. Oakland Conservation District logo