Oceana 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 Oceana County cohort will host their weekly classes from 6-8:30 p.m. on Mondays, from Sept. 8 to Nov. 3, 2025. Weekly classes will meet throughout Oceana 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. 27, 2025. 

Oceana County's field days will be on Saturday, Sept. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Oceana County Schedule 

Date

Topic

Location

Speaker

Sept. 8

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

Oceana Conservation District, 
1064 Industrial Park Dr., Shelby, MI 49455

To Be Announced

Sept. 15

Foundations of Conservation: Conservation Heritage, Society & Conservation, and Indigenous Perspectives on Conservation

To Be Announced

To Be Announced

Sept. 22

Aquatic Ecosystems: Lakes

Camp Minawanca,
8845 W. Garfield Rd., Shelby, MI 49455

Erick Elgin, MSU Extension, and Ashley Elgin, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Sat., Sept. 27,
from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Field Day: Dunes

Lake Michigan Family Camp,
5807 Ridge Rd., Pentwater, MI 49449

To Be Announced

Sept. 29

Aquatic Ecosystems: Streams

Oceana Conservation District, 
1064 Industrial Park Dr., Shelby, MI 49455

Marshville Dam Park, 
6075 W. Marshville Dam Rd., Shelby, MI 49455

Brian Majka, GEI Consultants

Oct. 6

Aquatic Ecosystems: Wetlands

Gales Pond County Park,
49 E. Filmore Rd., Hart, MI 49420

Jeremy Hartsock, Michigan State University, and Emma Waatti, Oceana Conservation District

Sat., Oct. 11,
from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Field Day: Agriculture and Conservation

Claybanks and Benona Township Farms, 
Claybanks, MI

Lynda Herremans, Oceana Conservation District

Oct. 13

Terrestrial Ecosystems: Forests

Earthscape Farm, 
4220 E Loop Rd., Hesperia, MI 49421

Rod Denning, Newaygo Conservation District, and Bill Bobier, Earthscape Farm

Oct. 20

Terrestrial Ecosystems: Grasslands 

To Be Announced

To Be Announced

Oct. 27

Program Break - No Class

Nov. 3

Putting It All Together: Capstone Project Celebration

Camp Minawanca,
8845 W. Garfield Rd., Shelby, MI 49455

 To Be Announced

For cohort and content related questions, please reach out to Laura Ackerman at laura.ackerman@macd.org, or Erick Elgin at elgineri@msu.edu.

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