With the help of many Partnering Agencies (click here to learn more about them), we offer many programs - from the classroom to the playground. Our audience is everyone: young and old, amateur or professional, rural or urban. This is summed up well in our Mission Statement:

“...to protect our natural resources by: encouraging the use of each acre of land and water within the limits of its capabilities; encouraging the treatment of each acre with the proper needs for protection and improvement; by acquainting people of the district with the importance of soil and water conservation, and providing assistance in Ionia County with conservation concerns.”

Some of the programs provided through the ICD are:

Nature Trail —
Hundreds of 5th graders from around the County are treated to a guided tour at the Boyce Elementary Nature Trail. Educational stations along the trail address such topics as Water, Botany, Wildlife, and "How You Alter the Environment.”

Backyard Naturescaping
for Wildlife —
An educational workshop to teach gardening with wildflowers, native landscaping, wildlife habitat for small acreage, and home composting techniques.

Call our office for the latest events information!

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Warm Season Grasses-Prairie Ecosystems

Before settlement, grasslands or prairies were prevalent throughout lower Michigan. Most prairies have since been used for farming as they were fertile and easy to clear. Prairies make up important habitat, as some species are dependent on them for survival. Major grass types in Michigan prairies include: Big Blue Stem, Little Blue Stem, Indian, Switch, and many wildflower species.

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