Cultivating Community Conservation Champions: The Impact of the MSUE Conservation Stewards Program in Newaygo County – Newaygo County Environmental Coalition

Cultivating Community Conservation Champions: The Impact of the MSUE Conservation Stewards Program in Newaygo County

November 26, 2024
Written by Sarah Pregitzer and Randy Butters

Written by katie.c@nc-ec.org
November 26, 2024

The energy in the room was tangible at the Camp Newaygo Lodge. At the final session of the MSU Extension Services (MSUE) Conservation Stewards program, a cohort of over thirty freshly accredited Conservation Stewards milled about, discussing their passions and ideas for their final capstone projects.

After ten weeks of in-depth online and in-person training, students were eager to volunteer their services caring for the public and private natural spaces that were precious to them. Capstone plans include work in parks, nature sanctuaries, churches, and city and county lands. Some students chose education as their Capstone. Watch for social media posts, signage, and educational brochures popping up around the area, all of which will help get the word out about environmental best practices to community members.

The Conservation Stewards program creates a learning opportunity for those interested in science-based ecosystem management principles. Graduating students share their knowledge with others to help restore and conserve local ecosystems throughout Michigan communities. Students commit to completing the extensive coursework, which includes several weekly hours of online instruction and knowledge checks. In addition, there are ten three-hour in-person classes. The majority of the classroom time is spent with various ecosystem experts from around Michigan, including experiencing these ecosystems firsthand.

Planning Committee for 2024 Conservation Stewards Program in Newaygo County:

Bindu Bhakta, MSUE Conservation Stewards coordinator

Eric Elgin, Water Resource Educator MSUE

Marge Manning-Peck Secretary MSUE

Sally Wagoner, Newaygo County Environmental Coalition

Frank Beaver, Natural Resources Director, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (not pictured)

Greg Poches, Community Investment Office, Fremont Area Community Foundation

Sarah Pregitzer, Michigan Nature Association

Randy Butters, Newaygo Invasive Plants Project

Luke Cotton, Executive Director, Newaygo Conservation District

“Everyone wants to come to Newaygo County,” Erik Elgin, limnologist and Water Resource Educator from MSUE, pointed out. “The natural communities here are so unique and untouched. We have unusual places and rare plant and animal species found nowhere else.”

The opportunity to bring the MSUE Conservation Stewards Program to Newaygo County for the first time took nearly a year to plan. Finding venues and speakers and arranging all the details to make each class jam-packed with great experiences and information was complex. However, with a volunteer team of committed local partners spearheaded by Erik Elgin and assisted by Bindu Bhakta, MSUE Conservation Stewards coordinator, the course exceeded participants’ expectations.

The classes met in various locations around the county, each showcasing a different type of natural community found in Newaygo County: inland lakes, rivers and streams, forests, and prairies. Each in-person class incorporated an expert-led foray into each of these ecosystems, discussing and expanding on material from the week’s online content. Students began with glacial history, human impacts on the area, the Indigenous peoples and the early settlers, and local Dust Bowl restoration practices. Did you know Newaygo County’s once vibrant prairies were farmed into sand deserts that lasted from 1865 until the 1930s?

Classes then concentrated on each natural community of Newaygo County: wetlands such as bogs, fens, lakes, and rivers, as well as the various types of forests and prairies. Two Saturday on-site field trips with plenty of hands-on learning were well attended. The first field trip at Fremont Lake allowed the students to explore water quality, plant and insect populations, the history of cold water fisheries, and the lake’s environmental degradation and ongoing recovery efforts.

The second Saturday field trip had students hiking through the area’s prairies while discussing the creation and degradation of the Dry Sand Prairie, a globally imperiled ecosystem. The entire class experience was consciousness-raising and knowledge-rich, as students worked with the Michigan Nature Association’s stewards in prairie restoration practices at the Newaygo Prairie Nature Sanctuary.

One earnest student declared, “I just love this—I want to know it all! All the stuff!”

The enthusiasm among the students was palpable, with many expressing a desire for the course to continue. While this cohort has completed its formal certification, plans are in motion for alumni events and potential future classes. For those interested in joining future programs, information can be found on the MSUE website or by subscribing to the Newaygo County Environmental Coalition’s newsletter. Word has it that a possible second session offering is in the works for next year.

The Conservation Stewards program in Newaygo County is not just a training ground for environmental stewards—it is a catalyst for involving the entire community in preserving and enhancing the natural beauty of their surroundings.

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