Take advantage of the fall planting season

Searching for plants for wildlife habitat, soil erosion control, water retention & filtration, wind buffers, reforestation, carbon sequestrations, shade trees, pollinators, or simply for natural beauty? Look no further than the Washtenaw County Conservation District's Fall Tree and Native Plant sale. Fall can be a great time for planting, as the cooler temperatures and moist soil allow for ideal root establishment.

Sales will include a selection of six conifer trees,16 native potted plants, and four native plant garden kits. Native plants new to this year’s fall sale are rose mallow and mountain mint. Red pine and black hills spruce join previous year’s fall selections as newly available conifer seedlings.

Preordering will open on August 2, 2021 via the online store, store.washtenawcd.org. Paper order forms are also available by request and at the WCCD office: 705 N. Zeeb Rd., #201, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. The deadline for the paper pre-order form is Friday, September 3, 2021 and the online store closes Saturday, September 18, 2021. The pre-order pick-up date is Friday, October 1, 1-6 pm at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds: 5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. To request a paper order form, sign-up to volunteer, or find more information on the fall sale, visit www.washtenawcd.org/fallsale.

The WCCD has been distributing trees, plants, and tools for conservation since the 1950s. Over 7.1 million trees and shrubs have been planted as a result of WCCD’s distributions, contributing to conservation practices such as reforestation, soil erosion reduction and water quality improvement, habitat restoration, and naturalization projects.

The mission of the WCCD is to assist residents with the conservation, management, and wise use of natural resources in Washtenaw County. The WCCD is a unit of local government, managed by an elected five-member board of directors, and funded in part by Washtenaw county residents through a 2020-2026 conservation district millage.

To learn more about the Fall Tree & Native Plant Distribution and other WCCD programs, please visit the district website at www.washtenawcd.org.

For questions or more information, contact Doug Reith, Resource Coordinator at  doug@washtenawcd.org or by calling (734) 302-8713.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.