River Raisin Watershed Council creates online land toolkit for Washtenaw County residents
submitted by River Raisin Watershed Council
The River Raisin Watershed Council, in partnership with the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, Legacy Land Conservancy, Washtenaw County Conservation District (WCCD), Ann Arbor Greenbelt, and the Huron River Watershed Council, has developed an online toolkit to assist landowners with identifying organizations that offer services and programs to meet their goals. To begin, visitors can select from three broad categories that best align with their main objective:
Assess — learn about the current conditions, including plants, animals, and build skills (e.g. plant ID), that can be utilized on your land
Manage — develop a plan and select techniques and practices to address natural resource concerns or implement desired improvements
Preserve — protect natural areas and farmland from development
Online visitors also have the option to take a quiz to match their property location and goals with the programs and services provided by a local organization. Currently, the quiz results are limited to the local organizations that developed the site, but the broad categories list additional private consultants and contractors as well as local, state, and federal government opportunities available to Washtenaw County residents. Visitors can learn more about the partner organizations who developed the web pages by watching short videos explaining their individual missions and highlighting some of their relevant programs.
In response to feedback from attendees of in-person presentations, RRWC and partners developed this online toolkit to further inform residents about options available for assessing, managing, and preserving their land. Recordings of the presentation and a form to request an in-person presentation are available on the website. In-person presentations are tailored to each specific township and regularly updated with new information. Scheduled between November and March of each year, the in-person presentations run about 1.5 hours with additional time to discuss individual properties with representatives from each organization at the conclusion.
Please visit www.washtenawcd.org/landtoolkit to explore the site. Questions and feedback may be directed to Summer Roberts, WCCD’s Community Forester, at Summer@washtenawcd.org or by calling (734) 302-8715.
RRWC is a public 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire behaviors that promote stewardship, improve water quality, and encourage public participation to protect, preserve, and enhance the River Raisin Watershed. RRWC works toward these goals through watershed education; training; K–12 and family activities; expanding river access; partnering with local, state, and federal organizations in water monitoring and safety; environmental studies; farming and agriculture-related initiatives; and working toward an increasingly navigable and healthy River Raisin. To learn more about the RRWC, please visit www.riverraisin.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Tiktok.
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