ABOUT US
The St. Joseph County Conservation District was established in 1948 to assist farmers in developing soil and water conservation plans. Since then, the District has expanded its focus to include a wide range of stakeholders across the County and throughout the St. Joseph River Watershed. While agriculture remains a core focus, we also collaborate with partner organizations to protect and conserve the county's most vital natural resource—water.
Guided by a volunteer board of five members and supported by a dedicated staff, The St. Joseph County Conservation District works with partners to promote the preservation of ground and surface water, sustainable agricultural practices, irrigation efficiency, environmental education, ecological stewardship, and community-centered initiatives.
Our services are made possible through community support, including volunteer efforts, local financial contributions, and grant funding. Throughout the year, the Conservation District organizes several fundraising events, such as the spring tree sale, annual meeting, and local food dinner, to further our mission.
RECENT event Highlights
River Cleanup Schedule 2026
All events begin at 9:30 AM, and all cleanup and paddling equipment is provided.
Friday, July 24
Prairie River – 3.6-mile paddle
Wednesday, August 26
Fawn River – 4.3-mile paddle
Saturday, September 19
Nottawa Creek – 3.3-mile paddle
If you are interested in volunteering for any of these events, please email us at stjoecountycd@gmail.com or call (269) 467-6336 Ext. 5 during business hours! Program contact is Ethan Miller.
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE DAYS 2026
The District is partnering with St. Joseph County
to provide two household hazardous waste
drop-off days for local residents!
The 2026 collection dates include:
Tuesday, May 5th
Tuesday, October 6th
from 2:00pm-6:00pm
St. Joseph County Fairgrounds
in Centreville, MI.
*Please refer to the adjacent flyer for lists of
accepted and not accepted household items.
Explore New Interactive Maps for the St. Joseph River!
With support from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), the St. Joseph County Conservation District has developed a series of interactive mapping tools to expand public access to environmental information and support watershed education and project planning across the St. Joseph River Watershed.
The St. Joseph River Subbasin Interactive Mapping Tool is the primary, watershed-scale map developed through this effort. It brings together fully processed results from the 2020–2022 St. Joseph River Inventory Survey with a broad range of partner-sourced information to help users explore patterns and conditions across the region.
New to ArcGIS interactive maps? Reviewing the Navigation Guide will help users quickly learn a few basic controls and get the most out of the tool.
👉 Find more detailed information and links to additional mapping tools developed under this project by navigating to the Water Quality webpage.
NATIVE PLANT SALE 2026
Thank You for Supporting Our Native Plant Sale!
The St. Joseph County Conservation District and the Southern Michigan Invasive Species Team (SMIST) CISMA would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who placed an order during this year's Native Plant Sale and to those who stopped by on sale dates to purchase District-grown seedlings.
Now in its fourth year, our Native Plant Sale continues to grow thanks to the tremendous support of our community. This year's sale was our most successful yet, helping connect more native plants with local landscapes throughout the region. By choosing native species, you are creating valuable habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, improving ecosystem health, increasing biodiversity, and supporting conservation efforts across southern Michigan.
We are also grateful to Wildtype Native Plant Nursery for supplying the high-quality native plants offered through this year's sale!
If you would like to be notified when next year's Native Plant Sale opens, please email kaitlin.renehan@macd.org and ask to be added to our email list.
Thank you again for supporting native plants, pollinators, and local conservation efforts!
2026 Spring Tree Seedling Sale
🌱 Thank You for Another Successful Year! 🌱
Our annual tree sale has wrapped up, and we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported us. Your participation helps make this program possible year after year, and we’re truly grateful!
Because of your contributions, we were able to provide one white pine tree seedling to every 4th grader in St. Joseph County—helping inspire the next generation to care for our natural resources. 🌲
We appreciate your continued support and look forward to next year!
HANDS-ON MUSHROOM WORKSHOP
Thank you to everyone who attended our Mushroom Workshop on March 25! 🍄 We had a great turnout and hope you enjoyed learning the basics of growing mushrooms at home, exploring both gourmet and medicinal varieties, and gaining a better understanding of the important role fungi play in our ecosystems.
A big thank you to Great Lakes Mushroom Company for sharing their knowledge and providing such a fun, hands-on experience. We appreciate everyone who came out and helped make this event a success!
2026 Annual Meeting
Thank you to everyone who attended our Annual Meeting & Election Event on March 18, 2026!
We appreciated the opportunity to connect with our community. Thank you to guest speaker Shaun Grace (SMIST CISMA Coordinator) for sharing insights on local invasive species and the role of regional CISMAs.
We also recognized this year’s award recipients:
Forest Stewardship Award – Howard Avildsen for his long-term commitment to sustainable forest management and leadership within the Conservation District.
Volunteer of the Year Award – Mendon Green Clovers 4-H Club for their dedicated efforts supporting local river cleanups and environmental stewardship.
Thank you for your continued support of conservation in St. Joseph County—your involvement helps strengthen our community and protect the natural resources that make this area so special!
ST. JOSEPH RIVER INVENTORY
Our SJCCD team has successfully surveyed the entire length of the St. Joseph River, mapping invasive species distributions, water quality trends, and potential areas of concern along the 206-mile mainstem.
MONTHLY BOARD MEETING
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
6:00 - 7:30pm
At the District Offices
693 E. Main Street, Centreville MI
OUR MISSION
THE ST. JOSEPH COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT PROVIDES EDUCATION, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, PARTNERSHIPS, AND CONTACTS FOR LOCAL RESOURCES TO HELP OUR RESIDENTS CONSERVE THEIR LANDS AND OUR SHARED ENVIRONMENT FOR A CLEANER, HEALTHIER, ECONOMICALLY STRONGER REGION.
SJCCD PHOTO GALLERY
Check out our photo gallery!
Click on pictures to see what SJCCD has been up to!
RIVER CLEANUP EVENT SCHEDULE
CALL OUR OFFICE TO BECOME A RIVER CLEANUP VOLUNTEER!
(269) 467-6336 Ext. 5 -or- stjoecountycd@gmail.com
*Snacks, lunch, kayaks,
and life jackets provided!
SOUTHERN MICHIGAN INVASIVE SPECIES TEAM
Questions regarding invasive species?
Call or email at
(269) 467-6336 Ext. 5
-or- shaun.grace@macd.org
Program Contact: Shaun Grace
MACROINVERTEBRATE EVENT SCHEDULE
CALL OUR OFFICE TO BECOME A STREAM MONITORING VOLUNTEER!
(269) 467-6336 Ext. 5 -or- kaitlin.renehan@macd.org
*No previous experience necessary; equipment and training provided!
Program Contact: Kaitlin Renehan