Van Buren Conservation District

08/30/2026

We’re starting a new series - Sunday Staff Book Recs! Check back each Sunday to get to know one of our staff members more through a book they love. 📚

Kicking off the series is our Water Quality Project Manager Erin Fuller. Erin has been with the VBCD since 2003, and she has gotten to work on a great variety of projects in that time. From natural shorelines and water health projects to offering education about birds, plants, and more, Erin is a wealth of knowledge and a great community conservationist.

From Erin about her book recommendation: “Looking for signs of hope and community? This book shares a Native American perspective on lessons from nature and how we can be of service to each other and support our community.” Have you read “The Serviceberry” by Robin Wall Kimmerer yet? Be sure to check with your local library or local bookstore for a copy.

08/28/2026

We had so much fun last week paddling School Section Lake! We found cool native species like bladderwort, a carnivorous plant that grows under the water, and star duckweed, a free floating plant that is often difficult to find.

CISMA Coordinator Alex was also happy to see that the majority of the shoreline has a good buffer of vegetation to help filter runoff before it hits the lake!

Keep an eye out for future events like this from us and our partner Two Rivers Coalition 🛶

08/27/2026

Another great Field Day success! Last week the VBCD hosted a Regen Ag Field Day Bus tour of 4 farms in Van Buren County. At each stop, the farmer discussed implementing one or two conservation practices onto their farm while answering questions from the group. It was a long day, but we had beautiful weather! Thank you to the farmers for their time and to the attendees for spending their day with us.

Here is the list of the 4 farms we toured:

Stocchiero Farms - Regenerative apples and pollinator strips

Kuehnle Farms - Rotating peppers and cover crops

Wild Reid Ranch - Rotational Grazing and pasture management for goats

Tom Lefor Farms - No-till, cover crops, grazing cover crops and rain fall simulator.

08/26/2026

🎨Summer projects leave you with half empty paint cans? Finally getting around to cleaning out the shed? Whatever your source of this unwanted clutter may be, finding your options for disposal may be on your mind.

Disposal options for paint all depend on the type of paint you have.
💧Latex paints and other water-based paints are not hazardous. They can be dried out right at home and thrown away in your trash can.
🛢️Oil-based paints are hazardous and should be disposed of in a special way. Attend collection events like ourRecycle Roundups for easy and safe disposal.

🔃Just like any other material we have at home, consider other options like reusing for other projects or donating first before disposing. Discover more resources in the link on our profile!

08/25/2026

Get on the schedule to plant your post harvest cover crops.

VBCD has three different pieces of rental equipment farmers and landowners can use to get cover crops in the soil.

08/25/2026

Nominating petitions are due this Friday, August 28 by 4:30 PM for the Van Buren Conservation District 2026 Board Director election to be held October 29, 2026. Please click the link to our website to learn more.

The Van Buren Conservation District is accepting nomination petitions to be on the ballot for the 2026 Board Directors Election. Candidates who are residents of the conservation district interested in being on the ballot must submit a nominating petition, signed by a minimum of five residents of the...

08/21/2026

📢Don’t miss us for Power Hour in Columbia Township this week!

Bring your recycling, and get your recycling questions answered by Recycling Coordinator Kalli Marshall, and Skyler Blue this August during Power Hour at the Columbia Transfer Station. We can’t wait to see you there!

♻️While anyone can come and ask us questions, recycling services will only be available for residents of Columbia Township.

📍 Columbia Transfer Station I 18868 52 ½ Street, Grand Junction
🕐 9:00am - 12:00pm
🗓️ Saturday August 22, 2026

08/18/2026

Did you know there are more than an estimated 29 million vapes in US Landfills?

Vapes and e-cigarettes contain materials that contaminate our land and water when thrown away. Chemicals like ni****ne are harmful to us as well as
our water and land, and the lithium in the batteries have caused fires. Lithium is an interesting metal that’s flammable when wet.

♻️Recycle your vapes and E-cigerettes for free at any of our drop off locations, or Recycle Roundup Events!

Drop off locations include:
📖Bangor City Police Department | 414 Division St. Bangor, MI 49013
📖Paw Paw Public Library | 129 S. Kalamazoo St., Paw Paw, MI. 49079
📖Van Buren ISD Conference Center I 490 S. Paw Paw St., Lawrence, MI. 49064

Thank you Van Buren County Substance Abuse Task Force (VBSATF) for getting this new program started.

Shout out to for the great vinyl wrap on the containers!

08/17/2026

August 17th is National Thrift Store Day! Aside from being a great way to find unique, stylish clothing and goods, thrifting offers many benefits to the consumer and the environment.

♻️Thrifting can extend the life of clothes and items that may otherwise go to a landfill.
💲Buying items second-hand can save you money.
🌎Since lots of resources are used to make new clothing and other items, thrifting saves us resources.
💧By reducing new clothing production, there’s less potential for chemical pollution added to the environment.

So, find your local thrift store today, and get shopping🛒!

08/16/2026

Farmers, are you interested in donating venison with a refrigerated trailer?

With the Hunters Feeding Michigan program, you can reserve a trailer at no cost to donate harvested deer. Donated deer will be processed and donated to Michigan food banks at no cost to you. Your deer management activities can help Michiganders in need!

Contact Dave Laing at 269-858-8167 to get started.

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/about/get-involved/hunters-feeding-michigan