St. Joseph County Soil & Water Conservation District

09/01/2026

The St. Joseph County SWCD is starting a Book Club!

There are so many interesting books on conservation and we think it'd be great fun to get together to talk about them!

We invite you to join us for a planning meeting and to choose dates and our first books. Fill out the Google Form and let us know what days and times would work for you! https://forms.gle/bK1Dq3w6FmnhfJu26

08/25/2026

🌊 Become a Hoosier Riverwatch Volunteer! 🌊

Interested in protecting Indiana’s waterways? Join us for an upcoming Hoosier Riverwatch Training, where you’ll learn how to monitor stream health, collect water quality data, and become part of a statewide effort to care for our rivers and streams.

Anyone can join! Hoosier Riverwatch is a citizen science program designed for educators, students, outdoor enthusiasts, and community members who want to make a difference.

To register visit https://www.stjosephswcd.org/events/hoosier-riverwatch-training.

08/21/2026

Last spring, our Educator, Shelley, took a Native Plant kit to a class at Emmons Elementary School. At the end of the school year, they decided to plant some of the Black-Eyed Susans the class grew in a bare area at the school. They added Sunflower and Zinnia seeds, and transplanted some Milkweed.

Throughout the summer, Shelley, the classroom teacher, and an SWCD volunteer cared for the little garden—adding mulch, watering, and cheering it along—and look what happened!

✨🐝 Now there’s a beautiful garden bursting with flowers and pollinators! 🌸✨

We offer native plant lessons for students throughout the school year, along with Native Plant Kits each spring. Reach out if you’d like more information!

08/05/2026

Last week, we joined Shirley Heinze Land Trust to host a Project Learning Tree workshop for teachers, educators, and community partners involved in the City of South Bend's Urban Tree Canopy Initiative. Project Learning Tree is an award-winning program designed to teach about the environment through the forest and trees.

This is the second year we got to partner on this workshop, and once again we are thrilled with how many people attended, and how well-received the lessons were! Many thanks to everyone that participated!

08/04/2026

August’s Creature Feature: Blue‑Winged Wasps

Meet the blue‑winged wasp (Scolia dubia)—a solitary, non‑aggressive helper in our landscapes! Not only are they excellent pollinators, but they also play a big role in controlling grub populations.

So why are they considered parasitic? During the summer, female blue‑winged wasps burrow into the soil in search of grubs, such as June beetle larvae. After locating one, she paralyzes it with a sting and pulls it deeper underground. There, she lays a single egg on the grub. When the egg hatches, the larva feeds on the immobilized grub for about a week before pupating inside it. The young wasp overwinters in the soil and emerges as an adult in spring.

Nature is amazing! These little allies are out and about right now—so keep an eye out and give them a silent thank‑you for helping keep Japanese beetle numbers in check.

07/31/2026

Check out the Regenerating the Land workshop coming up next month in Plymouth!

07/23/2026

Orders for our native plant kits are due next Friday!

Did you miss out on our Spring Native Plant Kit sale? Now is your chance to get kits this fall! We're taking orders between now and July 30th. Fill out our online form and print and send or email to us. Kits will be available for pick up the first week of September.

Visit our website for more information! https://www.stjosephswcd.org/native-plant-kits