The Van Buren Conservation District is excited to announce that we are once again hosting a virtual Backyard Symposium! The series is called “Building a Better Backyard: Branching Beyond Your Backyard.” This is an online speaker series hosted on Zoom in which folks have been invited to talk about a host of topics that connect people with the wildlife and environment around us. Recordings will be edited and posted on our YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/c/VanBurenCD after the week of live presentations.
Each day (Monday through Thursday) at 2:00 PM, our engaging speakers will cover topics that branch us out of our backyards and into the great outdoors. Topics include: plant identification, soils, forestry management, and outdoor recreation.
The schedule is:
- Monday, Feb. 6 | Abigale Bristol (Strike Team Coordinator, SWxSW Corner CISMA) | “Plant Identification 101: How to Cure Plan Blindness”
- Tuesday, Feb. 7 | Lucas Hartman (Conservation Technician, Van Buren Conservation District) | “Soils 101: Composition & Conservation”
- Wednesday, Feb. 8 | Outdoor Recreation in Van Buren County
- Kevin Haight (Horticulture Educator, MSU Extension)
- Paul Wells (Education Director, Kalamazoo Bicycle Club)
- Jeff Green (Chair, Friends of the Kal-Haven Trail)
- Thursday, Feb. 9 | Jeff Steinkraus (Owner of Steinkraus Forest Management, LLC) | “Why Should I Manage My Forest?”
So, mark your calendars and plan to join us! Even if you can’t attend, register for the event and we will email out the link to the recordings of the presentations once they’ve been posted to our YouTube Channel.
