Macomb County

Thank you for your interest in the Michigan Conservation Stewards Program (CSP), an educational program for those who are enthusiastic about learning science-based ecosystem management principles and sharing this knowledge with others to help improve their local communities. Through this program, participants will learn essential strategies to understand and help restore and conserve ecosystems in Michigan communities.

The Macomb County cohort will host their weekly sessions from 6-8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, from Aug. 26 to Oct. 21, 2026. Weekly sessions will meet throughout Macomb county at the locations listed in the chart below. Location details and more information will be distributed to registered participants in the middle of August. Please note, there will not be a weekly session on Oct. 14, 2026.

Macomb County's field days will be on Saturday, Sept. 12 and Oct. 3, 2026. 

Register for CSP: Macomb County

Macomb County Schedule 

Date

Topic

Location

Speaker

Aug. 6

Foundations of Conservation: Ecological Foundations; What is a Natural Community?

Stony Creek Metropark Nature Center
4300 Main Park Drive
Shelby Township, MI 48316 

Ian Ableson, Six Rivers Land Conservancy

Sept. 2

Foundations of Conservation: Society & Conservation/Conservation Heritage; Indigenous Perspectives on Conservation (Past and Current)

Lake St. Clair Metropark Activity Center,
31300 Metro Parkway
Harrison Township, MI 48045

Charlie Shelton, Huron-Clinton Metroparks

Sept. 9

Terrestrial Ecosystems: Grasslands

Wolcott Metropark/Camp Rotary,
20505 29 Mile Road
Ray, MI 48096 

Katie Carlisle, Huron-Clinton Metroparks

Saturday, Sept. 12

Field Day: Kayaking Trip

Clinton River Cut-off Boat Launch,
36080 Jefferson Ave
Harrison Township, MI 48045

Jeff Bednar, Macomb County Public Works

Sept. 16

Aquatic Ecosystems: Wetlands

Anchor Bay Woods Preserve,
37885 Green Street
New Baltimore, MI 48047 

Amanda Ruffini, Lake St. Clair CISMA, and Ian Abelson, Six Rivers Land Conservancy

Sept. 23

Aquatic Ecosystems: Rivers and Streams

River Bends Park,
49354 Ryan Rd, Shelby Township, MI 48317

Shadbush Nature Center,
4101 River Bends Dr, Shelby Township, MI 48317

Kaleigh Snoddy, Clinton River Watershed Council

Sept. 30

Aquatic Ecosystems: Inland and Great Lakes

Lake St Clair Fisheries Research Station,
33135 S River Road
Harrison Township, MI 48045

Lake St Clair Metropark,
31300 Metro Parkway
Harrison Township, MI 48045

Todd Wills & Cleyo Harris, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

Saturday,

Oct. 3

 

Field Day: Ford House

Ford House,
1100 Lake Shore Rd
Grosse Pointe Shores, MI 48236 

Kevin Drotos, Ford House

Oct. 7

Terrestrial Ecosystems: Forests

Nicholson Nature Center,
21777 Dunham Road
Clinton Township, MI 48036

Macomb County Verkuilen Building,
21885 Dunham Rd, Clinton Township, MI 48036

Amanda Oparka & Jerry Santoro, Macomb County Planning and Economic Development, and Luke Hefferan, Macomb County Public Works

Oct. 14

Break - No Class

Oct. 21

Putting it All Together: Capstone Project Celebration

Brandenberg Park,
50050 Jefferson Ave, Chesterfield, MI 48047

Jean Persely, Six Rivers Land Conservancy & MSU Extension 

For cohort and content related questions, please reach out to Angela Scapini at scapinia@msu.edu, or Bindu Bhakta at bhaktabi@msu.edu.

For general questions and registration assistance, please contact Shelby Warner at warner80@msu.edu.

Register for CSP: Macomb County