What we do

Six ways we help residents and landowners put conservation to work at home.

Mixed hardwood woodland in early autumn on an Oakland County conservation site

Programs

Volunteers packing bareroot tree orders at long tables during the 2025 Spring Tree and Shrub Sale

Tree & Shrub Sale

Order native trees and shrubs each winter. Pick up in April at Waterford Oaks.

About the tree sale →
Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly feeding at the blue flowers of great blue lobelia

Native Plug Sale

Native wildflowers and grasses, $5 a plug, each spring.

About the plug sale →
Monarch butterfly feeding on the dusty pink flower heads of spotted Joe-Pye weed

Backyard Habitat Certification

Take four classes and get your yard certified as habitat.

About habitat certification →
Forest floor covered in fallen autumn leaves on an Oakland County woodland property

Soil Testing

Send a soil sample to a lab, and we help you read the results.

About soil testing →
Hardwood forest in autumn color at an Oakland County conservation project site

Technical Assistance

Help with invasive species, erosion, water, and planting questions.

Get conservation help →
Volunteers working outdoors on a conservation planting project in Oakland County

Partner Programs

State and federal conservation programs you may qualify for. We know who runs what.

About partner programs →

Two sales, two seasons

The Tree and Shrub Sale runs on winter ordering and April pickup: bareroot native trees, shrubs, conifers, fruit trees and berries, priced for planting in quantity. The Native Plug Sale opens in spring, wildflowers and grasses at $5 a plug. Both are stocked for Oakland County soil and conditions.

Backyard Habitat Certification teaches you how to choose plants for your own yard.

About habitat certification
Ruby-throated hummingbird feeding at the red tubular flowers of cardinal flower
Photo: Ryan Somma, CC BY-SA 2.0