Conservation District to hold seedling sale Friday and Saturday

PERE MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP — The Mason-Lake Conservation District will hold its annual tree seedling sale pickup on Friday and Saturday at the Mason County Fairgrounds. Each year, the Conservation District offers dozens of varieties of tree and shrub seedlings available for sale, to help reforestation efforts and wildlife habitat improvements.

Included in the available trees this year are evergreens such as white pine and red pine; deciduous trees such as black cherry, white oak and bitternut hickory; shrubs such as serviceberry, hazelnuts and dogwoods. There are also a variety of apple, pear and fruit trees, strawberries and asparagus plants for sale. All plants are sold bare-root, meaning that they are not potted with soil. Instead, they are wrapped in wet packing material and bundles in paper or plastic bags to keep healthy until customer pickup.

Pre-orders are accepted from February through April but there will be extra trees and shrubs on pickup days.

“We purchase large quantities from wholesale nurseries in Mason County and around west Michigan, and then break them down into smaller amounts desired by our landowners,” said Dani McGarry, executive director of the Conservation District.

In addition to trees and shrubs, the Conservation District also offers tree protector tubes, stakes and Plantskydd spray, to protect newly planted seedlings from deer browse. Birdhouses, native wildflower seed and field guides covering a variety of topics are also available.

“Most people don’t realize, but this is our main fundraiser for the year,” said McGarry. Funds raised through the seedling sale help to support community projects like planting trees in parks or erosion control on rivers as well as supporting the staff that provide year-round services to landowners looking to care for their natural resources.

        The sale will be held on Friday, April 26 from 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturday, April 27 from 9 a.m. to noon. Customers with pre-orders will also pick up at these time at the fairgrounds and from 10 a.m. to noon in Baldwin. Only the Mason County location will have extras trees and products for sale. For more information, visit www.mason-lakeConservation.org or call (231) 757-3707 ext. 5.

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