As a third-grade student, Cathy Alty won a certificate for a nature poster in her hometown in Ohio.
Now, as district administrator for the Oakland Conservation District, she will be awarding them.
Poster contests and other education programs in local schools are just one of Alty’s goals with the district.
‘Kids are the stewards of the future,? said the Clarkston resident.
She also writes articles about nature conservation for ClarkstonNews.com, in addition to running the district’s office on Dixie Highway.
‘My job is to help get the word out,? she said.
Alty earned a biology degree at Ohio State University in 1980, but has spent most of her career as a dental hygienist.
‘I was very interested in plant biology, but I never used it,? she said. ‘Now, 27 years later, I’m using my biology background.?
She has 20 years of writing experience, writing articles for the Clarkston PSTA, and news and feature articles for dental trade magazines.
For the June 2006 edition of RDH magazine, for dental hygiene professionals, she wrote about Tooth Fairy legends around the world (many cultures substitute a mouse for the fairy).
For ClarkstonNews.com, she will provide tips on bird-friendly landscaping and feeders.
‘I’ve written about all kinds of things,? she said.
The district also organizes information sessions on topics such as storm-water runoff, lakeshore preservation, geese problems, and home landscaping.
The Alty family, Cathy, her husband, Mark, and their children Tom, Samantha, and Dan moved to Michigan in 1988, due to Mark’s job with General Motors. They settled in Rochester.
About 12 years later, they were looking for another place to live.
‘We wanted to get out of the hustle and bustle of Rochester,? Cathy Alty said. ‘We wanted to build a home. We looked at a lot of places, and we both fell in love with Clarkston.?
Clarkston’s small-town atmosphere is a great place to raise their children, she said.
‘We could go downtown and run into people I know,? she said. ‘It offers a lot. Everyone wants to keep Clarkston a nice, little town.?
She hired on with Oakland Conservation District as district administrator sixmonths ago.
‘I’ve bought trees from them for years,? she said. ‘I read about their tree sale in The Clarkston News, and got on their mailing list.?
The district’s spring and fall tree sales are its major fundraisers.
‘I liked the variety they offered, in leaf styles and textures,? she said.
Part of her job as administrator has been to choose which species to offer for this year’s sale.
‘I try to stick with native species,? she said.
Out of hundreds of species available, she has narrowed the selection down to 68 types of trees, bushes, and shrubs. Prices range from $3 for a Blue Spruce to $20 for a Honeycrisp Apple tree.
Orders are due April 7. Pickup is set for April 27-28 at Springfield Oaks County Park in Davisburg.
For more information or an order form, call 248-673-4496 or visit www.oaklandcd.org.

The federal government created conservation districts in each county of the country in response to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Their purpose was to help farmers with soil and water conservation to prevent further erosion.
Most districts in Michigan still deal with agricultural issues. Oakland County, however, doesn’t have that many farms left.
Conservation of natural resources is still important, though, said Oakland Conservation District Administrator Cathy Alty.
Home owners in urban areas and subdivisions still deal with natural resources, including wildlife, water, and plants.
The Oakland Conservation District staff, Alty, Forester Sal Hansen, and Conservationist Jay Blair, serve as an information resource for people dealing with these issues.
‘If someone owns a lot and wants to sell some trees, our forester can give them information on how to do things, refer them to a cutter and processor,? Alty said.
The district is headed by a Board of Directors, Cyhtia Reid, Michael McGuinness, Paul Gambka, Cynthia Silye, and Tom Middleton.