History
Ann Arbor's city parks sit on the ancestral and traditional homelands of several indigenous Native peoples. Read a
land acknowledgement from the city and learn more about the early history of the land
here.
South Pond Nature Area was once a prairie. Around 1918 there was a railroad that was developed in the prairie area. Later on Swift Run Creek was dammed and the rerouted towards Mallets Creek. The combination of building the railroad, rerouting the river, river level rising due to damming the river and the impact of dredging created South Pond. The parcel that the Natural Area Preservation (NAP) office resides on was purchased by the city in 2009, although the occupants remained in the home on a life estate plan until 2013. In 2013, the parcel became park land as a part of South Pond. NAP's offices moved to the building here in 2014.
Read a NAP newsletter highlighting the history and natural features of South Pond, which was about to become home to NAP's office:
2014 South Pond—Prairie, Pond, Marsh...Home by Dave Borneman