Archived News Release: June 6, 2024 - City of Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation (NAP) works to protect and restore Ann Arbor's natural areas and to foster an environmental ethic within the community. This involves conducting plant and animal inventories, ecological monitoring, and stewardship projects in Ann Arbor's parks. These tasks are performed by both staff and volunteers. NAP also offers environmental education and enrichment activities for K-5 students, seniors, and the general public. NAP is sharing events planned for July 2024.
To attend an event, participants are encouraged to preregister using VolunteerHub at https://cityofannarbor.volunteerhub.com/lp/nap; registration links to each event in VolunteerHub are also provided with each description.
K-5 Nature Crafts: Build a Fish
Wednesday, July 10
3–4:30 p.m.
Bandemer Park Shelter
Explore what lives in the Huron River (from dry land) and create your own local fish! Meet at the Bandemer Park Shelter, entering the park from Barton Shore Drive. (Then take the trail from the southeast corner of the parking lot.) For K-5 students accompanied by an adult. Please dress to be prepared for all weather. Some trails at this park are unpaved and the group will briefly go off trail. Preregistration through VolunteerHub is required. NAP uses VolunteerHub to manage participant waivers — please create individual accounts for each child. (Adults can use their own email address for child accounts.) Feel free to call NAP for assistance, 734.794.6627.
K-5 Forest Fridays: Turtle Time
Friday, July 12
4:30–6 p.m.
Gallup Park Boat Launch
Learn about Michigan turtles, what they're doing during the summer, and take a 1-mile hike on and off trail to try to spot some! It might get muddy, so wear your boots! Meet at the Gallup boat launch parking lot, at the southeast corner of Huron Parkway and Geddes Road. For K-5 students accompanied by an adult. Please dress to be prepared for all weather. Some trails at this park are unpaved and the group will briefly go off trail. Preregistration through VolunteerHub is required. NAP uses VolunteerHub to manage participant waivers — please create individual accounts for each child. (Adults can use their own email address for child accounts.) Feel free to call NAP for assistance, 734.794.6627.
Stewardship Workday
Ruthven Nature Area
Saturday, July 13
9 a.m.–noon
Ruthven Nature Area's unique landscape includes a kame — a sandy hill left behind by melting glaciers. This hill overlooks Gallup Pond and the Huron River valley. The slopes and different soils in this park represent an opportunity for great biodiversity! After many years of diligent work, NAP and its dedicated volunteers have expanded the natural habitat allowing the wildflowers and other native plants to thrive and attract native wildlife. Come out to help pull invasive weeds by hand and continue this work supporting biodiversity. Meet at the park entrance off Huron Parkway. If driving: park at the Gallup boat launch parking lot, then follow the park path and use the crosswalk to get to the Ruthven Huron Parkway entrance (look for the NAP truck). Volunteers will pull herbaceous weeds from the ground by hand. Workday sites have unpaved trails and require going off trail. Preregister through VolunteerHub so NAP can plan on enough staff and supplies for a safe and successful event. For your safety, wear long pants, tall socks and closed-toe shoes. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. More information: How to prepare for a NAP workday (PDF).
Nature Walk with AADL
Meet Your Parks: Birding Brigade!
Saturday, July 13
10–11:30 a.m.
Furstenberg Nature Area
Join Natural Area Preservation (NAP) and Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) for a nature walk at Furstenberg Nature Area! The second Saturday of the month we explore a new park and discover who lives there by focusing on local animals, trees, birds, insects, flowers and more! We will be on the paved trail, the boardwalk, and some narrow unpaved trails. These walks will be led by a representative from Natural Area Preservation. Meet at the parking lot off Fuller Road. Bring your own binoculars if you have them, or some will be available to borrow. Open to all ages; children must be accompanied by an adult. Please come prepared to hike for a mile or two on uneven terrain, rain or shine.
Stewardship Workday
Kuebler Langford Nature Area
Sunday, July 21
9 a.m.–noon
Walking through Kuebler Langford today you might not realize that some parts of the park were used as a staging area for the construction of M-14! The majority of the park was fortunately left in good ecological condition. A prairie exists on the east end of the park — where NAP conducted a controlled burn this spring! After the regenerative practice of burning, the prairie should be looking fabulous. Come out to remove some of the remaining harmful invasive plants to help this prairie thrive! Meet at the park entrance on Beechwood Drive, north of Sunset Road. Volunteers will pull herbaceous weeds from the ground by hand. Workday sites have unpaved trails and require going off trail. Preregister through VolunteerHub so NAP can plan on enough staff and supplies for a safe and successful event. For your safety, wear long pants, tall socks and closed-toe shoes. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. More information: How to prepare for a NAP workday (PDF).
Stiltgrass Workshop
Botsford Preserve
Wednesday, July 24
6–7:30 p.m.
Join NAP and Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation for a workshop at the Botsford Preserve to learn effective techniques for identification and management of stiltgrass (microstegium vimineum). Stiltgrass is an aggressive and prolific invasive plant spreading in parks, back yards and other natural areas in Washtenaw County and beyond. It only takes three years for stiltgrass to take over an area — smothering native plants, and depleting biodiversity and habitat — so early detection is essential. (Not to worry, this city/county collaboration will demonstrate control methods and share success stories!) Meet at the Forest Cove Office Campus, 3001 Miller Road, Ann Arbor, 48103. Preregister through VolunteerHub so organizers can plan on enough staff and supplies for a safe and successful event. For your safety, wear long pants, tall socks and closed-toe shoes. Botsford Preserve has rustic unpaved trails with uneven surfaces and varying widths. This event may travel off trail.
Stewardship Workday
Furstenberg Nature Area
FRIDAY, July 26
9 a.m.–noon
Why not spend this Friday afternoon at Furstenberg, a lovely and diverse natural area along the Huron River? The 38 acres here offer wetland, woodland, prairie and oak savanna natural communities. Being so close to the river, any work done to improve the natural environment here will have a lasting impact on the watershed and the wildlife and residents who depend on it. Native plants are powerhouses of filtration and flood mitigation — volunteers can help them thrive by removing invasive weeds from the ground by hand. Meet at the parking lot off Fuller Road. Volunteers will pull herbaceous weeds from the ground by hand. Workday sites have unpaved trails and require going off trail. Preregister through VolunteerHub so NAP can plan on enough staff and supplies for a safe and successful event. For your safety, wear long pants, tall socks and closed-toe shoes. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. More information: How to prepare for a NAP workday (PDF).
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