Volunteer Stewardship Calendar 

Please come out and join us for one of these free events!  There is no need to pre-register unless otherwise noted. If you have a large group (more than five people) that is interested in attending a volunteer stewardship event, please contact our Workday Coordinator at least two weeks in advance of the event.

Please remember to wear long pants and closed-toe shoes suitable for uneven terrain.  We provide tools, light snacks, water, and know-how at our Stewardship Workdays. Minors must either be accompanied by a guardian, or bring a signed release form (pdf) to attend workdays. For park directions, meet-up locations, and bus information check out this helpful guide.

May

Bird Walk
May 11, Friday
Gallup Park
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Free for all ages and family-friendly! Join City Ornithologist Dea Armstrong as she leads a walk to look for birds in the evening in Gallup Park and Furstenberg Nature Area. Bring binoculars if you have them, but they are not necessary. Meet at the paddleboat dock in Gallup near the canoe livery.

Stewardship Workday
May 12, Saturday
Miller Nature Area
10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Help improve Miller’s 22 acres of woods, flowers, and bird habitat by hand-pulling invasive plants, such as Dame’s Rocket and garlic mustard. Miller is easily accessible by bus and less than a mile from downtown.  Meet us at the Westwood entrance, north off of Arborview Blvd.
Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Minors must either be accompanied by a guardian or contact NAP in advance to obtain a release form if you would like older children to participate on their own. Tools, snacks, and know-how provided. Free.

Stewardship Workday
May 12, Saturday
Huron Parkway Nature Area
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Bring friends and family out to lend a hand combating garlic mustard and other invasive plants so the native plant species have a chance to thrive. Meet in front of 3470 Woodland Rd. off of East Huron River Drive.
Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Minors must either be accompanied by a guardian or contact NAP in advance to obtain a release form if you would like older children to participate on their own. Tools, snacks, and know-how provided. Free.

Stewardship Workday
May 19, Saturday
Furstenberg Native Garden
9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Help us weed and preserve this native garden amidst the 38-acres of Furstenberg Nature Area, featuring some of the most diverse flora anywhere in Ann Arbor. Plus, you're certain to learn a lot about native plants, particularly prairie plants, from Park Steward and Master Gardener Aunita Erskine. Meet in the parking lot off Fuller Road, across from Huron High School.
Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Minors must either be accompanied by a guardian or contact NAP in advance to obtain a release form if you would like older children to participate on their own. Tools, snacks, and know-how provided. Free.

Spring Adopt-a-Park Kick-Off
May 19, Saturday
Various park locations
9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Would you like to help beautify your neighborhood park and learn more about it? Would you enjoy planting a tree or some native flowers to make it more inviting? We rely on volunteers to support stewardship efforts in city parks. Training, tools, and support is provided. For more information contact the Adopt-A-Park coordinator at 734-794-6627 or Adopt-A-Park@a2gov.org, or visit us at www.a2gov.org/adopt-a-park.

Downtown Blooms Day
May 19, Saturday
9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Help spruce-up Ann Arbor and plant flowers throughout the downtown area! This is a fun opportunity for your whole family! Please meet the coordinators at Liberty Plaza. Free pizza for lunch. To pre-register, or for more information call 734-794-6000 ext. 43112.

June

Bird Walk
June 2, Saturday
Wheeler Service Center
7:30 am to 9:30 am
Free and fun for all ages. Join City Ornithologist Dea Armstrong as she leads a walk to look for early summer birds at the old landfill site – a great birdwatching spot! Please come prepared to walk in fields with tall grasses.  Bring binoculars if you have them, but they are not necessary. Meet in the small parking lot on the right off the main entrance to the Material Recovery Facility off of Platt Rd. just south of Ellsworth.

Stewardship Workday - National Trails Day
June 2, Saturday
Barton Nature Area
9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Join us as we celebrate National Trails Day, a nationwide event celebrating local trails and assisting with their restoration, creation, and maintenance. At Barton we will be trimming back the overgrowth, diverting water from wet trails, and spreading woodchips to help keep the trails accessible. Bring your own plastic sleds to help with the hauling. Meet at the Barton Dam parking lot at the corner of Huron River Drive and Bird Road.

Stewardship Workday  - National Trails Day
June 2, Saturday
Black Pond Woods Nature Area
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Our celebration of National Trails Day will continue at Black Pond Woods where we will be reconstructing an existing switchback on one of the trails, as well as trimming back the overgrowth and spreading woodchips to help keep the trails accessible. Bring your own plastic sleds to help with the hauling. Meet us in the Leslie Science and Nature Center parking lot, 1831 Traver Rd.

Stewardship Workday
June 3, Sunday
Miller Nature Area
10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Join in the effort to improve Miller by hand-pulling bittercress, dame’s rocket, garlic mustard and other invasive plant species that threaten the beauty of this natural area. Miller is easily accessible by bus and less than a mile from downtown. Meet us at the entrance near Westwood Ave. and Grace St., just north of Arborview Blvd.

Mayor’s Green Fair
June 8, Friday
Main Street, Downtown Ann Arbor
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Visit Natural Area Preservation’s table at the annual Mayor's Green Fair on Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor.  Free entertainment and over 120 exhibits with environmental information, hands-on activities for youth, Clean Energy Expo, Green Commute Options,  BikeFest, WasteKnot Business Partners, walking tours, and more!  This is a free, family-friendly, “drop-in” event! Food vendors will be on-site for purchase. This event will be held rain or shine.  For more information, call 734-794-6161 x 41602 or visit www.a2gov.org/greenfair

Bird Walk
June 9, Saturday
Gallup Park
7:30 am to 9:30 am
Free for all ages and family-friendly! Join City Ornithologist Dea Armstrong as she leads a walk to look for birds in the morning in Gallup Park and Furstenberg Nature Area. Bring binoculars if you have them, but they are not necessary. Meet at the paddleboat dock in Gallup near the canoe livery.

Stewardship Workday
June 9, Saturday
Argo Nature Area
9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Bring your friends and family out to lend a hand combating bittercress, dame’s rocket and other invasive plants so the native plant species have a chance to thrive. We’ll also be fixing-up the trails and picking up trash. Meet in the Argo Canoe Livery parking lot near the entrance to the woods. 1055 Longshore Dr.

Stewards’ Circle: Introduction to Restoration
June 12, Tuesday
Bruegger’s Bagels – 709 N University Ave
7:30 am to 8:30 am
Are you interested in learning more about how to care for our natural areas - woods, creeks, prairies, wetlands? Then join the Stewardship Network's Huron Arbor cluster for an informal discussion on a monthly topic with volunteer and professional land stewards, plus others interested in nature. This month’s topic: Introduction to Restoration: So you want to do some restoration? Where to begin? What are the basics? What should a newcomer look forward to? Tips and tricks to getting started. For more information go to www.stewardshipnetwork.org.

AADL Series: Nature Walk
June 14, Thursday
Black Pond Woods Nature Area
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Join Natural Area Preservation on a nature walk through Black Pond Woods Nature Area. We will observe and discuss summer native plant species, as well as some exciting restoration efforts which have occurred over the past few years at this site. This is part of a series of walks in partnership with Ann Arbor Public Library to give participants a more in-depth understanding of the natural areas and restoration work in the city. Meet in the Leslie Science and Nature Center parking lot (1831 Traver Rd).

Stewardship Workday – United Way National Day of Action
June 21, Thursday
Cranbrook Park
9:00am to 12:00pm AND 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Join Ann Arbor Rotary, NAP, and Ann Arbor Adopt-A-Park to remove invasive plants, plant trees, and make the park look great.  Feel free to join us for the morning, the afternoon, or the whole day!  Park in the Whole Foods SIDE parking lot and enter the park off of Oakbrook Dr, just south of Rolling Meadows Dr.

Stewardship Workday- Pollinator Week
June 23, Saturday
Barton Nature Area
9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Help keep Barton beautiful by hand-pulling spotted knapweed, bittercress and other invasive plant species that threaten the native habitats of this natural area. Meet at the Barton Dam parking lot at the corner of Huron River Drive and Bird Road.
Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Minors must either be accompanied by a guardian or contact NAP in advance to obtain a release form if you would like older children to participate on their own. Tools, snacks, and know-how provided. Free.

July