Volunteer Stewardship Calendar

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Please come out and join us for one of these free events! Pre-registration through Rec-1 (links in event descriptions below) is now required for workdays, as space is limited. Meeting location will be provided after registration. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times.

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 dress for the weather and wear shoes suitable for uneven terrain and working off-trail. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, a mask, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian.

September

Stewards' Circle
Tuesday, September 8
Virtual - via Zoom
7:30 to 8:30 a.m.

Are you interested in learning more about how to care for our natural areas? 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. Free! Click here to join the meeting in Zoom.

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, September 12

Argo Nature Area

9 a.m. to noon

As the paddling season comes to an end, join us to make the area even more beautiful to kayak or canoe by next year! Come help us remove invasive shrubs from the park and catch some autumn views of the Huron River. Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required – register here – space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, September 12

Bandemer Park

1 to 4 p.m.

Join us for the first workday weekend of September! Bandemer is a popular park and home to a beautiful prairie ecosystem near the Huron River. Come help us remove invasive shrubs from these important restoration areas within the park! Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required -register here – space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday – World Clean Up Day

Saturday, September 19

Gallup Park

9 a.m. to noon

As once said in our newsletter, Gallup is “a treasure for birds!" Come join us as we remove invasive shrubs from the park, improving habitat for birds and the native flora that support them. You'll be part of a world-wide effort to clean up the Earth! #WorldCleanUpDay #LetsDoItWorld Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required – register here – space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday – World Clean Up Day

Saturday, September 19

Furstenberg Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

Like its neighbor Gallup Park, Furstenberg Nature Area is home to a multitude of plant and animal species. Come join us as we explore the different ecosystems of the area, cutting invasive shrubs along the way. We'll check meadows, a pond, and even a native plant garden! We will also pick-up some trash that has been washed ashore from the river. #WorldCleanUpDay #LetsDoItWorld. Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required - register here - space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday

Sunday, September 20

Fuller Park

9 a.m. to noon

Fuller Park is a beloved spot along the Huron River, and we need your help removing litter and invasive shrubs that have found their way into the park. Fuller Park's nature area is largely a floodplain, meaning that the river floods some of the woody areas along its banks, bringing sediment and trash from the river along with it. Now that the river has receded for the fall, we need your help picking up the litter that it left behind! Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required – register here – space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday

Sunday, September 20

Cedar Bend Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

One of the oldest parks in Ann Arbor, Cedar Bend is home to a rich history of ecological restoration. Come be a part of that history on the Huron River as we remove invasive shrubs. We'll be making more room for the native flora and fauna to thrive. Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required – register here – space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday

Sunday, September 27

Ruthven Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

Join us in this amazing area where glacial history is not just known, but visible! Featured in the summer 2020 NAP newsletter, Ruthven Nature Area is home to a kame , evidence of the glaciers that spread across the Michigan landscapes of the past. This varying landscape makes great habitat for native wildlife. Come help us remove the invasive shrubs that have found their way in too! Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required – register here – space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

October

Stewardship Workday

Sunday, October 4

Marshall Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

Join us in one of Ann Arbor's largest parks for a Sunday afternoon of volunteering for nature. Several trails popular with hikers and runners alike loop through the hills and slopes of the park and lead to Washtenaw County's Freeman Preserve. There is plenty of nature to protect and restore in this park, and we need your help removing invasive shrubs from the area. Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required as space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration. Register here: https://secure.rec1.com/MI/city-of-ann-arbor/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTEyMTMwOTA=

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, October 10

Scarlett Mitchell Nature Area

9 a.m. to noon

Because this park spans 25 acres, we are offering two simultaneous workdays to remove invasive shrubs and improve the habitat for the birds, reptiles and amphibians who call this area home. Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required as space is limited. If you would like to work on the west side of the park, use this link to register: https://secure.rec1.com/MI/city-of-ann-arbor/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTEyMTMyMTk=. If the east side is more your style, use this link: https://secure.rec1.com/MI/city-of-ann-arbor/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTEyMTMyODg=. Meeting locations will be provided after registration. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided.

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, October 10

Mary Beth Doyle Park

1 to 4 p.m.

Join us at this expansive park with a beautiful pond for an afternoon of shrub cutting. Renamed for Mary Beth Doyle, a local environmentalist and activist, restoration efforts in this park continue her legacy and provide a natural oasis for the surrounding neighborhoods. Help us as we continue to ecologically restore the park.. Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required as space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration. Register here: https://secure.rec1.com/MI/city-of-ann-arbor/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTEyMTMzNjI=

Stewardship Workday

Sunday, October 11

Huron Parkway Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

Join us as we cut invasive shrubs from this oak-hickory woodland. Catch views of Mallet's Creek, a pond, and a wetland full of wildlife as you help us restore this beautiful area. Controlled burns have been used to control the invasive shrubs in this park in previous years. As we weren't able to conduct our Spring burn season this year, this area especially needs your help in getting rid of invasive shrubs. Come join us!

Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required as space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration. Register here: https://secure.rec1.com/MI/city-of-ann-arbor/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTEyMjcwNzU=

Stewards' Circle
Tuesday, October 13
Virtual - via Zoom
7:30 to 8:30 a.m.

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, October 17

Stapp Nature Area

9 a.m. to noon

Don't let the cooling weather “Stapp" you from participating in outdoor volunteer opportunities! Meet us in this oak-hickory woodland to experience a morning full of colorful autumn leaves while protecting the natural areas we love. Stapp Nature Area is home to a vernal pool, which is important habitat for salamanders and other critters like frogs and toads. Come help us improve this key habitat for our reptile and amphibian favorites.

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, October 17

Leslie Woods Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

Leslie Woods is perhaps one of the nicest parks Ann Arbor has to offer, and it has been so for a very long time. The diversity of plant species here suggests that this site has remained undisturbed by farming or grazing, but now it's being threatened by invasive species! Join us to keep this park safe from harm at our volunteer stewardship workday. We will cut invasive shrubs in the area, allowing for the great plant diversity to thrive and grow.

Stewardship Workday

Sunday, October 18

Black Pond Woods Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

What mysteries lie beneath that dark surface in the woods? Join us in braving the shady slopes of Black Pond Woods to fight back against invasive shrubs threatening the health of this unique park. Located adjacent to the Leslie Science and Nature Center, this site is used for education efforts and visiting groups to explore. Help us make this an even better place to learn and grow in nature. Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required as space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration. Register here: https://secure.rec1.com/MI/city-of-ann-arbor/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTEyMjcxNjk=

Stewardship Workday

Sunday, October 25

Narrow Gauge Way Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

Come visit a beloved neighborhood park known for its precious geologic features. Between ten and sixteen thousand years ago, the advancing and retreating of glaciers across the land created features known as a kames. Narrow Gauge Way has one of these kames, which is a sand and gravel hill deposited from an ice sheet. Enjoy views of this natural wonder as we remove invasive shrubs from the park. Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required as space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration. Register here: https://secure.rec1.com/MI/city-of-ann-arbor/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTEyMjcxODg=

November

Stewardship Workday

Sunday, November 1

Berkshire Creek Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

Help restore native ecosystems alongside Mallets Creek's floodplain on a refreshing November afternoon! Then, in the springtime, come back and see the unique plant species known as “Green Dragon" that can be found here due to your restoration efforts. Join us as we cut invasive shrubs from the area, which can spread quickly and cover the understory, choking out the sunlight needed by native plants below. Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required as space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather gardening gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday

Sunday, November 8

Barton Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

The Huron River is one of the most beloved natural features in our city and supports many unique plant communities along its banks. Help us support the health of the river by meeting us at Barton Nature Area to remove invasive shrubs from one of these beautiful, riverside meadows! You'll also see the city's working hydroelectric dam, Barton Dam and Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required as space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewards' Circle
Tuesday, November 10
Virtual - via Zoom
7:30 to 8:30 a.m.

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, November 14

Bird Hills Nature Area

9 a.m. to noon

Bird Hills gives us the opportunity to view many different kinds of wildlife, including reptiles, amphibians, and tons of fascinating birds. Numerous types of key tree species can also be found in the area's mesic and wet forests, including Washtenaw County's largest Sugar Maple! Come help us make room for more native plants as we cut invasive shrubs. Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required as space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, November 14

Sunset Brooks Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

Though it be but a small park, the neighborhood love for Sunset Brooks is fierce! Once saved from development by the hard work of surrounding neighbors, this small park has a number of charming features that make it a worthwhile place to protect. Join us and discover something new to love about Sunset Brooks while helping us remove invasive shrubs! Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required as space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday

Sunday, November 15

Foxfire West Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

A tucked away neighborhood gem, Foxfire West is a great new park to discover for the first time, or enjoy again and again! Join us to protect this park from aggressive invasive shrubs. Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required as space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday – Family Volunteer Day

Sunday, November 22

Kuebler Langford Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

Join us and spend time with your family! Family Volunteer Day is a global day of service that celebrates the power of families who work together to support their communities and neighborhoods. Powered by generationOn, the youth division of Points of Light, and sponsored by The Walt Disney Company, it's a great way to be inspired by the power of helping others. It's an amazing day to bring your family together to make your mark on the world. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity! Pre-registration through Rec-1 is required as space is limited. Participants must wear a mask and maintain a 6-ft distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leather work gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

For more information about what each of these events may require, please read more about volunteering with NAP here.