Volunteer Stewardship Calendar

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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 dress for the weather and wear shoes suitable for uneven terrain and working off-trail. 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.

NOVEMBER

Stewardship Workday
Saturday, November 2
Kuebler Langford Nature Area
9 a.m. to noon
Kuebler Langford is home to both a woodland and a prairie with abundant native plants. Help us remove non-native shrubs to protect this diversity. We'll also collect seeds to spread in lower quality areas. Meet at the park entrance on Beechwood Drive, north of Sunset Road (map). Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. All participants must complete a release form, and all minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools, snacks, and know-how provided.

Stewardship Workday
Sunday, November 3
Berkshire Creek Nature Area
1 to 4 p.m.
Nathaniel Hawthorne suggested we should not “waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house". Get outdoors and enjoy the autumn while volunteering for nature. This park alongside Mallets Creek is crowded with exotic shrubs such as honeysuckle. Lend a hand to clear out these shrubs. Meet at the end of Warwick Road off Glenwood, north of Washtenaw Avenue (map). Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. All participants must complete a release form, and all minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools, snacks, and know-how provided.

Stewardship Workday
Saturday, November 9
Bird Hills Nature Area
9 a.m. to noon
Autumn in Bird Hills Nature Area is a delight. The picturesque trees make it a wonderful place to spend a morning. Join us to maintain the beauty by cutting invasive shrubs and collecting native seeds. Meet us at the entrance on Beechwood Drive, off of Sunset Road (map). Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. All participants must complete a release form, and all minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools, snacks, and know-how provided.

Stewardship Workday
Sunday, November 10
Foxfire West Nature Area
1 to 4 p.m.
The wetlands in Foxfire West Nature Area are home to beautiful prairie plants as well as frogs and birds. However, non-native shrubs are encroaching on these wetlands. Work with us, using hand saws and loppers, to remove these shrubs. Meet us at the park entrance on Birchwood Drive, between Hickory Point Drive and Timbercrest Court (map). Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. All participants must complete a release form, and all minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools, snacks, and know-how provided.

Stewards' Circle
Tuesday, November 12
Bruegger's Bagels, 709 N University Ave
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! For more information go to www.stewardshipnetwork.org.
This month's topic: (Re)connect with Nature: Keep a Nature Journal
As stewards, it can be easy to get caught up in our never-ending battles with invasives and other restoration work, and forget to pause and truly see the natural areas we're working in. Winter is a perfect time to reflect and reconnect. Ecologist Jacqueline Courteau will share ideas and prompts for using nature journaling to connect to nature. Not just a field notebook, a nature journal can be used as a form of meditation and reflection, to heighten observation skills, and to increase feelings of gratitude and connectedness—to nature, to community, and to memory. This session will offer inspiration to deepen your connection to the land you love. Come and cultivate your curiosity and sense of wonder!

Stewardship Workday
Sunday, November 17
Sunset Brooks Nature Area
9 a.m. to noon
Sunset Brooks is a small park, but an important part of the neighborhood. Join NAP and neighbors to remove non-native shrubs from this neighborhood gem. Spend the morning outside, meet new people, and preserve biodiversity. Meet at the park entrance on Sunset Road, at the end of Brooks Street (map). All participants must complete a release form, and all minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools, snacks, and know-how provided.

Stewardship Workday- Family Volunteer Day
Saturday November 23
Barton Nature Area
1 to 4 p.m.
Family Volunteer Day celebrates families who work together to support their communities and neighborhoods. Bring your family to volunteer in this riverside nature area! We'll be cutting non-native shrubs as well as collecting seeds in the prairie. Join us to help the native plants thrive. Meet at the Barton Dam parking lot off Huron River Drive (map). Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. All participants must complete a release form, and all minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools, snacks, and know-how provided.

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