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 gardening gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian.

July

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, July 11

Bluffs Nature Area

9 a.m. to noon

Spend a lovely July morning pulling invasive plants from the prairies of Bluffs Nature Area. Standing on the steep eastern slopes of the park, you can enjoy beautiful views of the Huron River. Prairie ecosystems used to populate much of Michigan. Today, we only have a few left, three of which reside in Bluffs and they need your help fighting invasive plants! 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 gardening gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Compost bags and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, July 11

Bandemer Park

1 to 4 p.m.

Join us in this lovely park that lines the Huron River as we spend a summer afternoon removing invasive plants. Assist us in a prairie and rain garden, as we sweep for non-native plant invaders. Removing aggressive non-native plants helps to make space for native wildlife, increasing the resistance and resiliency of a habitat. 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 gardening gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Compost bags and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewards' Circle
Tuesday, July 14th
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.

July Topic: Aquatic Invaders. Since summer is boating and swimming season, come with your questions about Michigan’s aquatic invaders. We will be joined by Dr. Shikha Singh, the Coordinator of the Jackson, Lenawee and Washtenaw Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (JLW CISMA).

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, July 18

Mary Beth Doyle Park

9 a.m. to noon

Named in memory of an Ann Arbor environmentalist, Mary Beth Doyle Park is one of Ann Arbor's larger parks with 81 acres of green space. Inside the park you'll find a variety of habitats: spacious woodlands, sensitive wetlands, and even a pond bustling with waterfowl and turtles! We need your help in restoring this park's woodlands by removing invasive hedge parsley to make space for native woodland wildflowers. 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 gardening gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Compost bags and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday - World Nature Conservation Day

Sunday, July 26

Cedar Bend Nature Area

9 a.m. to noon

Celebrate #WorldNatureConservationDay by improving the ecological quality of Ann Arbor's oldest nature area – Cedar Bend Nature Area. We have done a lot of work here over the years but there is still more to go! Help us remove invasive plants such as hedge parsley from the steep slopes of Cedar Bend's mature woodlands while overlooking the mighty 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 gardening gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Compost bags and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

August

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, August 1

Furstenberg Nature Area

9 a.m. to noon

Spend the year's first August morning in one of Ann Arbor's most biologically diverse parks. Furstenberg Nature Area, bordering the Huron River to the south and Gallup Park to the east, has a high diversity of beautiful native plants. Help us keep this amazing diversity by removing invasive plants from the prairie of this beloved 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 gardening gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Compost bags and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday

Sunday, August 2

Barton Nature Area

9 a.m. to noon

Did you know that Ann Arbor has a functioning hydroelectric dam in the city? It's located at Barton Nature Area off of W. Huron River Drive – come check it out as we remove invasive plants from the park. Next to the dam lies an 82-acre park with woodlands, wetlands, and prairies all battling aggressive non-native plants. Help us remove these plants so native wildlife can re-establish! 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 gardening gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Compost bags and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, August 8

Kuebler Langford Nature Area

9 a.m. to noon

In the 1970's, Kuebler Langford was used as a staging area during the construction of M-14. Now this property is a wooded ravine with an expansive prairie. Heavy construction equipment disturbed the soil and made it easier for invasive plants to take over. Help us remove these aggressive plants and restore this incredible prairie! 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 gardening gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Compost bags and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, August 8

Bird Hills Nature Area

1 to 4 p.m.

About 10,000 years ago, the Wisconsin Glacier advanced and retreated, creating lots of hills and depressions throughout Ann Arbor. Bird Hills Nature Area is a great example of the impact glaciers have on topography. Explore the dramatic landscape of this park while removing invasive plants from the woods. 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 gardening gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Compost bags and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday – National Honey Bee Day

Saturday, August 15

Ruthven Nature Area

9 a.m. to noon

Today is National Honey Bee Day! As honey bees travel from flower to flower, they collect pollen to bring back to the nest. While traveling, some of the collected pollen rubs off onto different flowers, making honey bees effective pollinators. Ruthven Nature Area provides habitat for honey bees and native bees in our city- help us make this habitat better for the bees by removing invasive plants. To learn more about this holiday, visit HoneyLove.org. 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 gardening gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Compost bags and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided after registration.

Stewardship Workday

Saturday, August 22

Olson Park

9 a.m. to noon

Are you a butterfly lover? If yes, then Olson Park is a must-see! At least 57 species of butterflies have been spotted in this park alone. Join us in removing invasive plants from the park to increase the quality of the habitat in the park for butterflies and other wildlife – you just might observe a beautiful butterfly in action! 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 gardening gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Compost bags 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.