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 parks. These tasks are performed by both staff and volunteers.

Volunteers assist NAP in all aspects of our work, and are vital to NAP's efforts. NAP projects take volunteers well beyond the realm of litter clean-up into working to ​restore and care for natural areas. Through hands-on tasks and scientific knowledge, we encourage a connection between volunteers and their surrounding natural environment. Volunteers play an key role in fostering an environmental ethic in the community. To learn more, check out the Natural Area Preservation Factsheet (pdf).