Archived News Release: January 7, 2019 - Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation (NAP) will lead the community in volunteer service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy Monday, Jan. 21, 1–3 p.m. at Barton Nature Area. They will join hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the country for Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service, answering the call to serve and make a difference. All are welcomed to join the local event.
The wetlands along this horseshoe-shaped curve in the river at Barton Natura Area benefit both humans and wildlife. Volunteers will help improve these wetlands and create habitat for turtles. Meet at the Barton Dam parking lot on Huron River Drive. Participants should dress in layers and wear shoes suitable for snow or wet ground. All must complete a release form and all minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools, snacks and know-how provided.
NAP notes that observing the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday through volunteer service is a way to begin the year with a commitment to making your community a better place. Service projects bring together people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. King recognized this power of service and famously said, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve."
Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service in 1994. This day of service helps to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, address social problems, and move us closer to King's vision of a “beloved community." The Corporation of National and Community Service (CNCS) leads the annual MLK Day of Service, working with the King Center in Atlanta and thousands of nonprofit groups, faith-based organizations, schools and businesses nationwide.
NAP works to protect and restore Ann Arbor's natural areas and to foster an environmental ethic among its citizens. This involves conducting plant and animal inventories, ecological monitoring and stewardship projects in Ann Arbor parks. Both staff and volunteers perform these tasks. For more information about NAP, visit www.a2gov.org/NAP.
The MLK Day of Service is led by CNCS, a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and Volunteer Generation Fund programs and leads the nation's volunteering and service efforts. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.
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