It’s the weekend: Sign up for swim lessons and so much more!
Island Park/ Cedar Bend Nature Area Park Walk, Saturday, May 15, 10-11 a.m. (trail details)
This Huron River Day, Every Day featured walk loops you through three parks and through other public property to take you on a 1.4 mile walk, crossing the Huron River twice. Start here at Island Park and look for Fjallraven Guide, Katie Carlisle and the park walk welcome table, ready to share information and recommendations to enrich your self-guided walk. Parts of the walk up Cedar Bend are steep and more adventurous but there are options if you are looking for something less difficult. For parking and additional details, view Island Park or Cedar Bend Nature Area. No registration required. This is a drop in event from 10-11 a.m. Family-friendly! Remember to dress for the weather and bring water if desired. Please wear a mask and stay 6 feet apart from others outside your household. #huronriverday
April showers bring May flowers drive-thru event
Wednesday, May 19, noon-1 p.m. Flowers and sunshine are ahead! Please Join the Ann Arbor Senior Center and American House for a drive-thru event where bags will be provided with flowers, and plant related goodies, donuts and beverages to take away! RSVP to Brittany (bpatton@a2gov.org) to reserve your spot today! Free.
Ann Arbor Senior Center trivia
Join us Wednesday, May 19, 1-2 p.m. for live trivia via Zoom! We will keep a tally of winners and at the end prizes will be awarded you can pick up curbside at the senior center. Zoom meeting ID: 979 1239 9740. Passcode: 194912. Free of charge.
NEW: Making wellness connections
Join Tanya, an intern with the Ann Arbor Senior Center, for a weekly online wellness discussion with topics ranging from mindfulness, healthy eating and the use of art and music for well-being. Tuesdays May 25-July 20, 1-2:30 p.m. Zoom meeting ID: 913 8737 8746. Passcode: 905774. For more information email bpatton@a2gov.org. Free of charge.
Volunteer in the parks with GIVE365
Masks are required at the following events. Please remember to remain 6 feet apart from others outside your household. For more information on the opportunities below or to sign up, click here.
Tuesday, May 25, 10-noon, Gallup Park. Volunteers are needed to help us paint and prep for a mural!
Wednesday, May 26, 10-noon, Veterans Memorial Park, Pool and Ice Arena. Volunteers are wanted to help spruce up the flower beds and add mulch before the pool opens.
Wednesday, May 26, 3-5 p.m. Gallup Park. In celebration of Huron River Day, Every Day GIVE is hosting a park and pond clean up at Gallup Park.
Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30. Volunteer opportunity at Gallup Park. Join staff to celebrate A2ZERO week by helping paint a new mural along the scenic Huron River with local artist, Yen Azzaro. This volunteer event will be hosted by GIVE 365 at Gallup Park. Saturday, May 29 shifts are 9 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. An additional shift is available Sunday, May 30, 9 a.m.-noon as needed. Bring your creative spirit to help us beautify our city Memorial Day Weekend. If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please reach out to volunteer@a2gov.org to RSVP.
Grab your club and hit the links this weekend
Leslie Park Golf Course is open but tee times book quickly so plan ahead. You can book up to two weeks in advance online or call 734.794.6245. Due to an ongoing construction project at Huron Hills Golf Course, you can book a tee time for 11 holes. Call 734.794.6246. Masks are required in and around the clubhouses. More details can be found on our website.
Natural Area Preservation events
Preregistration is required for all the events below. Participants must wear a mask and maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others at all times. Please wear long pants, closed-toed shoes and gardening gloves. All minors should be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and know-how provided. Meeting location will be provided at registration.
Saturday, May 22-30, Garlic Mustard weed out week (sunrise to sunset). Identifying and pulling garlic mustard is fun and easy for all ages, making this a great volunteer opportunity for families and you can participate from anywhere! Survey your own yard to find and remove targeted species or spend some time pulling in your local City of Ann Arbor nature areas. Check out a2gov.org/gmwow for information.
Butterfly Survey Kickoff, Saturday, May 22, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Learn our survey protocol and help us search our prairies and woodlands for these beautiful butterflies throughout the summer. No experience in butterfly identification is necessary, though it is helpful. Please register by May 19 to NAP@a2gov.org, or call 734.794.6627.
Stewardship Workdays
World Biodiversity Day and Huron River Day, Saturday, May 22, 9 a.m.-noon, Bird Hills Nature Area. Help us improve the habitat of this area and protect the overall health of the river by pulling spring invasive plants. Register here.
Huron River Day, Saturday, May 22, 1-4 p.m. Barton Nature Area. Join staff to protect the woodlands, wetlands and prairies all battling aggressive non-native plants at Barton Nature Area, a location that is vital to protecting the Huron River. Register here (https://tinyurl.com/Barton052221).
Black Pond Woods Nature Area, Sunday, May 23, 9 a.m.-noon. Learn about the mysterious name of this natural area while we remove non-native plants threatening the diverse native plants and animals that call Black Pond Woods home. Register here.
Onder Park, Sunday, May 23, 1- 4 p.m. Join us to remove non-native plants and making way for native plants to re-establish. Register here.
We value your feedback
Students at the University of Michigan School of Information are conducting research to better understand how to improve online resources and create new information tools that will help residents and visitors learn, engage and enjoy the many parks in Ann Arbor. They are looking for a deeper understanding of the information needs of park visitors in order to design appropriate online resources. This project will build upon a recent study done by a previous group of School of Information students.
The survey has 15 questions and usually takes about 10 minutes to complete. In this survey, we will ask you about your experience with “neighborhood parks” in Ann Arbor. Neighborhood parks have two main characteristics they are manicured but unstaffed. https://umich.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5BxZ6MAlMEh3OrY?source=default
West Park band shell closed for repairs
The historic bandshell at West Park is now closed due to safety concerns resulting from deterioration to the structural foundation. This spring, an engineering firm performed a structural evaluation of the bandshell, which showed significant degradation since the last foundation wall study was completed in 2015. Further investigation and monitoring are required before developing a plan of action to rehabilitate the bandshell. During this time period, we will be installing a protective fence around the boundary of the structure. We apologize for needing to take this wonderful community amenity offline, and appreciate your patience as we work to resolve the problem.
For project updates, please visit the website. Questions? Contact Adam Fercho, PLA, Park Planner and Landscape Architect, 734.794.6230 ext. 42549.
