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Photograph Courtesy of
Natural Area Preservation
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Since January 2005, The Huron Arbor Cluster has helped connect people who are interested in learning more about and becoming proficient in natural area stewardship. We offer a tool sharing program; an email update list of local stewardship-related events; and a variety of educational workshops. We also hold monthly informal conversations with volunteer and professional stewards, called Steward's Circles. These chats cover topics such as winter restoration, using herbicides as a restoration tool, recruiting, training, and retaining volunteers, wetland invaders, and more.
Please feel free to share your questions and ideas with our Cluster. We'd love to have your help in achieving our goals!
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Support Your Local Cluster Today!
Donate Today to Become a Member!
Are you Part of an Organization?
Find out More about our Memorandum of Understanding Memberships!
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Huron Arbor Stewards' Circles
The Second Tuesday of Each Month
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Location: Bruegger's Bagels on N University, Ann Arbor
Are you interested in learning more about how to care for our natural areas - woods, creeks, prairies, wetlands? Join us for informal discussions with volunteer and professional land stewards and others interested in nature. Click here to see our 2012 topis.
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Huron Arbor Cluster 2012 Events
Rapid Ecological Assessment Workshop with Huron River Watershed Council
May 12, Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Cost: Free
Location: Independence Lake County Park, Whitmore Lake
Click here to register on the HRWC website!
Get outside, meet new people, learn about our local natural areas and help out HRWC’s Bioreserve Natural Areas Assessment program! The Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) (www.hrwc.org) is seeking field volunteers to help inventory ecologically important natural areas in the watershed. Volunteer teams will be conducting rapid ecological assessments of grasslands, forests, wetlands, and aquatic habitats throughout this spring, summer and fall. Each visit is like nature hike through a new woods or wetland.
The 2012 season marks our fourth field season; volunteers have so far assessed over 215 properties throughout S.E. Michigan. Land conservancies and community preservation programs use the data gathered to promote permanent protection of those lands identified as the highest quality and most important for protection of the Huron River. Come to our program introduction and training on May 12th to learn more about the project and to learn the skills you need to get involved!
Wet Meadow Wildflower Identification
September 9, Sunday 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Cost: $10 for Stewardship Network member/$15 for non-members
Location: 11950 Dexter-Pinckney Road, Pinckney
*Please note, this location is different than listed in the printed calendar
Click here to register
Naturalist, Catherine Marquardt, will guide us through the plants in a special wet meadow at this Legacy Land Conservancy Preserve, which is access by permission only. Each participant will learn how to use a dichotomous key to identify plants and take home an identification book.
Prairie Walk
September 16, Sunday 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Cost: $10 for Stewardship Network member/$15 for non-members
Location: Shanghai Prairie (on the Campus of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ypsilanti)
Click here to register
Join local prairie expert Aunita Erskine for an autumn walk through Shanghai Prairie. Learn about prairie wildflowers and grasses as they begin to go to seed, and check up on recent restoration efforts! Meet in the picnic area parking lot opposite staff parking area D at the 3-way stop on McAuley. Visit stjoesannarbor.org for a map. Long pants, closed-toe shoes, and weather appropriate clothes.
Save Water, Save Energy
September 27, Thursday 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Cost: $10 for Stewardship Network member/$15 for non-members
Location: NEW Center (1100 Main Street, Ann Arbor)
Click here to register
Tap into water and energy savings with a few simple measures! This workshop will teach easy techniques and show affordable tools that could help a typical Ann Arbor family of four save up to $300 annually on utility bills and reduce their carbon footprint. Door prizes for the lucky few!
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Green Infrastructure & Stormwater Management
A Four-Part Series - Tuesdays in October 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Cost: $30 Whole Series (Members)/$45 Whole Series (non-members)
$10 single event (Members)/$15 single event (non-members)
Location: NEW Center (1100 Main Street, Ann Arbor)
Click here to register for the whole series!
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Part One
October 2nd - Advocacy
Click here to register for this individual workshop
In part one or our series, Kris Olsson, Watershed Ecologist with the Huron River Watershed Council and Ann Arbor Township Planning Commissioner, will discuss how to be an advocate for balanced land use planning. For those who are new to political advocacy, generally interested in best management practices, or established planning commissioners; this workshop will highlight tried and true as well as newly implemented policies. Kris will cover model ordinances and involving yourself in local land use decision-making.
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Part Two
October 9 - Engineering
Click here to register for this individual workshop
This is the second workshop of the four part managing stormwater series. In this session, Valerie Strassberg from Nature's Voice - Our Choice will describe hydrologic considerations when planning to manage stormwater. Grey vs. green infrastructure comparisons will be detailed.
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Part Three
October 16 - Plant Selection
Click here to register for this individual workshop
This is the third workshop of the four part managing stormwater series. In this session, Drew Lathin, will make the case for why native plant species are the most desirable plant material to use in green infrastructure projects to manage stormwater. In addition, the presenter will describe and show pictures of native plant species for basin bottoms, wet slopes, dry slopes, and upland areas.
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Part Four
October 23 - Case Studies
Click here to register for this individual workshop
In the fourth and last part of the Stormwater Series, Shannan Gibb-Randall, landscape architect of InSite Design Studio, will discuss several local case studies that demonstrate how engineering, planting design, aesthetics and ongoing maintenance come together in successful design of stormwater management systems. She will also highlight the potential pitfalls and difficulties (all from hard-won experience) to give a sense of the challenges that are part of the design and construction process.
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Past Events
Woody Plants in the Home Landscape
February 7, Tuesday
Weed Warriors: Share Your Stories and Strategies
February 8, Wednesday
How to Run a Stewardship Workday
March 24, Saturday
We would like to invite you to join our Cluster. Groups and individuals who may be interested include: Community Service volunteers, Eagle Scouts, Master Gardeners, Conservation Stewards, field interns, people who want to connect to nature, people who want to meet with like-minded people, and people who like getting exercise outdoors. Let's have some fun!
