Volunteer Opportunities in Washtenaw County
Perhaps you live in a condo and have more energy than garden space. Perhaps, you have become smitten with a section of one of the many natural areas around us. Perhaps, you have a particular love for the Huron River and its watershed.
Perhaps, you realize that our publicly owned natural areas in Washtenaw County are indeed public, and they need our help in order remain oases of biodiversity. No public entity has enough staff to adequately maintain these against invasive plants, dogs off leash, or people behaving badly.
Below are some of the many local organizations that need volunteers. Explore these parks and natural areas, find a place which suits your interests, location, and energy. Find a place that sings to your heart, then, turn a portion of it into an extension of your back yard. Go back year after year and see the changes that your efforts are making. Engage your friends?especially the younger ones.
Here are some of the organizations, so that you can sign up for emails about work days and other activities:
Matthaei Botanical Gardens/Nichols Arboretum
Scroll through the variety of volunteer opportunities. Given the range of activities, there are various places to sign up. Here is the summary page. Scroll half way down to sign up for work activities. Die Buckthorn Scum!
https://mbgna.umich.edu/volunteer/
Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation (NAP)
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. These tasks are performed by both staff and volunteers: Adopt-a-Park, burn training, salamander monitoring, trail maintenance, and invasives’ control.
https://www.a2gov.org/departments/Parks-Recreation/nap/Pages/NaturalAreaPreservation.aspx
Washtenaw County Natural Areas Preservation Program
Over 3,500 acres of parks and nature preserves offer abundant opportunities for combining work and play. These lands were set aside through two separate millages voted on by the citizens of the county.
https://www.washtenaw.org/3055/Stewardship
Washtenaw County Conservation District
The WCCD is dedicated to assisting land owners by providing education, technical assistance and leadership in conservation management.
https://www.washtenawcd.org/get-involved.html
Huron River Watershed Council
www.hrwc.org/volunteer/
Huron River Watershed Council
www.hrwc.org/volunteer/
Huron/Clinton MetroParks
If people would like to volunteer at the Metroparks, register: here.
So many parks, so little time. However, there are a few near Ann Arbor that are favorites: Dexter-Huron, Hudson Mills, Delhi Metropark, and Huron Meadows.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/about/get-involved/volunteer-stewardship