Land that’s been donated to the city by developer Bill Martin is in the process of being rezoned as public land, following action at the Feb. 20, 2014 meeting of the Ann Arbor planning commission. The 2.2-acre parcel is being added to the adjacent Stapp Nature Area, near the Leslie Park golf course.
Land donated by Bill Martin to the city of Ann Arbor indicated in red outline, south of Stapp Nature Area.
Based on advice … [Full Story]
Marianne Rzepka
Gardeners spend a lot of time working in their own world – moving the perennials, planning their walkways or weeding their vegetables.
But for some gardeners, the Michigan Conservation Stewards program has ushered in a larger world outside their backyard landscapes.
“My garden is something I do for me, but the stewardship program is what I do for others and for the larger environment,” says Mary Duff-Silverman, who went through the course last year.
The stewardship program introduces participants to the plants, animals and forces of nature that defy outsiders’ attempts to impose order. Instead, the steward-in-training has to understand the rules of that larger environment, with its invasive plants, water aeration, ground water and other natural processes.
This spring is only the second year the course has been offered in Washtenaw County. It’s a series of 11 classes that range over a number of ecological topics, including the ecosystems of wetlands, forests, lakes and streams.
This year’s program begins Saturday, April 10. If you’re interested, get more information online – you can also download the three-page application form from that website. [Full Story]
