Friday, June 18, 2004

About the Wet Meadow

The Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow is a group of wet meadow ecosystems in Ann Arbor's Buhr Park. The wet meadows provide a habitat for native plants and animals, an attractive educational site for children, neighbors and other visitors, and an environmental filter for stormwater runoff from the park grounds.

Wet meadows are essentially large rain gardens. They capture water from rain and melting snow. They are full of native plants that use the water to grow. The plants have flowers that are used by butterflies and seeds that are eaten by birds. Usually the ground in the wet meadows is damp and squishy, like a damp sponge.

The concept of Wet Meadow has been germinating since 1992. The original meadow was planted in September, 1997, and the plants have thrived and bloomed ever since. The project has expanded with a second set of three basins, called Wet Meadow II on the west side of the park. More than 150 volunteers helped plant this in June of 2004. The wet meadows are thriving beyond our wildest dreams. Many thanks to the children, parents and others who helped make this possible.

To learn more, please contact Jeannine Palms 734-971-5870

2 comments:

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Hi Mark, Well you saw me with my camera (and Jeannine had one, too). I've posted my photos here.

Jeannine said...

Prescribed burn scheduled for April 6, 2015
As you may know, we celebrate Spring each year with a prescribed ecological burn at the Children's Wet Meadow. This year, it is scheduled for Monday, April 6, 2015, 4:30pm. This is a family-friendly event; children of all ages are welcome when accompanied by a parent. We emphasize safety; the park includes many good viewing sites away from smoke and flames. More details coming soon.