Looking for some outdoor fun for the whole family, right here in our hometown? You're invited to the annual spring Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow Burn Monday, April 2nd. We had invited you to come seed collecting, but we find that there is very little seed to be collected. You are welcome to come early and help remove trash from the meadows and/or spread woodchips on a new site. Bring a wheelbarrow and shovel if you have them.
The main burn event will begin at about 4:00 with a brief introduction to the project and the role of burns. Trained experts from the City of Ann Arbor's Natural Area Program will then do a "prescribed burn" in one of the wet meadows. Other natural areas in the park may be burned earlier. (See below for further details.) One parent says, "It's quite a sight - my daughter has gone to prescribed burns from age 2 and loves them. I think it's quite safe for kids of any age if they're with a parent."
In a few weeks the meadows will be springing back to life, better than ever.
If the weather permits, consider bringing a picnic supper. Come and go when you like. The event is free and open to the public.
Buhr Park is in east Ann Arbor, at 2751 Packard (on the north side of the road) between Eisenhower and Platt. The original Children's Wet Meadow is just east of the parking lots, in the park behind Cobblestone Farm. The second, three-basin meadow, is on the west side, uphill from the play ground and behind the swimming pool, and the third is just north of the back parking lot. The swale garden along the east edge of the park will also be burned.
P.S. No, you don't have to have kids to have fun at the annual Children's Wet Meadow burn.
Prescribed burns background information: Although burning may seem destructive, fire actually serves to stimulate vigorous new growth of native plants, control the invasion of undesirable plants, warm the soil and release nutrients. Fire allows diverse, native plant and animal communities to thrive in natural areas.
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