2017 prescribed burn excites children and adults

The prescribed ecological burn on April 10, 2017 was an exciting event for children and adults. Trained staff and volunteer from City of Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation explained the purpose of the burn and described safety eqiptment and procedures. Since the wind was coming from the south, they started the burn at the northern edge. Here's what it looked like when the flames were closer to the viewers.

A few moments after this picture, we started to feel raindrops! So this is the first burn on record where it rained at the end of the burn. Kids and parents went home, so we'll plant seeds sometime later this week.

2017 Prescribed Burn -- re-scheduled for Monday April 10

Our annual prescribed burn has been postponed until Monday, April 10, 2017.

To achieve the desired results, plant materials must be dry and humidity low. Wind speed and direction are important for smoke control. Based on the updated weather forecast, prospects for Monday look good.

As originally planned, we will collect seeds starting at 4:00 PM. About 4:30, trained staff from Natural Area Preservation (City of Ann Arbor) will explain their equipment and safety precautions. Then everyone will watch from a safe distance.This year's burn will be held at the north-west quadrant of the park, north of the ice rink, near the east end of Essex Street.

This is a family-oriented event and we emphasize safety. Children of all ages enjoy watching with their parents. Everything is explained in simple language. Kids can see protective clothing and special tools, including the world's largest squirt guns (water-carrying backpacks with spray nozzles, used to control the fire.)

In case of adverse weather, we will re-schedule on a day-by-day basis.

2014 Wet Meadow Burn - April 9

The 15th annual Wet Meadow Burn took place in Buhr Park on April 9. At about 5:00 PM the NAP crew lead by Tina, lit up Wet Meadow 3. 
 
City of Ann Arbor natural area program staff conduct the annual prescribed burn of the wet meadows.

This year we burned Wet Meadow 2, Wet Meadow 3, the parking lot swale, and several other native plantings. We are hoping to burn Wet Meadow 1 and Wet Meadow 1 extension later in the spring to help control crown vetch.

Burns help manage native landscapes by clearing out old growth, fighting back non-native plants that are not fire-adapted, and preparing the ground for spring growth.
 

 

Come celebrate on Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Join us to welcome Spring with the annual prescribed burn at Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow! Starting at mid-afternoon, trained experts from the City of Ann Arbor's Natural Area Program will explain safety measures, then ignite last year’s dry stems and leaves.

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."

Although burning may seem destructive, fire actually serves to stimulate vigorous new growth of native plants, controls the invasion of undesirable plants, warms the soil and releases nutrients. Fire allows diverse native plant and animal communities to thrive in natural areas.

After the fire is safely out, children will scatter seeds that were collected last Fall, and dance or sing to encourage new growth. 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 street) between Eisenhower and Platt. Children must be accompanied by a parent.

Nighborhood Celebration and Prescribed Burn - Monday April 2

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 2^nd. 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.

coming Sept 10 - Insect Adventure

Washtenaw County Parks will present an Insect Adventure program on Saturday, Sept 10 at County Farm park. (Meet at the Platt Rd. entrance at 10 AM). Children and adults are welcome. Many interesting insects can be seen in the park, including butterflies, dragonflies, pollinators and others. Come explore with an expert guide.

Also at County Farm park, a project will focus on the tributary to Mallets Creek that flows along the north side of the park. You can read more about this in their Fall 2011 newsletter.

Mother nature helps water the new plants

As everyone knows by now, May 2011 was one of the wettest months on record. And it poured buckets both Saturday and Sunday, so the festival was called off. We did get the plants in, thanks to heroic efforts by some Super Swampers, alumni and others. We started planting under cloudy skies on Saturday afternoon. As the rain started, we began to see just how much run-off comes from the parking areas by the pool and ice rink. By early evening there was an ankle-deep torrent flowing into the west end of the newest basin. The basin is certainly in the right spot!


Native plants are tough and most have thrived in their new homes. A few days later we finished planting along the sidewalk.
Stop by and see the newest wet meadow!

Kids Saw Pollinators Up Close on Aug 28

Our third annual “Kids See Pollinators Up Close” event at Buhr Park took place on Saturday, August 28, 2010, from 3 to 5 PM. More than 20 parents, gandparents and children learned about beneficial insects.

Children captured live insects for safe, up-close observation. (All were released at the end of the program.) We also talked about how to be safe around insects.

Our presenter this year was Annie Kirk, from the Berry Crops Entomology Lab at MSU. Kick grew up in the fruit-growing areas of West Michigan, and has recently co-authored an article on blueberry pollination in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

The meadows were ablaze with wildflowers – prairie dock, stiff goldenrod and other natives are at the height of their annual display. Many beneficial insects were drinking nectar and were easy to observe.

The event was co-sponsored by City of Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation and Wild Ones – Native Plants, Native Landscapes. Thanks to Jeannine Palms for great photos.

Wet Meadow III - Planting Day Details

Come help plant Buhr Park's latest environmentally-friendly, stormwater-drinking, critter habitat-building, wet meadow.

Sunday May 23, 2010
10AM to 4PM

Feel free to come for the whole day or just a few minutes or hours. We've got 3,000 plants coming, but many hands makes light work.

Please Bring

Required:

• Yourselves

Optional:

• Your children, parents, friends and neighbors
• Small trowel or shovel for digging
• Water bottle (free refills!)
• Sun protection

And please leave pets at home.

Schedule for Planting Day activities

• 10am - 4pm
  PLANTING!!
  
  
• 10am
  Sun Salutation with Victoria Cendrowski, neighbor and yoga instructor
  Seed dance
• 11:30
  Milkweed Puppet Show with Leah and Rachel White
• 11:30 - 1pm
  Pilar’s Tamale Cart open for food purchases (bring your own dishes so we don’t make waste)
• 1pm
  Welcome ceremony
• 2pm
  Tunes with Dale Petty
• 3pm
  Games
• 4pm
  Celebration parade

For more information, check out the Wet Meadow III - Overview.

Prescribed Burn A Great Success on Thursday, April 1, 2010

“Wet Meadow Burn”: Buhr Park Children’s Wet Meadow. City natural area program staff conducted the annual prescribed burn of the wet meadow on Thursday, April 1, 2010. “It’s quite a sight--my daughter has gone to prescribed burns since age 2 and loves them,” says one parent. “I think it’s quite safe for kids of any age if they’re with a parent.”


Dozens of kids and parents showed up to help collect seeds and learn about how this helps wildflowers, birds, butterflies and other creatures. Stop by in a week or so to see new growth sprouting from the deep roots of our native plants. Buhr Park, 2751 Packard 48104. Free. 971-5870

(These photos are from past years; we'll have new ones soon.)

Jeannine Palms honored by Ecology Center

On November 11, 2009, Jeannine Palms was honored by the Ecology Center for her work teaching and encouraging sustainability.

She received the Herbert Munzel Award for Environmental Activism at a ceremony that accompanied a speech by Bill McKibbon on global warming.

More deatils (and hopefully, photos) coming soon.

"Kids See Pollinators Up Close" Saturday, June 20

"Kids See Pollinators Up Close" Saturday, June 20

at the Buhr Park Childrens' Wet Meadow

Come watch butterflies and other pollinators visiting the wildflowers.

• MSU entomologist Julianna Tuell will capture insects for kids to safely see up close.
• Learn how kids can be safe around bees.
• Hear about how beneficial insects help us grow blueberries, tomatoes and other foods.
• Kids can make a bee house (from natural materials) to take home.
  

Saturday, June 20, 2009 at 4:00 PM. Children must be accompanied by a parent. All are welcome at a picnic potluck at 5:15. Please leave pets at home.

Dr. Tuell speaks frequently about pollinators and native plants. She coauthored Attracting Beneficial Insects with Native Flowering Plants (MSU Extension Bulletin E-2973) and recently published a study that identified more than 100 native bee species on Michigan blueberry farms.

We'll also have a display of nest blocks from Matt Demmon.

This event is co-sponsored by Wild Ones and Natural Area Preservation.

Buhr Park is located at 2781 Packard Rd. 48104. For more information call Mark at 478-1333.

2009 prescribed burn - a big hit with kids

The prescribed ecological burn on April 2, 2009 was a great success! Lots of kids and parents had fun and leaned about fire, plants and wildlife.

This year we focused on the three basins in the souty west corner of the park (sometimes called Wet Meadow 2) that we planted in 2004.

More details soon.

P.s., if you took photos, please get in touch.

Like Monica the Garden Faerie who posted photos to her blog.

2009 burn scheduled for April 2

“Wet Meadow Burn”: Buhr Park Children’s Wet Meadow. City natural area program staff conduct the annual prescribed burn of the wet meadow, and participants then scatter native plant seeds on the meadow. “It’s quite a sight--my daughter has gone to prescribed burns since age 2 and loves them,” says one parent. “I think it’s quite safe for kids of any age if they’re with a parent.” If you’d like to help prepare for the burn, show up at 4 p.m. with a garden rake (for leaf spreading) and a paper shopping bag (for seed collecting). 5 p.m., Buhr Park, 2751 Packard 48104. Free. 971-5870

(These photos are from March 2005.)

Walkin Jim - a success!

Walkin Jim Stoltz delighted the crowd today at Allen School in Ann Arbor. The audience was balanced towards Allen School students and their families, but also included many who have been following Jim's career for years and years.

A highlight was a story like version of "Wild Things Need Wild Places" in which the audience (young and old) was seen dancing, scratching themselves and yes - howling.

Funds raised will benefit Allen School's Green School program.

Walkin Jim Concert - Sept 28, 2008 - 4:00 PM

Walkin’ Jim Stoltz Family Concert
Sunday, September 28, 4:00 p.m.,
Allen Elementary School
2560 Towner Blvd., Ann Arbor , MI
(North of Buhr Park , off Packard, at Easy Street)

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Allen School Pride Team's Green School effort. The Green Schools Program teaches students ecological responsibility by encouraging schools to institute recycling and energy savings programs, learn about alternative energy, become better stewards of natural areas, and support other environmental concerns.

WALKIN' JIM STOLTZ, one of America 's most unique folksingers and backcountry travelers will bring his fun multi-media show for children, Come Walk With Me, to town again this fall. Walkin’ Jim’s incredible photography, fun stories and catchy songs make this one-of-a-kind concert an inspiring journey into our natural world. He’s been a hit with elementary-school age children from coast to coast; older and younger kids enjoy him too.

Want to know more about Walkin’ Jim? Check out http://www.walkinjim.com.

Tickets for the concert will be available in advance and at the door. For advance tickets or more information, please contact Joan Brush at jkbrush@yahoo.com (preferred) or 734-973-9161, or Dale Petty at petty@wccnet.edu (preferred) or 734-971-5870.

Ticket prices are: Children (12 and under) $7, Adults $10, Families $25.

Summer gatherings at the wet meadow

We've scheduled three dates this summer to enjoy a potluck picnic near the wet meadows, see what's blooming and buzzing, and perhaps pull a few weeds.

Saturday June 21, 4-6 PM

Saturday July 19, 4-6 PM

Saturday August 16, 4-6 PM

All are welcome - please join us or stop by and say 'Hi'.

Tenth Anniversary

10th Anniversary Celebration of Wet Meadow I 
Sunday October 14 
Buhr Park Picnic Area Near Wet Meadow II 
4:00-6:00 PM 
Bring a dish to pass and your favorite wet meadow story to tell    
We will take a walk to appreciate the beauty of the wet meadows in the fall and collect some seeds.
We will also have a few trees to plant.      

Hope to see you all there,   
Jeannine and the wet meadow team                 

End of Year Picnic/Potluck/Planting

Last night over a dozen families converged on the playground at Buhr Park to celebrate the last day of Blossom, the beginning of summer and being together.

After playing, eating, and ice cream, the remaining crew converged on the north end of Wet Meadow II to plant wild strawberries and raspberries.

The wet meadows and the palace of nature appear to be in great condition. Coreopsis were the most prevalent blossom in the meadows. The oak, paw paw and tulip tree seedlings that were planted last year at the palace of nature appear to be in great condition.