ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The City of Ann Arbor will kick off this year’s spring ecological burn season with an informational meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 15 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Natural Area Preservation staff and volunteers will conduct controlled burns in natural areas from Feb. 17 through May 27 during weekdays between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., as weather allows.
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The Feb. 15 virtual meeting on Zoom will be open to the public where community members can have their questions answered. Find the meeting information here.
This year, NAP will be burning 22 areas including Arbor Hills Nature Area, Argo Nature Area, West Park, Huron Hills Golf Course Woods and Scarlett Mitchell Nature Area.
Signs will be posted indicating which parks and areas will be burned.
Ecological burns are intended to remove dead foliage, enrich soil and help Ann Arbor area native plant species regrow, according to the NAP website.
“Continued fire suppression has allowed fire-intolerant, non-native plant species to out-compete the native, fire-adapted plants. By reintroducing fire in the parks, NAP is reinstating an essential ecosystem process,” the website says.
Designated areas are determined by NAP staff who evaluate each location and develop a burn plan that is revied by Ann Arbor fire marshals.
Those interested in volunteering with the 2022 burn crew can sign up for a required training session on Wednesday, Feb. 16. between noon to 5 p.m. Registration is required by Feb. 15 and can be done here. Anyone in need of additional training information can call 734-794-6627 or email NAP@a2gov.org.