ANN ARBOR – Controlled burns will be taking place on Thursday in stormwater features and rain gardens in Garden Homes Park and Veterans Memorial Park.
The burns at Garden Homes Park will be conducted near Franklin Street and Miller Ave. Burn crews will be operating in two rain gardens at Veterans Memorial Park -- the rain garden near Dexter Avenue and the Zamboni rain garden near Maple Road and Jackson Ave.
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“Controlled burns help reduce invasive species and encourage native plants to thrive,” reads a release by the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office. “Deep rooted native plants make soils more absorbent. Spongier soils reduce runoff which can cause problems downstream. Ecologically, it is important to burn these natural areas so that the prairie-like ecosystems continue to flourish.”
According to the release, the City of Ann Arbor Systems Planning Unit provides funding for the work, which is coordinated by the WCWRC.
PlantWise, LLC, a professional contractor, will be conducting the ecological burns. Each site has a specific burn plan and the Ann Arbor Fire Department has issued burn permits for all three.
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