What’s Happening Now

Greenview Butterfly Count: 2024 Survey Results

The Seasons of Greenview Nature Area

The nature area undergoes remarkable changes with each season, offering new sights and sounds throughout the year.

In late summer, the Central Meadow bursts with colorful wildflowers, from the golden hues of Goldenrods and Rudbeckia to the purples and pinks of Coneflowers and Ironweed. Bees, beetles, and wasps of all kinds buzz among the blooms, while prairie grasses like Big Bluestem, Indian grass, Little Bluestem, and Switchgrass provide shelter for countless insects and birds.

As fall sets in, asters brighten the landscape with clusters of white, blue, and purple blooms. They provide essential food for insects and are especially popular with butterflies, including migrating monarchs. In the nearby Pioneer Woods, fall brings beautiful colors, with oaks, hickories, and maples showing off shades of amber, gold, and deep red.

As cooler temperatures settle in, the landscape’s colors soften, but prairie grasses and native flower seed heads continue to add interest and texture. They also offer essential food and shelter for wildlife.

Grasses and seed pods, lightly dusted with snow or encased in ice, bring a unique charm to the snowy landscape at the nature area. As winter deepens and the pond freezes, it transforms into a lively hub, welcoming neighborhood ice skaters to its surface.

Highlights of Our Stewardship Activities in 2024

In 2024 the Friends of Greenview and Pioneer Nature Area was actively involved in various stewardship activities to restore and enhance the natural features and beauty of this wonderful community open space. We organized community work days and educational events throughout the season. The generous donations and grants allowed us to buy native seeds and plants, to and engage a professional consultant to conduct restoration projects, and guide our overall strategy to improve the nature area.

Park Steward Update

Friends of Greenview organized a Butterfly and Wildflower Tour in conjunction with Ann Arbor Farm & Garden. We would like to thank all the butterfly enthusiasts who joined us for this wonderful event. Special thanks to our guides and butterfly experts, Dr. Swales, Judy Lobato, and Marcy Breslow. Walking along the paths in the central meadow and the pollinator garden, we observed several butterfly species, including the Checkered Skipper, American Lady, Orange and Clouded Sulfur, Tiger, and Black Swallowtail.

This May, Friends of Greenview hired goats to help control invasive plants. Six goats, confined by a temporary fence, browsed an area just east of the Project Grow Community Garden. The event proved to be a very popular neighborhood attraction. Pioneer High School students visited the site to learn about goatscaping.

On May 26, the Huron Trails District Scout troop undertook an Eagle Scout Service Project at Greenview. The Scouts installed essential drainage infrastructure on the trails south of the wetland and pond. They dug trenches and installed drainage pipes to redirect water into the wetland. To complete the project, they spread several yards of wood chips to enhance the quality of the trails.

A big thank you to all the Scouts and volunteers who dedicated their time and effort to this important project. Your hard work has significantly improved the trails for everyone to enjoy!

FOG coordinated a volunteer work hour that saw a great turnout of dedicated volunteers. Their efforts made substantial progress in path maintenance throughout the nature area. Wood chips were distributed along trails near the Pioneer Woods Glen Leven entrance, around wet areas neighboring Greenview Pond, and along paths in the Pollinator Garden. This event was dedicated to honoring Jim Rogers, our former Park Steward, whose commitment to park stewardship and volunteerism left an indelible mark on Greenview/Pioneer Woods.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our enthusiastic volunteers for generously contributing their time, tools, and energy to these projects, and for their invaluable role in strengthening the Greenview community.

Friends of Greenview purchased four Swamp White Oaks for the Glen Leven entrance to Pioneer Woods. We thank the students from the Pioneer High School Plant Club for joining us on April 26 to plant these trees. The students also spread wood chips and underplanted the oaks with native sedges and wildflowers. Their enthusiasm and hard work were truly appreciated!

This year the burn concentrated in areas north of the main path. Controlled burns are a crucial part of our conservation efforts. Carefully planned and controlled fire helps us manage vegetation in a way that discourages weeds but encourages desirable plants, promoting the overall well-being of the ecosystem.

To enhance the Greenview meadow, Friends of Greenview volunteers have broadcasted native flower seeds across the burnt sections of the meadow. Overseeding, following the prescribed burn, aims to boost the diversity of native prairie plants. Seed mixes were purchased from Michigan Wildflower Farm, and also collected from our nature area last fall. Over the winter, the Friends also overseeded areas burnt the previous spring, continuing their efforts to improve diversity of the native wildflowers in those sections.

Friends of Greenview purchased and planted several native trees and shrubs in the nature area this spring. Four serviceberries were added to the Pollinator Demonstration Garden, and redbud trees along with several specimens of Northern spicebush were planted in the area near the pond. Luke, our intern, helped with the planting.

Additionally, Friends planted new apple trees in the mini-orchard adjacent to the Edible Demonstration Garden, featuring varieties such as Wickson Crab, Enterprise, and Dolgo Crab.

Friends of Greenview continues to clear invasive buckthorn. We used donations we received to hire environmental consultant to cut back invasive buckthorn in the area east of the Greenview pond.

FOG also organized a volunteer work hour on March 16 to help drag buckthorn limbs to the curb for disposal. We thank our enthusiastic volunteers who helped with this project.

This March Friends of Greenview and Pioneer Nature Area received a grant from Ann Arbor Farm and Garden. This funding will help us conduct a controlled burn in Central Meadow, hire goats to manage buckthorn, and purchase native plants and seeds for the Pollinator Garden. Thank you, Ann Arbor Farm and Garden, for your generous support! You can read more on A2 G& G website: https://www.annarborfarmandgarden.org