Churches create 5-acre natural area on Ann Arbor’s north side

The city isn’t the only institution creating green space in Ann Arbor. The Northside Associated Ministries recently finished work on a 5-acre natural area, complete with woods, trails and meditation area.St. Aidan’s and Northside Presbyterian make up the Northside Associated Ministries, sharing a building on the 1600 block of Broadway near Plymouth Road. They decided to open up the five acres of woodland behind them to the public as a public green space.The natural space features benches, a meditation area and a woodchip trail that connects to a nearby trail that was created by a local Boy Scout as part of his Eagle Project. The group of local volunteers that created the space is also working to eradicate non-native plants from the area.”The trail meanders back and forth,” says Jim Pierson, care person for the building and grounds of the Northside Associated Ministries. “There are a lot of things to look at, like plantings and wildlife.”The trail is made for pedestrians. The natural area is open to the public.Source: Jim Pierson, care person for the building and grounds of the Northside Associated MinistriesWriter: Jon Zemke