What You'll Find Here
More than 50 acres of field and forest, native prairie and pond -- all within Ann Arbor city limits!

 Black Pond Woods

The mile long trail through the Black Pond woods will allow you to explore the plants and animals of the forest. Look for nests, tracks, holes and other signs that animals have been here. Pass by the Black Pond and listen to the frogs peeping in the early spring. Each season brings a new    adventure.


LSNC Site & Black Pond Woods Trail Map

Useful information

Hours: The grounds, trails and raptor enclosures are open every day of the year. Our buildings, except for the critter house, do not have regular hours. The critter house is open Sundays from 12-3.  We hold open Raptor Hours from 4-6 on Saturdays.  We are open every day of the year, from dawn till dusk.

Cost: FREE.
There is no admission charge.

Where we are: we are on the north side of Ann Arbor:

1831 Traver Rd.
Ann Arbor MI 48105
View map

See how beautifully green beautifully green technologies work in our beautiful Nature House.

Natural resources such as gas, oil, wood, and water are being used and polluted faster than the natural world can replace or repair it. The Nature House showcases energy systems, building techniques, and recycled materials that enable us to live lightly on the earth. We hope our visitors will learn by example.    

The Nature House's
                Environmentally Friendly Highlights:

Solar Energy
Photovoltaic arrays on the roof convert the sun's energy into useable electricity. A ten inch thick mass wall absorbs energy from the sun and help to retain heat in the building.
Solar thermal panel on porch heats the water the in the building.

Click here to see live and archived solar data on the Nature House solar system performance.

Water Conservation
Composting toilets use no water and incorporate a simple system of natural, aerobic biological reduction to convert human waste into compost.
Grey water from kitchen and bathroom sinks is piped through a planting bed in the basement where the water is filtered and reused much the same way that a wetland naturally cleanses water.
Rainwater is collected from the roof and stored in underground cisterns to be used for irrigation and to fill our aquariums in the Critter House.

Natural and Recycled Materials
Ceramic tiles made from recycled auto glass.
Carpet tiles 100% recyclable.
Interior finishes made from the chaff of sunflower plants and soy resin and low-VOC paint.