Thurston Pond is a 7 acre pond in the Thurston Elementary neighborhood, located off Yorktown Drive on the city of Ann Arbor's northeast side. It is popular with locals as a recreation and nature observation spot, and for kids from Thurston Elementary to experience a natural area. The pond is a summer home to many species of birds including egrets, merganser ducks, and heron, and other wildlife including snapping turtles.
The pond is part of the drainage of Miller's Creek, and was created in the 1960s from an existing wetland area as part of the residential and school construction in the area. In 2015, Thurston Pond was dredged and improved by volunteers after a successful fundraising effort, with help from students at Thurston Elementary. Ongoing invasive plant management is performed annually including the removal of phragmites.
The Thurston Nature Center Committee maintains a series of trails and access points around the pond.
In the news
- Ann Arbor's Thurston Pond needs refreshing after 5 decades, Mlive, 4 April 2015
- Thurston Pond flooding
- Thurston Pond gets its thirst on, Ann Arbor Chronicle, 21 October 2008
References
- Thurston Nature Center on Facebook
- Miller's Creek Web Page
