Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission

The expansion of Washtenaw County's Border-To-Border Trail continues, and the next piece of the puzzle is the "Dexter Connection." This stretch of the trail will connect hikers and bikers to downtown Dexter and is expected to be completed this fall. Roy Townsend serves as Project Manager for the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission. He spoke to Rebekah Warren about the expansion's current progress and how it may impact Washtenaw County's overall environment and infrastructure.

July is National Park and Recreation Month, and as Washtenaw County honors its 200th anniversary, its park system—which celebrated its own 50th anniversary in 2023—is showcasing how public spaces serve as vital community infrastructure rather than just places for leisure. Rhonda Bouma is Deputy Director of Operations for the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission. She joined Rebekah Warren to talk about what the county's park service has achieved and what it has planned for the future.

There is a species of butterfly so rare, its worldwide population is limited to 10 highly fragmented pockets in Michigan and Indiana. Washtenaw County is among the areas where you'll find the Mitchell's satyr. Efforts to save the species continue and come via some radical habitat preservation strategies. WEMU's David Fair shares more about the local effort to prevent extinction in a conversation with Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission Stewardship Planner Allison Krueger.

County officials worked this year to connect the Border-to-Border (B2B) Trail in Chelsea between North Territorial and Boyce Road and completed the Barton-Bandemer Tunnel in Ann Arbor. They’re now focusing on filling a key piece of the trail for 2026. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the story.

A big crowd was on hand in Ann Arbor Wednesday morning as officials cut the ribbon on the long-awaited Barton-Bandemer Pedestrian Tunnel. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert has this report.

The greenway along the Saline River is going to expand, and about 45 acres of property will preserved in perpetuity. The Washtenaw County Department of Parks and Recreation purchased the land from the Grossman Family, and it aims to improve the environment and add recreational opportunity. WEMU's David Fair spoke with Parks and Recreation Stewardship Planner Allison Krueger about the project.

Washtenaw County has finalized the purchase of the old Cheney Elementary School. The location will be the home of the long-awaited Eastern Washtenaw Community and Recreation Center. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

The Ann Arbor City Council will consider a resolution to begin constructing a pedestrian underpass at the Bandemer-Barton Trail. WEMU’s Taylor Bowie has more.

Work is being delayed on a new section of the Border to Border Trail in Scio Township. We get the details from WEMU’s Taylor Pinson.

Back in the 1990's, the Border-to-Border Trail in Washtenaw County was still a concept. Fast forward to today, and more than 30 miles of trail have been completed, and more is on the way. Peter Sanderson is principal planner for the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Department. He joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss how far we've come, what's going to be done this year, and where we're headed in the future.