FSMW Board Meeting (May 21, 2026)

Online Zoom Meeting May 21 7:30, Thursday

FSMW is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. In this meeting we will explore what we as a community can do to manage and care for Scarlett Mitchell Woods, the central 40 acres of the Scarlett Mitchell Nature Area. This area contains the heart of the woods and the pond, which was dredged in 1982. It is owned by the Ann Arbor Public Schools and is no longer managed by Nature Area Preservation. Help us to implement actions to fulfill our vision of Scarlett Mitchell Woods hosting native life, that contains no invasive species, and that invites community members to walk, enjoy and learn.

For more information contact: Judy Schmidt or phone Mike at: 734-395-8959

Agenda

1. Hellos/ Introductions as needed
2. Agenda: Adoption/ Modification – Approval
3. Approval of Minutes of Prior Meeting
4. News, Announcements 
   • Boardwalk completion – Phil
   • DTE funding availability – Michael
   • Salinity meters – Michael
   • Purchase of 200 more FSMW brochures – Phil 
   • Bird list comparison, 70’s vs. present – Autumn
5. Treasurer’s Report – Pat Frey
6. Volunteer Report – Autumn (not this month)
7. Scarlett Nature Club – Pat Frey
8. Old Business
   • Poop – Janet, Judy
   • Making SMW more bird-friendly 
   • Salinity meters – Michael
   • Archiving – Judy
9. New Business 
   • Next workday – June 6, 10am – 12 noon?
   • Spring Bird Walks
   • Stakes
   • Future projects for DTE funding
10. Next Meeting: June 18, 2026
11. Adjournment

Minutes

Present: Michael Benham,Pat Frey, Phil Huhn, Autumn Jackson, Janet Rieke, Judy Schmidt, Manfred Schmidt, Julie Steiff 

1. Hellos / Introductions. 
2. Adoption / Modification of Agenda. Agenda approved with one modification.
3. Approval of Minutes of Prior Meeting.  Minutes approved with corrections to the list of people present. 
4. News, Announcements
   • Boardwalk completion – PH. PH announced that the boardwalk at the northwest end of the pond is complete. MB praised him for a very professional job. PH said the new boardwalk is wide enough for strollers, lawn mowers, and cross-country skiers.
   • DTE funding availability – MB. When MB let DTE know that the boardwalk project was complete, Trey emailed MB to say DTE has more grant money available.
   • Salinity meters – MB. MB got two meters from Cort Ambrosino. PF got two for the Nature Club students to use to collect data. The meters test for pH and several other things in addition to salinity. Cort Ambrosino has ideas for improving the pond, e.g., the use of aeration. PF will email MB with his ideas. MB will work with Sarah Redman to test not only at our pond but also at known healthy ponds for comparison.
   • Purchase of FSMW brochures – PH purchased 200 more brochures. We should let him know if we need more.
   • Bird list comparison, 1970s vs. present – AJ. AJ compared Judy S’s1972 bird list to eBird data for 2025. Trends: The number of species has decreased. Grassland and marsh birds have decreased. PH is concerned that invasive phragmites in the marsh area may be affecting the birds. MB said that the City is aware of the problem and has discussed treating the area for phragmites. He suggested following up. MB will contact Leah Jones, the Volunteer Coordinator at NAP, and bring up oriental bittersweet as well. PF notes that it’s difficult to remove it by hand; it needs to be done early in the season.
5. Treasurer’s Report: – PF. The treasurer’s report is not yet complete, but here are some updates. We have $3546.25 in the bank and + $43.10 on a Visa card, for a grand total of $3589.35 (bank account + Visa card). We had a $400 anonymous donation this week. We spent several hundred dollars of the DTE grant money.
6. Volunteer Report – AJ. There is no volunteer report this month.
7. Scarlett Nature Club – PF. At a recent meeting, three students removed old buckthorn baggies. One chopped, one supervised, and one kept records on whether the stumps were dead or sprouting. The baggies seem more effective at killing buckthorn than killing honeysuckle. Judy S said it depends on how well the bags are put on. Also, honeysuckle propagates by rhizomes, so it’s more difficult to kill. An interesting observation: the baggies seem to create a dry spot for ant colonies.
8. Old Business:
   • Dog poop – JR. JR has not heard back from Liz Margolis about getting a no-poop sign. 
   • Making SMW more bird-friendly. MB invited people’s ideas. Should we make this a project? AJ noted that we’re already doing a lot of the right things, like removing invasive species; she’s not sure what else to do. AJ suggested having a bird walk every spring. She has noted an increased number of observations on ebird, perhaps because we’ve made the trails nicer. AJ said that NAP also checks on the nesting boxes, and the boxes have been used (one by a flying squirrel!). PF again offered a bat box. 
   • Salinity meters. See above.
   • Archiving – Judy S. Judy S has been reviewing some of her historical materials about the woods, but there’s still a lot more to organize.
9. New Business:
   • Next workday – June 6, 10 am–12 noon.  Possible activities: removing garlic mustard, removing buckthorn baggies, removing honeysuckle, removing old buckthorn baggies, putting on new buckthorn baggies, marking them with different-colored zip ties so it’s clear which ones are new, planting near the entrance. 
   • Stakes for signposts – PH. PH requested funding to buy six new stakes for the trail signposts. The motion passed unanimously.
   • Future projects for DTE funding:
     • MB. Possibilities include 1) pond rehab (cleaning up the pond via aeration and planting), 2) starting and maintaining a bird list, 3) buying new stakes for the trail signposts. JS expressed support for pond rehab since the pond is a key feature of the woods that people really enjoy. MB pointed out that it would be in proximity to the boardwalk DTE paid for. Judy S has noticed that areas of the pond that used to be open are now overgrown. MS would like to remove the tree that fell into the pond during an ice storm a couple of years ago. MB wondered if the purple martin house and wood duck house are functioning as they should—perhaps replacement or rehab of the bird boxes could be part of the project.
     • MB suggested that we could also use grant money to do new planting. He has planted serviceberry, spiceberry, etc. at Swift Run, and it’s doing well. Golden alexanders bloom early. We could collect seeds and scatter them. Redbuds planted along border of co-op have done well. We could do this at the June 6 workday. MB will buy some plants and bring deer protection to plant—maybe spicebush, red-twig dogwood, or serviceberry. PF seconded the motion. 
     • JR suggested building a shed to store tools for workdays. Judy S was reluctant because of potential vandalism. JR said it might be safer right next to the school. MB said this idea is worthy of consideration but probably not a top priority. 
10. Next Meeting: June 18, 2026
11. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:44 pm.

Minutes submitted by Julie Steiff.

Attachment 2:  Inventory of Ideas: Field Days!  Lots of Options!

• (aka Ideas for Spring Unfolding and other seasonal walks in the woods)

Education and Fun

• Search for amphibians – learn their calls – March/April
• Identify Fungi – early spring – September/October Study Group 
• Spring Ephemerals –  (Spring Beauty, May Apples, Trillium, etc) April/May
• Insect relationships – Native bees; carrion beetles; mosquitoes, caterpillars
• Birding for beginners – Spring migration
• Owl prowl 
• Pond dipping – May
• Vernal pools
• Geology of the woods – study group?
• Mosses and lichens – study group?
• Tree flowers and buds
• Bat house

Data Collection

• Library tool collection (?)
• Binoculars
• Measure highway noise in the woods – various seasons
• Solicit expertise from our Friends group and the wider community
• Using identification apps
• FSMW Walk to evaluate which areas to concentrate on next

Work Days 

• Searching for and pulling garlic mustard, and other tender invasive plants
• Removing buckthorn baggies
• Obtaining and spreading wood chips on the trails
• Fixing boards on trails 
• Coating benches
• Repainting signposts so they are readable
• Planting seeds and seedlings
• Repair or replace trail markers that are rotting.  Do we have a scout troop we can contact?
• Remove poison ivy
• Pocket Forest planting and maintenance