The Friends of Scarlett Mitchell Woods would like to see the Scarlett Mitchell Woods host native life, that contains no invasive species, and that invites community members to walk, enjoy, and learn. Therefore, the Friends of Scarlett Mitchell Woods will work with the schools, the city, organizations and volunteers to pursue this vision by maintaining trails, removing invasives, and promoting the woods within the community.
Scarlett Mitchell Woods
We use the name Scarlett Mitchell Woods for the following three woodlands parcels.
Scarlett Mitchell Woods – (West)
(AKA The Korchak Section after the previous owner)
Approx. 25 acres
Owned by the City of Ann Arbor. Purchased 2000 with city funds, a grant from the State of Michigan plus a donation of $50,000 from Colonial Square Cooperative.
Contains several vernal pools, a portion of mature oak-hickory woods plus former farmland overgrown with invasive shrubs and trees.
Managed by Natural Area Preservation
Scarlett Mitchell Woods (Central)
Approx. 40 acres
Owned by Ann Arbor Public Schools.
AA School Board purchased in early 1970’s; Pond dredged in the 1980s; Colonial Square Cooperative.
Contains several vernal pools with mature oak-hickory woods.
Not managed by Natural Area Preservation
Scarlett Mitchell Woods – (East)
Approx. 25 acres
Owned by the City of Ann Arbor.
Purchased approximately 1973;
Contains the largest portion of the marsh, former farmland, and vernal pools adjacent to the railroad tracks.
Managed by Natural Area Preservation
Click to see location on Google maps.
History
Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) purchased the central parcel of land in 1965 for $124,000 as a possible site for a fourth high school with funds voted by the public in a bonding issue. In 1970, AAPS considered selling the property, but David Henshaw and Manfred Schmidt argued to use the woods as “living laboratory and outdoor classroom”. The issues around a new high school location nearly derailed the conservation of the Woods. All of this action in the early 70’s with Scarlett Mitchell Woods Central raised the priority for the Ann Arbor Parks to purchase Scarlett Mitchell Woods East. The City has an interesting article about the Schmidt’s and their stewardship of the Woods.
Slide-show document of exploring the history of Scarlett Mitchell Woods from June of 2019. Some history posts can be found here.
For a deep dive into the history of Scarlett Mitchell Woods, view the following articles from the Ann Arbor News: Scarlett Mitchell Woods and Nature Area.
Education
Scarlett Mitchell Woods Central is owned by Ann Arbor Public Schools. In the adjoining area is Scarlett Middle School and the Mitchell Elementary School. The two schools’ use the woods as an outdoor classroom for environmental education.