Author: Phil Huhn
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American Hophornbeam
American Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) (aka Ironwood) (Wikipedia) is native to eastern USA, from east of the Mississippi and north of northern Florida. The hophornbeam bark looks like cat scratches and is frequently called cat scratch bark tree. The flowers of the hophornbeam are called catkins and bloom in early spring. The hophornbeam flowers are either male…
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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…
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Workday – May 2, 2026
Who: Anyone who’s willing and able to help. Scarlett students are welcome to participate but you must bring a parent. Where: Meet at the bench near the showcase at the main entrance to the woods. Why? spreading wood chips, trash cleanup along old Ellsworth and removal of invasive buckthorn and honeysuckle. Maybe even building boardwalks. What to bring: When: Saturday…
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Garlic Mustard (Invasive)
From Judy S. On the Work Day last Saturday, a few of us walked up the path from the main entrance toward Platt Road to check out the garlic mustard status. Phil asked how you could differentiate garlic mustard from other plants. I was a bit dismissive, having 20 years of pulling it under my…
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Spring is here; ducks have returned…
From Phil H.:A new species of ducks in Scarlett Mitchell Woods: A family of rubber ducks (Anatini Cummis) was spotted floating on the pond on April 1st. This particular species of ducks occasionally has numbers on their bottoms. Interestingly, this female specimen appears to wear lipstick. Historically rubber ducks were seen racing down the Huron…
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March 29, 2026 Controlled Burn
WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY and HOW: Who: This particular prescribed burn was arranged and will be paid for by The Friends of Scarlett Mitchell Woods at a cost of $3,500. The burn, if and when it comes off, will be managed by Dave Mindell of PlantWise Native Landscapes & Ecological Restoration, an Ann Arbor company founded…
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FSMW Board Meeting (April 16, 2026)
Online Zoom Meeting April 16 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…
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Workday – April 4, 2026
Who: Anyone who’s willing and able to help. Scarlett students are welcome to participate but you must bring a parent. Where: Meet at the bench near the showcase at the main entrance to the woods. Why? spreading wood chips, trash cleanup along old Ellsworth and removal of invasive buckthorn and honeysuckle. Maybe even building boardwalks. What to bring: When: Saturday…
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FSMW Board Meeting (March 19, 2026)
Online Zoom Meeting March 19 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…
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The Pond Images
The pond and the loop trail are two of the central things in the woods. It is nice to end the walk on the loop trail with a stop at the benches on the west end of the pond and take in how blessed we are to have this inside of Ann Arbor. Seasonal home page…