Author: Phil Huhn
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Hackberries
Hackberries (Genus Celtis – Wikipedia) is native from Tennessee to mid-lower peninsula Michigan and from Ohio to Kansas. Hackberry trees are very hearty, but prefer direct sun, so in Scarlett Mitchell Woods will grow slowly. Hackberry bark is described as forming characteristic corky ridges and warts on trunk and branches. The hackberry leaves are alternate, simple, with…
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Birds and Blooms Nature Walk – May 16
Birds and Blooms Nature Walk – Saturday May 16, 2026 @ 10:30 am. The migrating birds have been returning to their nesting grounds or moving north for some time already, but May is the peak of the warbler migration. We’ll pay attention to the many native plants that are blooming and the insects that pollinate them.…
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Cub Scout Litter Pick up in Scarlett Mitchell Woods
From: Judy S. Attached is a collage I put together this morning of photos I took on Monday of the Cub Scouts of Troop # 3123 on an utterly gorgeous spring evening. I got out there at 5:30, thanks to your info, before most of the kids and their families arrived and met Sasha, the…
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Burn, Bark and Buds Nature Walk – April 25
Burn, Bark and Buds Nature Walk – Saturday April 25, 2026 @ 10:30 am. We’ll tour the areas that were subject to a prescribed burn by PlantWise on March 29 and explain the reasoning behind it. On our walk, we’ll also take a look at identifying trees by their bark. We’ll keep our eyes open…
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Spring 2026 Activities
Join us for one or a series of Spring Activities for April to June 2026. Meet by the bench at the main entrance to the woods: West of Scarlett Middle School; south of the bus turnaround loop. Bring your sense of curiosity and wonder. Expect surprises. Please wear sturdy shoes and long pants – bring…
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Black Cherry
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina – Wikipedia) is native to eastern USA, from eastern Oklahoma and north of the middle of Florida. The Black Cherry tree is commonly referred to as the “potato chip tree”, because the bark of a mature tree is large broken patches with upturned edges. Black Cherry flowers have 5 small white…
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American Hophornbeam
American Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana – Wikipedia) (aka Ironwood) is native to eastern USA, from east of the Mississippi and north of northern Florida. Hophornbeam bark looks like cat scratches and is frequently called cat scratch bark tree. Hophornbeam flowers are called catkins and bloom in early spring. The flowers are either male or female. Trees in…
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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…