Author: Phil Huhn

  • Doug Fulton’s, A Naturalist’s Journal

    MSWA Logo's Bird

    Doug Fulton was a journalist with the Ann Arbor News. He wrote hundreds of articles. Many of the articles were environmental and nature based. He wrote two full page articles on Scarlett Mitchell Woods. On the ‘Mitchell Scarlett Woods Nature Area’ sign is an image of a bird. Ever wondered what’s the bird, well the…


  • Workdays in the Distant Past

    Scarlett Mitchell Woods entrance sign

    The Friends of Scarlett Mitchell Woods has workdays on the first Saturday of the month. The concept of workways is far from a new thing. The following is from an Ann Arbor News article from the May 1st, 1970 newspaper. Nature Walks, Cleanup Set “Operation Mitchell – Scarlett Woods” will start a two-weekend spring campaign…


  • Spring Beauty

    Spring Beauty Flower

    The Spring Beauty (Claytonia) is one of the spring ephemerals. It is a low plant with loose clusters of 5 petals white or pink flowers, striped with dark pink. It has a pair of slender leaves This picture was taken on April 4, 2024, on our first Spring Serendipity Walk. In the morning at 10:00,…


  • Spring Ephemerals in Scarlett Mitchell Woods

    A single trillium

    e-phem-er-al something that lasts for a very short time : ‘fashions are ephemeral’ The word is derived from the Greek ephemeros, ‘lasting for only a day’. To read more about spring ephemerals see this article by Robin Sweetser. This article will talk about the following 10 ephemerals:


  • Spring 2024 Serendipity Walk – Path Less Taken

    Path less taken walk collage

    The last of four Spring Serendipity Walks took place on May 18, 2024. This time we focused on Scarlett Mitchell Woods – West, sometimes referred to as the Korschak section after the previous owners.  It took 25 years to procure this section with funds from the City of Ann Arbor, a grant from the State…


  • Parks/NAP Millage

    Nature Areas Entrance Signs

    Ann Arbor has 161 parks and Natural Areas with more than 2188 acres. About 50 acres of Scarlett Mitchell Woods is a part of the City’s Parks. On Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, voters will decide to renew the city’s parks maintenance and capital improvements millage at the rate of 1.1 mills. Previous Park millages were…


  • Ann Arbor Board of Education Budget Cuts

    Scarlett Mitchell Woods entrance sign

    Ann Arbor Board of Education approves massive budget cuts of $20.4 million. The remaining $4.6 million will be accomplished through some other non-classroom reductions, including the sale of district properties. 50 acres of Scarlett Mitchell Woods is owned by the Ann Arbor Public Schools. For more information see WEMU.


  • Workday – June 1, 2024

    Jun 2024 Workday Collage of people who attended

    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. What to bring: Hand tools if you have them – saws, loppers, clippers. Snacks and water if desired. When: June 1, 2024 at 10:00am –…


  • FSMW Board Meeting (June 20, 2024)

    Kiosk

    Online Zoom Meeting May 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…


  • Workday – May 11, 2024

    Bahá’ís and friends workday collage

    Thanks to Bahá’ís and friends for helping remove invasive from Scarlett Mitchell Woods.