Letter to the Editor, Ann Arbor News,
dated 9/7/2003, by Stephanie Hunter

I live in the Dicken Woods area and I would like to respond to Judy McGovern's column of September 7.

Judy, I invite you to walk this property, either alone or with one of us. Come at the end of a hot, stressful day. You can park and walk from anywhere in the neighborhood or from Dicken School. As soon as you enter the woods, the temperature will seem to drop 10 degrees. If you reach the middle of the area you won't be able to hear the traffic. It will seem as if you are at the center of a large forest. If you're lucky you may see the mother deer and her two fawns. You may see the blue jay with the funny wing. He was rehabilitated and needed a safe place for release. If you stumble into the wet areas you'll see many little critters, none of them especially interesting; but they don't know that. Check out the plants. Many are invasive but offer food and protection for the animals and offer building materials for forts built by occasional groups of young kids. If you come across piles of black walnuts please look for the tree. It must be there somewhere, though it's never been mentioned.

After your walk you will hopefully understand why this property is so important. It has nothing to do with keeping out new neighbors and everything to do with saving some green space for all of us.

Signed,

Stephanie Hunter, Ann Arbor