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
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