After the Plymouth Canton School District purchased Miller Woods and the surrounding farmland from Norman and Cornelia Miller in 1968, the property was left unsupervised and vandalism and destruction were the results. A local group of folks, concerned that this historical tract of land was going to be permanently destroyed, rallied and formed the original Friends of Miller Woods in 1975.
Mission:
The goal of the Friends of Miller Woods is to inspire responsible stewardship of this historic forest through education and community awareness.
The group has continued to be active in preserving and protecting the woods. They offer tours of the woods to community and educational groups in spring and fall, remove invasive shrubs, build and maintain benches, nesting boxes and signage, and keep the trails free of fallen trees. They work to raise the awareness of the historical and ecological importance of Miller Woods, by participating in school board meetings as necessary and join other ecologically-oriented organizations for educational offerings.
Newsletters are published and mailed to members regularly. The newsletter includes information about upcoming tours, educational articles about various trees, animals, or plants of the woods, and updates on what the board members are doing or need help with.
Recent News:
Next Meeting: February 2, 2008
The 2009 Miller Woods calendar will soon be available for
purchase.The calendar highlights the
photography of Marcia Fowler and all pictures are of the flora and fauna of Miller
Woods.The cost is $15, and $3 for
postage.Calendars will be delivered in
time for Christmas gift-giving.Orders
should be placed by November 30th.To place an order, call Marcia at 734-459-6479 or email her at
mjsheil@umich.edu.
The Friends of Miller
Woods offer tours for different needs, such as classroom projects, scout troop
badge requirements, garden clubs, and community or church groups.We will customize tours for your needs.We also can bring our tours to you!We have developed a beautiful power point
presentation and always pleased to speak to groups about Miller Woods.Call any board member for details and/or to
schedule.These presentations are free
of charge.
We are currently
looking for volunteers with a special interest in tree and plant identification
as we begin the process of identifying the plants in the meadow surrounding
Miller Woods. We also are in need of
volunteers who have fund-raising and/or development backgrounds.Contact Cheryl Bord for more information at
734-459-7666.
