Wednesday, November 28, 2012

An occasional sign of appreciation

 A frequent visitor and enthusiastic volunteer has begun posting signs (an example is provided above) along some of the trails providing them with designations to aid in orientation and recollection of location. They are small, tasteful, and unobtrusive labels that should cause minimal harm to the trees. We ask that the volunteer avoid posting signs on oak trees, however, which are particularly susceptible to infection of diseases, like oak wilt, after incurring even small wounds.

This volunteer independently contrived the idea and proposed his plan to me, and after careful deliberation, members of the SNRE Properties Committee and I have decided to tentatively permit the volunteer to proceed with his project. It is important to note that the trail names are not official, permanent, or endorsed by the University of Michigan or the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE); and, this should not be perceived as a sort of pilot program in order to decide how a trail-naming system should be derived or what those names should be. Although the Stinchfield Woods property is owned and managed by the University of Michigan, we encourage and appreciate the input of our visitors and supporters. However, any and all use of the property remains subject to approval by the Administration Office of SNRE of the University of Michigan.

That being said, if there are any questions, comments, or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me at stinchfieldcaretaker@gmail.com. I appreciate your feedback and suggestions. Thanks to all our visitors and volunteers. I'll see you in the Woods!