I've run into a variety of people, including an undergrad student working at the MSU surplus store, my plumber, people walking on the street, who all say with such fondness in their eyes "I used to go to Averill" or "I used to play in those woods."

From the start, our neighborhood association formally acknowledged the importance of those woods (hence our name) and our desire to balance environmental stewardship with recreational use and safety in the woods.

As we've begun to "reclaim" the trails in the woods due to years of "deferred maintenance" we have grown to love the incredible array of unique flora and fauna in the woods even more. Check out our photo and video gallery of the woods project.

Our city forestry supervisor, Irene McDonnel-Cahill, who has helped us greatly in our efforts, encouraged us to document not only the specimens we find in the woods (which we are doing) but also the history of how the woods has been used.

So we want to hear your stories! 

What do you remember about playing in the woods?  What was there?  Who used it?  Was it a child's paradise away from adult eyes? How did you use it?  How did kids and adults refer to the woods?  Was it an important part of your childhood?  Could you play there during school?

We look forward to hearing your adventures and memories....