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From your President…

We know your time is valuable. Thank you for reviewing our newsletter.

I am delighted to highlight a few members that are using their time to improve our neighborhood. Our volunteers are not only inspirational innovators but they follow up their ideas with action. Pat Mason, Valerie Marcil and Larry Hembree are just three of these key neighborhood volunteers.

Pat Mason is our SFNA Vice President and my wingman. Pat is leading the team to establish our slogan and get Welcome signs installed. Our survey found that you feel the Forest is a safe and friendly environment. He is working with local business leaders for sponsorships to fund our innovations by launching the Business Friends program. He is even running for an officer position on the Columbia Council of Neighborhoods, sharing Sherwood Forest initiatives with other associations. He was part of a team that took on the challenge of freeing Cash the dog from his tether and abuse by going to court twice to fine the owner. If you want to join his Branding Task Force team, contact Pat at 803-467-9570 or email.

Valerie Marcil leads our Forest Friends team. Her recurring newsletter articles help us tend and mend our own forest plots. Her initiative to give away trees has taken root and we expect to continue this program on an annual basis. In addition, her support of the Gills Creek watershed and understanding of urban heat islands benefits all of us. If you want to join her team, contact Valerie at 803-331-1138 or email.

Larry Hembree leads our Artist Friends, a new initiative to bring more art in all forms to our neighborhood and an avenue for our neighborhoods to share their talents. We will partner with the Arboretum (date TBD) for an exhibition of 15 local artists to perform and display their passions. In addition, the team is developing ideas for Welcome to the Neighborhood gateway signage and murals. Larry is also tackling the challenges of restoring our non-profit status with the IRS, making it easier to get grants and further our great ideas. If you want to join his team, contact Larry at 803-354-3883 or by email.

There are many more volunteers, including our block captains, making our neighborhood a place to enjoy nature and raise families. They are behind the scenes generating a place where we are Taking Pride and Nurturing Roots.

Cash Flow News: Richland County Councilman Don Weaver donated $300 to our association and we got a $140 grant from the city to pay for litter collection which will pay for our poop bags. We offer opportunities for you to also provide financial support for our initiatives. Contact me or Pat Mason.

Following years of medically imposed distancing we are hungry for social interaction. Robin Hood court hosted a campfire and pizza night this week. Fifteen attendees shared important family news and fed our need to be together again. Please find an opportunity to share with your neighbors, too.

Gail Wojtowicz, President
Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association
618-402-8736

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Weaver Realty First SFNA Business Friend

SFNA welcomes Richland County Councilman Don Weaver and his Weaver Realty Team as our first Business Friend sponsoring at the annual Angel Oak level. Headquartered on Rosewood Dr. at Kalmia since 1991, customers have come to expect skilled real estate marketing services that include rental management, financing and rent to own solutions. Call Katherine Robinson at 803-269-5745. She knows Sherwood Forest real estate!

Weaver Realty and Prime Financial Services website…

SFNA Business Friends program information…

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USC Belser Arboretum Open House
Sunday, June 18, 1-4pm

Open House is always the 3rd Sunday of every month. Open for walkers and volunteers Wednesday and Saturday 10am-noon, Thursdays from 4-6pm.

Follow the Arboretum on Instagram and see Facebook for event info.

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Forest Friends
What ARE Native Plants, Anyway?

We’ve talked a lot about the importance of native plants in Forest Friends, but exactly what they are may remain a mystery. Basically, native plants are those that have grown in a particular area for hundreds or thousands of years and are part of an ecosystem where plants and animals support each other.

One example: a white oak (native) hosts more than 500 insects as opposed to a ginkgo (exotic, native to the Far East) hosts only 5. You may think that is a good thing (no “pests”!), but native insects do not destroy native plants. They nibble at them enough to grow and the insects, in turn, are kept in balance by our native birds. A clutch of Carolina chickadees needs around 9000 caterpillars to grow to fledgling stage!

Most of the trees (e.g. oaks, hickories, wild cherries, river birch, pecans, and both loblolly and longleaf pines) in our neighborhood are native, which is why we have a wealth of birdlife. Most of our shrubbery, on the other hand, is exotic. Many folks think that traditional Carolina landscape plants (e.g. camellias, sasanquas, gardenias, boxwood, and evergreen azaleas) are native, but they are not. These plants are mostly from Japan and China and host few native insects.

Think instead of blueberries, yaupon holly, beautyberry, spice bush, wax myrtle, and native azaleas. These and many others support pollinators, who in turn support our birds. And, by the way, more birds mean healthier people! Read more about why native plants are better for birds and people at the Audubon website…

All of this does not mean you should rip out your non-native landscaping, or that nothing but 100 percent native landscaping will do. Exotic plants have a place and can add interest and beauty to your yard. But as non-natives age out, think of replacing them with natives. Or if you have a yard of mostly turf (non-native), think of adding some native trees and shrubs, grasses, and vines! And stay tuned in the coming months for information on our next native tree give-away.

Many organizations offer great lists of native plants by area, but here is one from the National Wildlife Federation…

Email Valerie Marcil at forestfriends@sherwoodforestneighbors.org with questions.

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Pick Up The Puppy Poop!

The Forest is great for walking with the dogs! SFNA has installed poop bag dispensers at the five way and on Bloomwood which our Appearance guy Dave Nelson refills regularly. But bagging the poop is only half the battle! To win the war, the plump poop bags need to be disposed of in the green rollcarts along with bagged household waste.

More info about poop myths and facts…

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SFNA General Meeting
Wednesday, August 9, 6:30pm-7:30pm
Sherwood Forest ARP Church

If you have an issue you would like discussed at the meeting please let us know! A full agenda will be available on the website.

The meeting will also be available on Zoom.

Draft minutes from the 2nd quarter general meeting…

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SFNA Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up
Saturday, November 18, 9:30-11am

Mark your calendars!

Contact Dave Nelson at 803-447-4793 or appearance@sherwoodforestneighbors.org for more information.

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Join the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association

Become a member or renew your membership now for 2023!

The SFNA is a volunteer organization of neighbors working to create a greater sense of community in the Forest.

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