By Saundra McBrearty, Outreach and Volunteer Specialist
I was elated by the great news that voters passed the Preservation Parks levy with 63 percent support. We can be excited for the Park District to continue fulfilling projects that further the mission to protect nature and inspire outdoor exploration. Learning about nature in a forest setting is pure fun. With funding secured for the decade ahead, we look forward to having adventures in new parks, natural areas, and trails. Here are highlights of park projects to come.
New parks on the horizon
Purchasing new park land is a must for Delaware County, especially as the area continues to be one of the fastest growing in Ohio. A new 230-acre park, located just one mile north of the bustling Polaris Parkway, on Bale Kenyon Road in Orange Township, will be finalized and developed. We will also create a 115-acre park along Pollock Road in Delaware Township. Plans for that park call for a large year-round picnic shelter, trails, wetlands, a fishing pond and sledding hill – all providing ample opportunity for a wide range of fun for all ages and interests.
Trail Connections
Can you imagine fun adventures riding bikes from one park to another? Or better yet, riding bikes across the entire state of Ohio? The extraordinary Ohio to Erie Multi-Use Trail does just this, spanning the length of our great state from the Ohio River in Cincinnati, running through Delaware County, and continuing north all the way to Lake Erie. Preservation Parks, as part of this grand partnership, intends to construct Delaware County trail segments of the Ohio to Erie Multi-Use Trail, as land is acquired. And get excited Delaware City! We plan to link Smith Park on the north side of the city to Gallant Woods Park on Buttermilk Hill Road with a 1.5-mile multi-use trail, pending easement approval.
Outdoor Exploration and Learning
Preservation Parks will amplify its educational programming by offering more youth summer camp opportunities, expanding field experience grants to schools, and increasing nature programming for families, adult learners, and other targeted audiences. In addition, we look forward to presenting special thematic exhibits each year to keep visitor centers fresh and dynamic.
Preservation Park has crafted a 10-year plan which details these and many more projects. Click this link Preservation Parks ten-year plan to view the ten-year plan in detail.
THANK YOU, sincerely, for helping us continue to add more natural areas, parks, trails and programs. We could not do any of it without your support.
