Volunteers sought for HTPD

It’s a new year and the Heritage Trails Park District is seeking new volunteers to help out at its parks. During the park district’s virtual meeting Tuesday afternoon, Administrator Terry McDonald noted she’s had several people reach out to her asking if there was some way they could help with the parks.

“There are groups and individuals out there still expressing interest in helping the park district,” McDonald told the park board members. “I think we should come up with a list of things that need done so we can start putting those volunteers to good use.”

One of the main things that board members agreed was that a lot of the park properties have a significant amount of litter that needs to be picked up regularly. HTPD board member Dave Stilwell said he often comes across fast food bags that have been discarded in the area, specifically

at Kuffner Nature Preserve on

County Road 66A.

“Anytime I walk out there, there’s something that’s been thrown out there,” he said. “I think Kuffner has become a place for people to park their cars and eat their fast food, and unfortunately some people seem to just throw their trash out the window.

“If anybody wants to help, just bring a trash bag along with you when you go walk there and help pick things up.”

Board member Alison Brady suggested volunteers could also help the park district identify areas of the properties that could use maintenance such as adding mulch or fallen trees blocking trails. She suggested people could help keep their parks in good condition by spotting issues before they get out of hand so they can be taken care of quickly.

“I don’t know that we need to ask others to handle a chainsaw for us but we would like to be aware of trail conditions to help keep trails open,” she added.

Brady also suggested people could identify different things they come across in nature that could make hikes more exciting for others. She noted that she came across an area with notable beaver activity that she hadn’t seen before.

“People can take a photo of the wildflowers, birds, mushrooms, whatever nature is doing on any of these park lands for people to keep an eye out for while they’re hiking,” she said. “People can be our eyes in nature and share what they find and then we decide if it should get shared on our social media.”

Along the lines of Brady’s suggestion, McDonald asked for thoughts on the annual spring wildflower hike, tentatively scheduled for late April. Board members discussed the possibility of a selfguided hike with signs identifying the naturally growing wildflowers for people to learn about at their leisure. McDonald said she and Park Commissioner Matt Teeters can take a walk around the park lands to identify which flowers are where and then signs can be made with information on them.

In other business, the HTPD:

• Discussed plans for the annual Gardener’s Swap and Share event, in conjunction with the St. Marys Community Public Library. Additional details will be announced as the event approaches but the focus of the event will be centered around butterflies and the plants they are attracted to.

• Noted the next Cabin Fever Hike will be throughout the month of February along the Miami and Erie Canal towpath. The hikes have moved to a monthlong format to allow for better social distancing and McDonald said attendance has been improving since the new year began.

• Announced the next meeting will be held at 4 p.m. on Feb. 16. The meeting will be virtual and held on Zoom.