HOPE THRIVES 3 YEARS AFTER TORNADOES
Trees downed in storms continue to give new life
It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since the Memorial Day tornadoes of 2019. The morning after the storm, I responded to Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark, which was the hardest hit of Five Rivers MetroParks’ locations. I was amazed by the destructive power the storm produced. A collaborative approach to restore safety and access to the park was quickly developed and staff from all over the agency assembled at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark to begin the recovery effort.
As I was leaving the park that evening, which at the time was closed to the public, I encountered a visitor walking in on the entrance road. She conveyed that she lived in the neighborhood adjacent to the park and expressed she’d come to check on “her” park, as it was an important place of solace for her. As a park professional, I often get to have memorable interactions with visitors — but this one truly solidified the urgency to restore access to the park so it could be a place of solace and healing for the community.
During the next several weeks, MetroParks staff worked to clean and restore access at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark, in addition to the Wolf Creek Recreation Trail near Trotwood and along the Great Miami Recreation
Trail near Taylorsville MetroPark. I was extraordinarily proud of how the agency responded and to be a part of the response.
After the facilities were safe to open and access to Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark had been restored, MetroParks refocused to support the community’s recovery. In September 2020, MetroParks hosted a native tree seedling giveaway as part of the agency’s Healing Nature reforestation initiative at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark. A drive-thru pick up was arranged by MetroParks staff, and residents were provided with free native tree seedlings that had been propagated by MetroParks staff and volunteers. As a result of this event, nearly 3,000 tree seedlings were distributed to property owners who lost trees in the storms.
Since then, ongoing restoration and reforestation efforts have continued. Thanks to a grant from The Garden Club of America, submitted by the Dayton Garden Club, grinding of major storm debris was completed in October 2022. The grinding allowed space to plant more than 175 trees, completed by Dayton Garden Club volunteers in November 2022. Also, in October 2021, Five Rivers MetroParks and the Arbor Day Foundation partnered to plant 100 trees at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark. Employees from State Farm and students from Chaminade Julienne High School volunteered to help MetroParks staff and volunteers plant the trees.
While the developed areas at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark have received a great deal of storm clean-up and restoration, some of the significantly impacted natural areas nearby, located in the Stillwater Conservation Area, were largely left untouched following the tornado. While the loss of live, healthy trees along the Stillwater River was devastating, those downed trees serve an important function.
When a tree dies, it continues to support countless species for many decades. Standing dead snags, trees that were damaged by the storms but did not fall all the way to the ground, are feeding grounds for insects, as well as the woodpeckers who rely upon those insects for food. Flying squirrels, bats and birds find nesting areas within these dead or wind-damaged trees. Trees lying on the ground provide refuge for salamanders and other amphibians; such small mammals as chipmunks and foxes; and other important forest organisms, such as lichens and fungi. Where public access is not a priority, storm damage in forests, which is a natural process, should be left alone whenever possible. MetroParks will continue to monitor the site and treat accessible invasive plant species in these natural areas along the wild and scenic Stillwater River.
On the evening of May 27, 2019, 16 tornadoes tore through the Miami Valley, leaving a path of destruction that can still be seen three years later. In today’s Ideas & Voices, hear from several organizations that are still picking up the pieces and learn about how you can help.