Barnes Preserve volunteers keep the park thriving
Comprising nearly a mile of nonchallenging ADA-paved trails that meander through pristine woods into a thriving meadow, Wayne County's Barnes Preserve was specifically designed to give children and adults with physical limitations equal opportunities to experience the wonders of nature.
On a recent weekend, nearly 45 volunteers turned out to remove sumac saplings from the meadow at Barnes Preserve.
“People brought their chainsaws or steel-bladed weed whackers and worked for a couple hours on a very hot day,” said Carole Van Pelt, one of the park commissioners. “We can’t let the saplings go because they would ruin the fragile habitat in the meadow.”
Van Pelt said the open fields of the meadow are critical to the birds and pollinators that inhabit it.
Van Pelt is the daughter of Don and Dorothy Barnes, who donated the 76 acres of land on which the park sits. The Barneses were the longtime directors of the Wayne County (Home) Care Center.
The preserve, located at 3396 Sylvan Road southeast of Wooster between state Route 250 and 30, is the only county park in Wayne County and depends entirely on volunteers for maintenance and financial support.
“I truly don’t know where we’d be without all the wonderful people who volunteer with us,” Van Pelt said.
Van Pelt said the park district depends on generous donations from organizations, individuals and businesses and does not receive funding from the county to operate the park. It is dedicated to securing and preserving natural habitats for recreational and educational purposes. The Friends of the Wayne County Park District group provides the majority of the labor for maintaining the park and securing funding through various grants and programs.
Comprising nearly a mile of nonchallenging ADA-paved trails that meander through pristine woods into a thriving meadow, Barnes Preserve was specifically designed to give children and adults with physical limitations equal opportunities to experience the wonders of nature. It includes myriad indigenous plants, and a serene wetland pond by the woods’ edge is teeming with all kinds of aquatic life. The preserve is home to many different wildlife species such as deer, fox, muskrats, bats and migratory birds.
A pavilion is available for rental for small to medium gatherings, and parking is available in two lots on the property. The pavilion has electricity.
According to Van Pelt, 2019 saw an effort to conduct a strategic plan for the park, but funding was not available to complete the survey.
“We have a vision of where we want to be,” Van Pelt said, “but we simply don’t have the funds to formalize something like this at this time.”
Van Pelt said the process would require the county commissioners to provide the park with more funds or to acquire funding through a levy.
Van Pelt said one of the items she would like to see completed in the next five years would be securing grants to dredge two old lagoons from the county home into ponds that could be used for fishing.
“They are full of silt and would need to be dredged in order to include different levels,” Van Pelt said. “We would like to put in a boardwalk too.”
Van Pelt said local Boy Scouts have cleared a path to the ponds.
In 10 years Van Pelt said she would like to see a levy to create a park district to incorporate other community parks such as Wooster Memorial Park (Spangler) and Oak Hill Park.
“Those parks don’t have the resources to conduct educational opportunities on their own,” Van Pelt said. “Ashland, Holmes, Medina and Stark counties all have park districts. It would take a commitment, though.”
To donate to Barnes Preserve, make reservations or for questions, call 330-263-6256. The park’s website is www.waynecountyparkdistrict.org.