Barnes Preserve grand opening and Caseys Trails dedication
By Karen Skubik
September 26, 2016
859
I am still pinching myself that we met the deadlines and it turned out so beautiful, Carole Van Pelt said in reference to the transformation of a little piece of Wayne County that has been a part of her whole life.
The grand opening of The Barnes Preserve and the dedication of Caseys Trails will be held at the Romich Pavilion at the 76-acre park located at 3396 Sylvan Road on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 3 p.m.
The Barnes Preserve sits on land that was formerly part of the Wayne County Care Center and was named after the Barnes family, who operated the facility for many years. While growing up, Van Pelt and her brothers all helped on the county home farm, and Van Pelt went on to serve as director of the facility.
But it was Van Pelts time as a park commissioner that really started the move toward transforming her familys gem to a publicly accessible nature preserve.
Ann Obrecht was the [county] commissioner that asked if I would be interested in serving as a park commissioner. The Park District had been inactive for years, so I was anxious but cautious, knowing it takes time to develop projects of this magnitude and we had no budget, Van Pelt said.
With a vision for the land in mind, Van Pelt said, We started the grant applications in 2012.
Knowing they wanted to create a park that would be accessible to people of all abilities, the park commissioners sought the help and grant-writing abilities of Lisa Followay, founder, president and CEO of Adaptive Sports of Ohio.
The 0.9 miles of asphalt trails that wind through the preserve went on to be named after Followays son Casey, who is confined to a wheelchair.
Van Pelt said, When we met Lisa Followay and got to know what her organization was all about, we realized that people with physical disabilities really had little to no options for experiencing nature up close.
During the early stages of the grant-writing process, Van Pelt said, Knowing what Casey has done and is doing with his young life despite his handicap, we knew that the trails would be dedicated to Casey for his lifes goal of wanting more opportunities to be inclusive.
Caseys Trails took the biggest piece of the $350,000 development budget with construction cost for the trails coming in at $230,000. That is $48.40 per beautiful foot, Van Pelt said.
The ADA trails loop through the woods, hook up to an observation deck by a wetland pond, wind out into the meadow filled with wild flowers, and then back to a paved parking lot and the Romich Pavilion.
Lisa Followay asked her son, Have you ever experienced going into the woods without being heavily assisted?
Casey Followay could not remember a time and explained, My wheelchair gets stuck in mulch and on uneven surfaces. Im at risk of falling out of the wheelchair. For someone like me its hard to get around.
But now, thanks to support from local agencies, state and federal grants, and countless volunteer hours, a beautiful nature trail with a smooth asphalt surface allows Casey Followay and others who use assistive devices to enjoy a variety of natural habitats up close.
Its really an honor to be part of this community and have a landmark named after me, the younger Followay said.
The Oct. 2 grand opening and dedication has an Oct. 9 rain date, but the public is welcome to visit the park anytime between dawn and dusk.
We want the community to know how amazing this park is, Van Pelt said. We were able to take acreage that was a cow pasture and woods canopy for over a century and a half and turn it into a fully accessible park yet keep the nature theme intact for educational purposes.
The park commissioners and the Friends of the Wayne County Park District are not done with their dreams for Barnes Preserve.
We will be creating more trails in the eastern part of the woods, but they will be mulched. We also want to create a true nature play area for kids in wheelchairs across from the pavilion, said Van Pelt, who went on to list enhancements to what already exists including more flowering native plants in the meadow, prairie grass plantings, another frog pond, a monarch butterfly sanctuary area, and lots of educational and fun offerings for kids of all ages.
That will take a lot of networking, planning and input, Van Pelt said, but if her past track record is any indication of the future, the Barnes Preserve is in good hands.
To learn more about the preserve virtually, go to www.waynecountyparkdistrict.org or check out their Facebook page: Wayne County Park District. A local photographer also recently started an additional Facebook page: A Walk at Barnes Preserve. Van Pelt can be emailed at friendswcpd@gmail.com or called at 330-465-7882.
The park receives no financial support from the county, so they will hold a Christmas Tree sale (freshly precut or cut-your-own) starting the weekend after Thanksgiving, and volunteers are always welcome to add to their current list of dedicated individuals who can be found on the path almost daily.
