By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The Friends of the Wood County Park District organization wants to offer a monthly reminder of exactly what the parks offer local residents.
And they want that reminder to hang on walls throughout the county.
So the Friends group is publishing a calendar – with each month picturing a park in the county. The front page shows a trail with the title “This Land is Your Land.”
The calendars will soon be available for $15 each.
“We want to increase the awareness of the parks and have people see what’s available,” Nancy Wenning, new president of the Friends of the Parks announced last week during a meeting of the Wood County Park District Board of Commissioners.
“A lot of people aren’t aware of how many parks there are in Wood County,” Wenning said.
The 18-month calendars feature photographs taken by patrons using the district’s 19 parks. The photographs selected were winners in a contest, Wenning said.
“The photo contest has really taken off,” said Neil Munger, director of the park district.
The calendar is not only intended to point out the parks – but also all the programs offered in them. They range from programs on kayaking, rappelling and stargazing, to archery, monarch butterflies and bats.
“There are so many programs,” Wenning said.
And they attract ages from young children to advanced senior citizens.
“That’s a huge field to cover,” she said. Wenning complimented the park district staff for their efforts. “They work so hard and I have never heard one of them complain.”
The calendars will be available during the Wood County Fair, at the park district’s tent. They will also be available for purchase at Main Street Photo in Bowling Green. Proceeds from the calendar sales will go toward educating the community about the diverse flora and fauna of the parks.
Also at the meeting, park board member Bob Hawker asked the park district staff to track the number of people who come in contact with park programs each year.
“I continue to be impressed with the number of community outreaches we do,” he said. “It’s stunning to me.”
Also at last week’s meeting, the park board reviewed the district’s statutory budget for next year. The $4,073,896 budget is a little under last year’s amount. It includes a $600,000 placeholder for capital improvements and $200,000 for land acquisition.
A more specific budget will be presented to the board this fall.
