“Our mission is to be a large passive-recreation department,” Oldham said. Although there are cameras to monitor the parking lot and playground, it’s not staffed and people can come and go as they choose. The park is open 24 hours a day, and there are no admission fees. “We had 251 Fishers High School students out last week at four different properties, planting trees, removing invasive species, mulching flowerbeds - all sorts of different activities. “We take volunteers as individuals, large groups, commercial groups,” he said. Volunteers also planted native grasses in a prairie section of the park, and Oldham said they also help with invasive plant removal, litter cleanup and other maintenance. “But oftentimes, we go well above and beyond that.” “Anytime a project like this comes in, and we lose something, our bare minimum replacement is 3-to-1,” he said. He pointed out a section of the park with little flags, showing where volunteers had come in and planted new trees. Oldham said the project required some trees to be removed from the park, and the county parks department worked with the contractor to minimize how many trees had to be cut. But the 5-mile Geist Greenway Trail is under development now. So, we have a bible of information on what needs corrected and what we’ve done right, and how to do those things.” A family of ducks feeds at Fall Creek, seen from the Geist Park Trail.Ī contractor for that project hasn’t yet been selected, so a time frame for completion is yet to be determined. “The county as a whole went through a complete ADA audit several years ago. “Every project that we look at, we look at under a lot of different lenses, and ADA is one,” he said. The bridge, like the park’s trail, will be ADA-compliant, so people who use wheelchairs can experience it as well. The 325-foot bridge is a unique combination of wood and wrought iron, Oldham said, and when it’s installed, it will have clear siding “so people can actually see the structure of it.” As much of the original bridge as possible was salvaged from the river, and it has been in storage ever since. The bridge had spanned the East Fork of the White River in Jackson County but collapsed in 2006. The park is getting ready for some new features, with the development of the Geist Greenway Trail through Fishers Parks, and installation of the historic Bell Ford Bridge, a covered bridge that dates to 1868. The park is dedicated in honor of his father, Carl E. It started with a land swap and partnership with developer Patrick Verble. Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Bruce Oldham said the park’s history is interesting. Two young women walked their friendly dogs along the trail, and a family tried their luck fishing. A mother watched her son playing on the recently upgraded equipment in the nature-themed playground before they took a stroll to look at the creek. The park, which opened in 2000, was quiet at midday on a recent warm, sunny Monday. But it’s a perfect little escape if you need a short stroll through nature to clear your mind after a long day. At only 17 acres, Geist Park to the north of Geist Reservoir is one of the smaller spaces run by Hamilton County Parks and Recreation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |