Rainy, grey weather this week hasn’t helped, said Jon Dobney, Greene County Parks and Trails director. But the wide open green space is well worth pulling on the rain boots and letting the kids get muddy.
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“If you get a sense of being closed in all the time that’s not healthy,” Dobney said. “If someone would like to go out there and hike around, as long as they’re aware of the social distancing they’re welcome.”
Although main park offices throughout the Miami Valley are closed, as well as most park programs through March and into April, park rangers will continue to patrol all public parks throughout COVID-19.
Most Montgomery County residents are within 10 to 15 minutes of a MetroParks location, and access is always free during park hours. People living outside of Montgomery Countu likely have a park just as close.
The coronavirus pandemic and all its brought with it has warped my own sense of time. Still, the budding trees outside my apartment window have been a wonderful reminder that COVID-19 cannot stop spring from coming.
“These next two months just might be the finest months to be outside, connecting with nature,” said Five Rivers MetroParks biologist, Grace Dietsch. “This time of year, a very special group of plants called “spring ephemerals,” which bloom for only short periods of time, are popping up in natural areas. Spring ephemerals are typically showy, unique, colorful and fragile. They can be easy to identify, so it’s a great group of plants for beginner nature-lovers and kids.”
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You can find spring ephemerals in every single MetroPark location along wooded trails. Dietsch’s favorite places for flowering beauties include Germantown, Aullwood Gardens, Englewood, Carriage Hill and Taylorsville MetroParks.
“You’ll also start to notice more birds singing in the trees,” Dietsch said. “Spring migration is another reason why this is my favorite time of the year. I look forward to the slow but steady arrival of more and more species of colorful birds as they migrate north to their breeding grounds.”
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This is a reminder to treat yourself and your quarantine mates with kindness these next few weeks, maybe months. Getting outside to our parks that have always been there for us might just make this all a little easier.
“Indeed, during the challenges the Dayton area faced in 2019, MetroParks heard from many community members how much they appreciated having access to natural areas, how spending time outdoors helped them and their families cope and how access to nature’s healing benefits provided solace during stressful times,” said said Amy Dingle, MetroParks director of outdoor connections.
Sarah Franks is a Dayton Daily News reporter who will be writing a daily column on what people can do during the coronavirus outbreak. Have an idea or know someone who is doing amazing activities, email her at sarah.franks@coxinc.com or on Twitter @sarfranks.
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