There’s no reason to be stuck in the house, even if you are trying to social distance or isolate. Northeast Ohio’s many parks, woods, hiking trails, beaches and even a national park offer chances to get a bracing lungful of fresh air, some exercise and a welcome sense of freedom (and no, your freedom isn’t contingent on not wearing a mask when you’re around others!)
The Western Reserve Land Conservancy, which is the largest land trust in Ohio, recently announced the opening of five properties for public access as part of its #GetOutsideOhio campaign. This diverse portfolio spans a large swath of the region. It includes Blue Heron Preserve in Geauga County; Ashcroft Woods Conservation Area in Ashtabula County; Oberlin Prairie Preserve in Lorain County; Derek Owens Memorial Park in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Cleveland; and Grand River Dead Branch Preserve in Trumbull County.
Their terrain is diverse as well: it includes forestland, marshes, wetlands, open fields, streams, ponds and more, with a profusion of plant life and wildlife: birds, animals and insects.
The #GetOutsideOhio campaign will feature such engagement activities as virtual bird watching tours, scavenger hunts and coloring books to get people excited about visiting these preserves and parks to hike, fish, bird watch or just get fresh air.
“The Land Conservancy has helped create more than 175 public parks and preserves across northern Ohio,” said Alex Czayka, senior vice president for conservation transactions at Western Reserve Land Conservancy. “During this global pandemic, we’ve seen attendance at some of these parks and preserves increase by more than 100 percent. Getting outside and enjoying all the beauty that Ohio has to offer helps mentally, emotionally and physically.”
For more information about these nature preserves, their history and what types of ecosystem you’ll find there, go to wrlandconservancy.org/getoutsideohio. And yes, they encourage masks and staying six feet from other visitors.