Forget winter rests and hibernation. Staff at the Portage Park District are busy planning and preparing for several new projects.
First is the 215-acre Kent Bog Expansion Preserve on Howe Road in Brimfield Township, adjacent to the Kent Bog State Nature Preserve.
“About 50 acres of sphagnum peat bog expands into our property, so this allows us to preserve the entire sphagnum peat bog,” said PPD Education Outreach Manager Jennifer White. “Bogs and fens are incredibly unique types of wetlands that are only found in certain parts of the state. Northeast Ohio tends to be rich in them, and particularly Portage County.”
Unique wildlife and plants that can be found nowhere else thrive in bogs and fens, making them critically important for local biodiversity and water quality, she said.
There’s a lot to be done, so the Kent Bog Expansion Preserve likely won’t open this year.
PPD is also planning to extend the Headwaters Trail from its current terminus at Mennonite Road in Mantua Township, first with a 1.4-mile hike and bike trail from Diagonal Road to Chamberlain Road in Mantua Township.
After that, the PPD will add 1.5 miles of on-road trail connecting Mennonite Road to Diagonal Road in Mantua Township.
Separately, the City of Aurora will construct a 2.8-mile hike and bike trail that will connect Chamberlain Road to Route 82 in Aurora.
Since the projects depend on funding from state grants, the PPD hopes to begin construction in 2025. No word on when the completed trail will be open, White said.
When they are, though, the new sections will enable people to trek from Garrettsville into Summit County. There, they will be able to access Ohio’s Towpath Trail, which runs from Cleveland to Tuscarawas County. Pack a lunch.
Portage Park District staff are also restoring the 112-acre Seasons Road Fen Preserve in Streetsboro. The preserve is not scheduled to open anytime soon, but residents and passing motorists will likely see staff working on the property this spring and summer.
In partnership with the EPA, the PPD is enhancing almost 58 acres of wetland there: removing invasive plant species and planting native seed collected from adjacent wetlands. The Park District also intends to create another five acres of wetlands, establish 12 acres of native meadow and reforest 41 acres of additional land with native trees and plants, White said.
The Seasons Road Fen Preserve is a crucial piece in a planned trio of connected and protected wetland properties that will improve Tinkers Creek, which is the largest tributary into the Cuyahoga River.
Park District leaders want to hear what people think. The PPD is set to hold virtual listening sessions this spring, using the online events to encourage folks to suggest what they wish to see at various park properties.
To learn more about the sessions, sign up for the PPD’s e-newsletter at www.portageparkdistrict.org. The PPD can also be accessed via Facebook and Instagram.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that the Portage Park District is constructing the trail connecting Chamberlain Road to Route 82. It’s the City of Aurora.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.