Unit 3 "As a Result"

A Park to Remain Cherished

I find myself on a dirt path with not a soul near to me. The blue sky and scorching sun illuminate what lay before my eyes. Brown trees and earth accompany billowing clouds of green over my shoulders. Rocks of all shapes and sizes situate themselves as obstacles on the course I travel. The leaves ruffle against each other as the wind bends the thin tree trunks and smacks branches against one another. Squirrels pounce from place to place shuffling the twigs and leaves they pounce upon. You can hear the constant stream of water as it flows over rocks and logs in the background. All else is of no importance at this time.

I am too caught up in the highly technical lifestyles we live today to go without a release from time to time. Some days I am just as well off standing in the heart of Times Square. Taxi drivers blast their horns at every chance. People impatiently shove their way through a crowded street. Lights and visual propaganda piled high at every corner. Sometimes that highly stressful environment is raging in between my ears. Thus I always find myself running back to the peaceful trails of Cherokee Park. I am not alone in having a close relationship with the park. Volunteer recruiter for the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Sarah Wolff, shares much of the same respect I have for the nature that is present in Cherokee Park.

The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy came about in 1989 when the parks created by Frederick Olmsted needed to be restored after harsh weather and wear and tear over the years. The parks did not receive any needed attention for scheduled upkeep. The Conservancy brings forth the much needed attention and support to further enhance Cherokee Park among the other Olmsted parks. Sarah Wolff explained that she found her current job at the Conservancy because it struck so close to home. She exclaimed that, “I always loved playing with my family in friends here growing up. Now I am able to help enhance the park as a valuable resource for all of my community as well as visitors.” Sarah grew up on Valetta Road in the highlands of Louisville. She has many memories of visiting the park as a child and teenager. Many of those memories are inspiration for the community service and volunteer work that she leads. Sarah wants visitors to share the same smile she had on her face that she did when she ran through the fields near the pavilion at Hogan’s Fountain.

Through all of Sarah Wolff’s memories that she discussed she stated specifically the correlation that Cherokee Park had with nature. Sarah dug into her past and shared, “I remember lying in the field by the pavilion at Hogan’s Fountain. I laid on the freshly mowed grass and stared at the clouds that floated above.”  I could definitely relate to her memories. The elegance of nature never seizes to amaze. I was able to relate to Sarah’s experience as a child. The perfect arrangement of trees and earth’s creations that accompany the trail I hike in Cherokee Park is always present. The trees and friendly noises from the local animals and natural sounds are always there. They let me use their elegance to cleanse my mind without asking anything of me. When I am here I have the ability to let my mind run wild and pursue any thought that comes to me. I am at peace with myself as well as my surroundings because of the relaxation and peace I am able to experience because of nature’s elegance.

The qualities of Cherokee Park that Sarah and I hold close to our heart are not uncommon to other park lovers. The same qualities were what Frederick Law Olmsted founded Cherokee Park upon over one-hundred and twenty years ago. Olmsted’s thoughts were made apparent in his creations. The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc shared his views of Cherokee Park stating that, “For a balanced life, Olmsted realized, people need contact with nature. The parks would provide that, green oases that would relieve the stresses that came with close living conditions, poor air quality, lack of peace and solitude.” This realization has strong integrity when one may find themselves visiting or exploring Cherokee Park. Even a hundred years ago people saw the importance of nature and its diverse offerings in their lives.

I would reflect upon the same thoughts that pierced the great mind of Frederick Olmsted as I would stride further through every bend and curve on the trail. I lost myself more and more to the nature that engulfed me. My body purifies in many ways along the journey. The toxicity of pollution from the city and immoral bandwagon stereotypes poison me. I release these negative thoughts through each breathe I take on my trail and every bead of sweat that rolls off my face. My mind untangles itself from thoughts of the outside world. My skin begins to perspire as I fight the blinding rays of sun that find cracks between the flexing leaves in the olive canopy above. There is no real sense of time as I trek further and further. My body exhausts in the intense heat and strenuous trail I hike. Often I find a soft and inviting tree trunk to stop and rest upon. Sarah Wolff voiced the mutual relationship she also shares with the park through volunteering.

                “I pick up old beer cans, fast food bags, cigarette packaging, and other filthy litter. I love it!” Sarah smirked as she expressed her sincere love for volunteering. Not only does she organize volunteering programs for Cherokee Park, she also volunteers herself. One of the main efforts of volunteer work that she faces is the litter among the park. She told me that she will walk along the scenic loop or even get into the backwoods and trails to collect the litter that immature teens and adults leave. However as she searches the park for hours as a time by herself or with others she is able to release any built up stress or anxiety into her surroundings. “I don’t mind picking up trash when I have such a beautiful environment around me,” exclaimed Sarah. She went on to tell me that being outdoors and allowing her body to breath and sweat is somewhat of a renewing process for her body.

I can understand Sarah’s feelings. When I sit on the earth resting against a tree’s body I gaze at the still life that presents itself before me. Each visit to Cherokee Park allows me to leave with a new image in my mind. When I am at work or in school and need a temporary pleasant thought I can reflect upon these graceful views of woodlands. These images help alleviate my mind of stress or anxiety when there is too much chaos going on. I also envision the people of this community one-hundred years ago. They sat in the park as well and let their eyes gaze at the beautiful trees and surroundings. They as well as I had a source of peace and tranquility. This same peaceful location and trails I traverse are fuel for my body. Not only does it cleanse by body at the site but it offers a visual that is able to relax my thoughts in times of need. The prominence of our simple and precious earth that can be witnessed as a dirt trail with surrounding colorful trees, rocks, diverse wildlife, and harmonizing water deserves much appraisal and respect.

The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc notices this needed respect and acts upon it. They continue to help maintain Cherokee Park and its trails not only with volunteering but also ideas for its future. One of their proposals is a one-mile paved circuit. This proposal, similar to a dirt trail in visual surrounding, would give more room for visitors to indulge in the parks true beauty. The proposal states that “The one-mile paved circuit will offer visitor wayside shelters, rustic footbridges over Beargrass Creek, connections to bridle and other trails and signage telling the story of the park.” Citizens as well as tourists who have not had the opportunity to experience the park’s offerings will have one more area than before calling their name. They would be able to see the elegance of Cherokee Park on a more accessible note. I engaged this proposition in conversation during my interview with Mrs. Wolff. After some discussion with Sarah she stated that, “Anytime we can add or enhance something in the park is a win for everyone.” If visitors are not able to escape into the backwoods’ trails this circuit would allow them to see some of the parks story of a calming natural environment in a more modernized sense. This is a generous proposition and should be greatly treasured because it allows a more diverse crowd to come and enjoy the soothing effects of nature.

Sarah and I have both expressed the greatness that nature has to offer us through the eyes of a park. This connection with nature is something that anyone should be able to have. Our community or visitors from far and near need to be able to visit a park that will provide nature to help calm their busy lives. Without parks the nature they entail we may lose our minds to the fast paced world we live in.  However, as I mentioned above there is volunteering that is necessary to keep the park clean and restored so people are able to benefit from it. Unwanted mistreatment of the park can be found at various places throughout Cherokee Park. Sarah told me that there is vandalism and graffiti more often than not. There is also the problem of littering. Sarah expressed her true concern in exclaiming that, “No matter how much litter is collected through volunteering efforts, it always seems to make its way back into the park.” This statement coming from the head of volunteering efforts with a Conservancy that deals strictly with Olmsted Parks tells us just how significant the situation at hand is.

Not only is litter very harmful to the wildlife and environment in the park but it also takes away from the beauty and elegance of the park. Would you want to hike into the backwoods of a park finding beer bottles and cigarette packaging upon every other tree trunk? This litter makes the park less attractive to visitors. The cleanliness of Cherokee Park will also relay a message of the community. A dirty and litter filled park will not portray the same message that a clean park will. Most importantly to me, the litter takes away from the natural aspect of the park. When I go to the park to escape the realities of our high strung industrialized society I do not want manufacture packaging sitting beside a tree reminding me of the city.

In order to maintain a clean park, we must find answers to the issue of littering. We may need to add more trash receptacles or stricken laws on littering in the park. Whatever the answer may be, something must be done to keep Cherokee Park free from litter. If that is done than every visitor will be able to cherish the beauty and elegance that Cherokee Park has to offer.