Friends of the Park joins People Pathways in new partnership with CVB

A family enjoys a bike through Big Walnut Natural Area.

Courtesy photo

Joining the collaboration of People Pathways and the Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) that was launched in December, Friends of the Park becomes the third leg of a stool that will support the expansion of outdoor recreation opportunities in Putnam County.

As with People Pathways, the CVB will provide Friends of the Park with staff, office and financial resources in return for help with funding projects that will see the county’s trail system expand, including plans for kayak-friendly “water trails” in Big Walnut Creek.

The trio of organizations also will work closely with owners and managers of the county’s nature preserves, with plans to create and fund programs that encourage more use, recreational opportunities and exploration.

People Pathways will incorporate and create programming for bicyclists; runners; hikers and walkers; food, art and nature lovers; and families.

“We have just started prioritizing new projects and goals,” People Pathways Board President Allison Leer said.

She went on to detail list some of these possibilities: “We are talking with Hendricks and Parke county trail organizations about a new trail across Putnam County that would link with their projects. We’re deciding how maintenance and increased uses of our nine historic covered bridges fits into our goals. We’re talking with the Little Walnut Conservancy District about its 400-acre park at Glenn Flint Lake and how it fits into a county park and trails system. We’re working with a team of DePauw marketing students on making better use of the seven trailheads along People Pathways, and topping our list is completing the Putnam County portion of the National Road Heritage Trail through Indiana by completing a segment that connects with Clay County.”

People Pathways’ ambitious plans require equally ambitious fundraising. Enter Friends of the Park of Putnam County (FOTP), recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation. It doesn’t have to change its name to the Putnam County Parks Foundation because FOTP has played that role for 25 years.

The support behind many greatly enjoyed projects and events like the Skate Park and bandshell in Robe-Ann Park, improvements to Michaela Cancilla Park and Big Walnut Sports Park and the annual Celebrate 4 celebration, FOTP’s contribution to the partnership will be a focus on local, state and national grant opportunities to fund new programs and trail expansion.

“Partnering with the CVB fits perfectly with our focus on projects that improve local quality of life and attract visitors to all parts of the county,” said Jessica Hartman, who was re-elected last week as president of the FOTP board.

“Gaining a staff, being headquartered in the Visitors Center and having a coordinated relationship with the CVB and People Pathways boards is energizing,” Hartman added. “Being part of a larger team with vision and enthusiasm will result in projects everyone in Putnam County can enjoy, from young children to our oldest residents.”

The CVB board designed the partnership as an economic development initiative to leverage the county’s singular strengths and encourage visitation.

“Putnam County has more land in protected nature preserves than any Indiana county,” said CVB Board President Page Cotton. “Only the 2,000-acre Deer Creek Fish and Wildlife Area and 500-acre DePauw Nature Park are staffed. “Through sharing the Visitors Center and other resources, this partnership will maximize the other preserves. The manager of Deer Creek was just appointed to our board and will be a great help to the staff in understanding how best to go about that. The CVB board supports increasing local quality of life to encourage people to visit and enjoy what we will be enjoying year-round.”

Deer Creek FWA is managed by the Indiana Division of Natural Resources (IDNR). It also oversees the 2,700-acre Big Walnut Natural Area and its Hall Woods Nature Preserve with The Nature Conservancy, which solely manages Fern Cliff Nature Preserve, where sand for the first green Coca Cola bottle glass was quarried.

With support from the CVB and FOTP, People Pathways will work with these agencies and become Putnam County’s point of contact in creating programs and ways to engage people with the county’s extensive natural areas.