Progress Report for Heritage Trails Park District

(By: Administrative Assistant Terry McDonald)

Heritage Trails Park District has been moving forward in leaps & bounds during the past year, fueling our mission to create and preserve park lands in Auglaize County for conservation, leisure and educational purposes for everyone to enjoy. Our park district is currently comprised of six areas of park lands in Auglaize County, Ohio, including Lock 14 Park, Deep Cut Historical Park, Bloody Bridge Trail Head, Dr. Elizabeth Yahl-Kuffner Nature Preserve, eight miles of Towpath Trail along the Miami Erie Canal, and the future site of the E.J. Mackenbach Preserve.

In 2024, Heritage Trails Park District acquired the E.J. Mackenbach Preserve, approximately 70 acres of historic property just north of St. Marys, Ohio. This preserve features 34 acres of woodland, 36 acres of fields and amazing views of the Miami Erie Canal. Plans are in place to restore the agricultural fields to wetland and meadow habitats, with plantings of native wildflower species that will aid our pollinators and increase wildlife diversity for Auglaize County. More recently, two miles of wooded hiking trails were cleared, hazardous trees were removed, and park signage ordered, all helping to solidify plans for opening this newest Auglaize County park to the public later this year.

Last spring and summer, we conducted several park district planning sessions, inviting community leaders and citizens to offer input and guidance as Heritage Trails Park District continues to grow. These planning sessions have been a crucial component in determining our best development strategy and prioritizing the park goals within Auglaize County.

The park district also hired its first full-time Executive Director, PJ Fought. With an education in wildlife management and fisheries, as well as extensive hunting and fishing experience, Fought hopes to utilize his skills to help guide and grow the park district in a direction to reach its full potential. In his first six months as Executive Director, Fought has focused on applying for grant opportunities, connecting with community leaders and local organizations, developing budgets, attending educational conferences, and learning all there is to know about Heritage Trails Park District. His efforts have propelled the park district forward in a short amount of time and motivates our team about the possibilities ahead in 2025 and beyond.

Heritage Trails Park District has also continued to provide creative, family-friendly nature programming, special events and outdoor recreation opportunities all year long. In the spring, we conducted our annual Gardeners Swap & Share program, trading seeds and plant divisions with others and learning how to benefit pollinators during the farming season. We distributed hundreds of free tree seedlings in celebration of Earth Day, provided a self-guided wildflower hike experience at the Dr. Elizabeth Yahl-Kuffner Nature Preserve, and continued our involvement in the Auglaize County Fair. In late summer we held our annual ‘Swift Night Out’ program, sharing an extraordinary birdwatching opportunity as we learned about the benefits of nature’s insectivores like the Chimney Swift bird. Partnering with Kiwanis Club of St. Marys and numerous local businesses, organizations & volunteers, we successfully hosted our 55^th annual Walk with Nature Fall Festival along the Miami Erie Canal this past October.

Last fall, local girl scout troops of St. Marys, St. Henry & Marion Local volunteered to build and install 16 new Eastern Bluebird boxes along the Towpath Trail in Auglaize County. This has been a great addition to the towpath hiking experience, and we look forward to seeing the first fledglings emerge from their new boxes this spring.

This past year has been a major turning point for Heritage Trails Park District, as we’ve strengthened our partnerships, connected with communities, expanded our team, preserved and protected additional park lands, and provided countless opportunities to discover and experience nature right here in Auglaize County, Ohio. The future is bright for Heritage Trails Park District in 2025, and we welcome you to follow our upcoming developments and public programs at www.htparks.org or on our Facebook page.