Near the School for the Deaf there is a small wooded area that contains streams that feeds into the Olentangy River. This old golf course has been taken over by forest and is a frequent area for local hikers and dog walkers, however recently it has been plagued with litter and deforestation.
Near the School for the Deaf there is a small wooded area that contains streams that feeds into the Olentangy River. This old golf course has been taken over by forest and is a frequent area for local hikers and dog walkers, however recently it has been plagued with litter and deforestation.These woods have been a great part of the childhood of my friends and I, from paintballing to just exploring as elementary school kids. We are working to help keep them clean like we remember them. They represent the presence of nature, even in the midst of a suburban area.Brian Bush, a resident of the neighborhood with the woods, works frequently to pick up trash that is washed into the stream and would even run into the olentangy or further degrade the environment in the woods.These woods are a home to numerous animals that depend on areas like these to survive. Families of deer, foxes, coyotes, fish, frogs, and many other animals are at risk at the loss of environments like these in heavily populated and developed areas.Trash that is dumped illegally or simply improperly disposed of collects in areas like this and without people to help pick it up it is destined to stay there negatively affecting the environment.The water in these woods is riddled with litter and has even been tested recently as being one of the most polluted tributaries to the Olentangy River while during my childhood this area was a beautiful, sprawling forest for us to explore and creek in. As kids swimming was even a possibility but now I would hardly touch the water let alone swim in it.As areas like this become less and less frequent, more and more polluted and deforested, children and adults alike looks opportunities to have experiences with nature that can be fun and also educational.People like Brian Bush and others who view these areas as valuable places for communities and working for the future for others to have the same experiences that people have today and we had as children growing up in these woods.Work to maintain these areas is priceless. Collecting trash, lobbying to preserve them from development, and simply using them are important ways to keep forests and nature apart of life in an area that is generally deprived of nature.I wish to someday come back to these woods and find them how I remember them, with all of the memories and fun that I have had in them still there with others still working to keep them clean.
