SULLIVAN — Hurdle Waterfowl Park will soon have new boardwalks thanks to a donation from a community member.
Adrian Bauer donated $10,000 to the Ashland County Park District last year in memory of his late wife, Louise. Bauer had previously made a donation to install benches in the park.
“That’s where my wife and I used to walk the most. We really liked that park,” Bauer said. “I like a lot of the parks, but that one particularly. It’s one of my favorite places to go.”
The boardwalks will replace the original ones, which are missing boards and starting to deteriorate. Like the originals, they will connect one of the walking trails to the two islands located in the largest pond.
“The park district is very grateful for the generous donation from Mr. Bauer that will allow visitors to access more of this beautiful park,” said Parks Director Stephanie Featheringill. “We are thrilled to have his support and thankful for his investment to help ensure the community can enjoy this new amenity for generations to come.”
The new boardwalks will have handrails and be wider than the previous ones to allow for transporting maintenance equipment to the two islands. Featheringill said the department will now be able to mow and clear brush from the islands to allow easier access for nature lovers to explore and view wildlife.
“Back when they were accessible, people could walk around it, see some more nature out there, maybe even see some goose eggs,” she said. “Even if you can get across the boardwalk now, it’s very hard to see anything or get through the islands.”
Hurdle Waterfowl Park has 66 acres and is located at 297 Township Road 581 in Sullivan. Its former owners, the Hurdle family, used the property as a retreat, where they could enjoy watching wildlife. The family added the two islands as a “protected area” for waterfowl to rest.
The park district has hired Wit’s Construction to build and install the first boardwalk. Featheringill said she hopes to see the project begin this month. It may take a few weeks, depending on weather conditions.
The new boardwalks are just one of of the recent improvements made at Hurdle Park. Last year, the ACPD added a second parking lot to offer easy access to one of the fishing ponds and began converting a corn crib into a pavilion. The corn crib’s doors and inner walls were removed and a concrete floor was added. A few months ago, the project was finished with the addition of picnic tables.
In the future, Featheringill hopes to repair the observation tower, which was closed last year due to safety concerns.
While the park was designed specifically to attract waterfowl, geese aren’t the only animals on display.
“Really anything that you could see in Ashland County you could see at Hurdle,” Featheringill said, listing a wide range of fauna that included deer, fox, eagles and turtles.
