Metroparks_of_the_Toledo_Area

Metroparks Toledo

Metroparks Toledo

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Metroparks Toledo, officially the Metropolitan Park District of the Toledo Area, is a public park district consisting of parks, nature preserves, a botanical garden, trail network and historic battlefield in Lucas County, Ohio.[6]

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Founded during the Great Depression and initially built using labor from federal New Deal programs,[7][8] the present park district includes 12,700 acres (5,100 ha) across 19 metroparks and nearly 200 miles (320 km) of trails throughout the Toledo area.[6]

The largest park, Oak Openings Preserve Metropark, is a centerpiece of the Oak Openings Region and features ecologically significant oak savanna landscapes and globally rare plant communities.[9] Pearson Metropark contains one of the last remaining stands of the Great Black Swamp.[10]

The district includes historically and culturally significant sites, including the Fallen Timbers Battlefield, surviving Miami and Erie Canal infrastructure at Side Cut and Providence Metroparks, and a variety of shelters and buildings built by the federal Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps.[11][12] Wildwood Preserve Metropark features one of the last remaining public, free-admission gardens designed by Ellen Biddle Shipman at the former manor house estate of Champion spark plug magnate Robert Stranahan.[13]

Governance

Metroparks Toledo is governed by a five-member volunteer board of commissioners appointed by the Lucas County probate court judge.[14] The park district administrative offices are located at Wildwood Preserve Metropark.[15]

The system is funded by three tax levies, the state local government fund, grants and donations.[16] In 2022, the district employed 164 full-time and part-time employees.[17]

Metroparks

The district comprises 19 metroparks.[16] Two additional properties, Fort Miamis in Maumee and the Brookwood Area in Toledo, are part of the district, but are not defined as metroparks.[16]

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Land holdings

Metroparks Toledo owns 167 acres (68 ha) of farmland in Toledo near Inverness Club for future development as a metropark.[16] Metroparks officials said the future park will be the "typical Metroparks experience" with meadows and a sledding hill.[20]

The district additionally owns approximately 1,900 acres (770 ha), called the Oak Openings Corridor, in western Lucas County and Swan Creek Township, Fulton County.[16]

Four Maumee River islands (Marengo, Audubon, Blue Grass and Granger) totaling 257 acres (104 ha) are owned by Metroparks Toledo. Granger Island features a private cabin available for rent.[21]

Regional trails

Metroparks Toledo manages all or portions of several paved, regional rail trails.

More information Trail, Length (one-way) ...

References

  1. [1]
    "2015 Annual Report" (PDF). Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  2. [2]
    "2021 Roots and Branches" (PDF). Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  3. [3]
    "2018 Annual Report". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  4. [4]
    "Rules and Regulations". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  5. [5]
    "2022 Budget and Annual Planning". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  6. [6]
    "Explore Your Metroparks". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  7. [7]
    "The Men Who Built The Metroparks". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  8. [8]
    "A Rich History". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  9. [9]
    "Oak Openings Preserve Highlights" (PDF). Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  10. [10]
    "Pearson Metropark". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  11. [11]
    "Providence Metropark Highlights" (PDF). Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  12. [12]
    "Side Cut". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  13. [13]
    Barnes, Melvin. "The Manor House". See Ohio First. Ohio Humanities. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  14. [14]
    "Board and Minutes". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  15. [15]
    "Contact Us". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  16. [16]
    "Metroparks Toledo Agency Overview". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  17. [17]
    "Personnel Changes". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  18. [18]
    "Howard Marsh Metropark, Designed by SmithGroupJJR, Opens in Toledo Area". globenewswire.com. SmithGroupJJR. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  19. [19]
    "The Toledo Botanical Garden". Touring Ohio. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  20. [20]
    Reiter, Mark (12 January 2015). "Metroparks approves money for farmland". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  21. [21]
    "Granger Island Cabin". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  22. [22]
    "University/Parks Trail". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  23. [23]
    The University of Toledo (January 5, 2000), University/Parks Trail, archived from the original on 2007-02-12, retrieved 2022-01-10
  24. [24]
    "Wabash Cannonball Trail". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  25. [25]
    "Wabash Cannonball Trail". TrailLink. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  26. [26]
    "Lucas County Auditor". co.lucas.oh.us. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  27. [27]
    "Chessie Circle Trail". Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  28. [28]
    "Chessie Circle Trail". TrailLink. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
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