<div>As the beloved and nearby Burnet Woods park celebrates its 150th anniversary, it continues to serve not just as a historic park, but as a vital space for the University of Cincinnati (UC) community. Since the establishment of Burnet Woods in 1874, the park has been a sanctuary for students, faculty and locals. Bob Hyland, faculty advisor for UC Students for Burnet Woods and a member of the Preserve Burnet Woods board of directors, has been a passionate advocate for maintaining the bond between Burnet Woods and the UC community.“Burnet Woods serves as an outdoor classroom for UC students, where a range of faculty across disciplines bring students into the park for hands-on learning experiences. Whether it’s studying tree biology, the carbon cycle, or environmental writing,” Hyland said.As Burnet Woods celebrates its 150th anniversary as a Cincinnati park, it serves as a living testament to both geological history and cherished community memories.“Burnett Woods is kind of a look back in time, in geologic time... we have generations and generations of families who grew up in Cincinnati who have created memories there... it’s kind of a mix of the old and the new,” Hyland said. To create community engagement and celebrate the natural environment, UC students have taken the initiative to organize events at Burnet Woods. One such event, Spring Fest, shows this commitment to bringing together diverse groups.The students organize and put on Spring Fest in collaboration with Cincinnati Parks to celebrate the park, Earth Day and each other.However, amid this spirit of community and celebration, there are growing concerns about the current state of the park. One issue previously raised in the community is the presence of homelessness in Burnet Woods, particularly homeless encampments, and the impact on park users. “It’s important first to point out that unsheltered neighbors don’t seek shelter only in Burnet Woods. This is something that is seen across the park system and across the city generally, because, unfortunately, as a civil society, we haven’t solved that problem yet to make sure that everybody has safe shelter, even though it would be very solvable if we just had the political will to do so,” Hyland said. This ongoing struggle for safe shelter in public spaces has sparked additional concerns among community members, particularly regarding the proposed synthetic turf dog park in Burnet Woods.In response to plans for this dog park in Burnet Woods, students and faculty have passionately advocated for an alternative location due to environmental considerations and community engagement.“It just makes no sense to develop a green space like Burnet Woods for a vanity project like a dog park,” Hyland said. “One would think that park leadership would be the department in a city like Cincinnati that would have the foresight to realize that we need to be adding green space to the city to build climate resilience and equity rather than removing green space.”As the debate surrounding the future of Burnet Woods increases, concerns are rising about the structure of the Cincinnati Park Board and its effect on ecological preservation.“Unfortunately, I think the biggest challenge that Burnet Woods faces in terms of its preservation is the Cincinnati Park Board,” he said. “Two of the five commissioners are real estate development professionals. They have no background in ecology...unfortunately, in my view, what Burnet Woods needs for its protection and preservation is a qualified park board,”In advocating for the preservation of Burnet Woods, Hyland emphasized the need for maintaining its ecological integrity and expanding green spaces to improve the area's environmental value.“I hope that the current 89.3 acres of Burnet Woods remain undeveloped, and that the parks equitably distribute resources into the park to maintain the ecological integrity of it... I'd like to see the city prioritize adding green space around Burnet Woods and connecting greenways to other parks,” Hyland said.The park's recent annual Fall Fest on Oct. 12 celebrated its 150th anniversary, reinforcing the commitment from both the community and the Cincinnati Park Board to preserve and enhance Burnet Woods.When asked what he wanted Fall Fest to achieve this year, Hyland said he hoped people who came and celebrated at Fall Fest realize how special of a place the park truly is. “Burnet Woods has been a part for 150 years, and the best thing we could do would be to preserve it for another 150 years, at least,” he said.</div>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

UC professor, park advocate talks Burnet Woods’ impact as it celebrates 150 years

As the beloved and nearby Burnet Woods park celebrates its 150th anniversary, it continues to serve not just as a historic park, but as a vital space for the University of Cincinnati (UC) community. Since the establishment of Burnet Woods in 1874, the park has been a sanctuary for students,...