In honor of February, the month of love, we asked Ottawa County Parks and Recreation employees to share why they love Ottawa County Parks.

I love working for Ottawa County Parks because I believe deeply in our mission of balancing recreation, education, and the protection of our unique natural resources. – Kate Alvarez, Parks Supervisor

Recreation and wellness in parks are essential for promoting physical, mental, and social well-being. What I love about Ottawa County Parks is we provide natural environment where people can engage in activities that enhance their quality of life. – Tabitha Corlett, Program Lead Outdoor Educator

I love Ottawa County Parks because each one has its own unique beauty, no matter the season. Whether it’s watching sunsets over Lake Michigan or exploring the peaceful ravines, there are so many ways to connect with nature. I’m also inspired by the dedication and passion of my coworkers, who work hard to make these parks such special places for everyone to enjoy. – Rylie Dorman, Communications Specialist

I love working for Ottawa County Parks because it allows me to blend my passion for nature with the joy of serving the community, all while making a lasting impact on the spaces that bring people together and inspire a love for the outdoors. – Eric Frifeldt, Parks Supervisor

I am an outdoor educator. I love working outdoors in our parks with school kids, especially when we find interesting animals and insects. It is the best job ever! – Deb Swanson

Featured Park: Eastmanville Farm

This 229 acre property was once Ottawa County’s “poor farm” providing housing and work for indigent residents. Now an Ottawa County Park, the site is a breathtaking array of rolling open fields, steeply sloped stream corridors, and 1367 feet of Grand River shoreline. Remnants of the past include the 1930’s era barn and historic cemetery. Portions of the property are leased to the West Michigan Agriculture Education Center for crop demonstration and public education purposes.

Learn more

by Bobbi Jones Sabine

Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) is a widespread native tree easily identified by its large loose strips of bark, peeling up from the bottom, especially noticeable in older trees. It’s been found in upland forests in nearly every county in the lower half of Michigan’s lower peninsula, and throughout most of the eastern United States.

The leaves are oval with irregularly serrated edges, with fine hairs along the serration, and usually occur in leaflets of five. There are also fine hairs on the underside of the leaf. The flowers are tiny and hang along clusters of catkins. They may grow singly or in clumps, reaching heights of 75 to 100 feet, with one specimen in Tennessee measuring over 150 feet tall. As a pioneer species, they play an important role in providing essential habitat and food for wildlife.

The trees begin producing nuts at about 10 years old, but not in great quantities until the trees are about 40 years old. The edible nuts are round and smooth with a ridge on the exterior of the thick husk.

Red squirrels, gray squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks, and mice are consumers of hickory nuts, as well as black bears, gray and red foxes, rabbits, and bird species including mallards, wood ducks, bobwhites, and wild turkeys.

The word hickory is a form of an earlier name “pohickory,” short for even earlier “pokahickory,” borrowed from the Virginia Algonquian word “pawcohiccora,” hickory-nut meat or a nut milk drink made from it. Other names for this tree are Carolina hickory, scalybark hickory, and upland hickory. Other varieties of hickory in Michigan are the shellbark, bitternut, and pignut hickories.

The nuts were an important staple of indigenous diet. Excavation of an ancient site in Columbia County, Georgia found hickory nuts, processing tools, and other artifacts, evidence of large-scale processing and storage of nuts. Native Americans used the kernel milk to make corn cakes, soup, and hominy. The nuts were a significant food source for the Algonquins. The wood was used for smoking meat and for making bows. The lumber is heavy, hard, and tough, and was used for implements and tools that require strength, including axles, axe handles, plows, skis, and drum sticks.

Get Involved

How would you like to get involved?

• Volunteer on a Foundation committee.

• Join Parks Sustainers Club.

• Join Parks for Life.

• Make an IRA or Stock contribution.

• Purchase a commemorative bench.

• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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