Benches are Available for Sponsorship at Ottawa Sands
Please note that Ottawa Sands is currently CLOSED to the public. Learn more.
Ottawa Sands, a former sand mine transformed into an accessible park, offers a breathtaking paved lake loop with benches strategically placed along the path. These benches are perfect for a moment of reflection or a shared conversation, they are a wonderful way to create a lasting tribute to a loved one, celebrate a milestone, or simply commemorate a special memory. Enjoy the beauty of Ottawa Sands while remembering those who matter most.
Along the 1.6-mile trail around the lake, there are 24 benches available for sponsorship.
Interested in learning more about benches available for sponsorship at Ottawa Sands? Complete this form. Enter Ottawa Sands in the Preferred Park section.
Featured Plant: Sand Cherry
by Bobbi Jones Sabine
Sand cherry (Prunus pumila) is a small shrub often found on the sandy shores of our Great Lakes, and inland on sandy fields. It’s sometimes found with sweet fern, jack pine, or oak.
A native shrub and member of the Rose family, it’s been reported throughout Michigan, from Monroe County to the tip of the Keweenaw peninsula. Its range includes the north half of the continental U.S. and the eastern central part of Canada. There is a western variety (var. besseyi) and also a creeping form (var. depressa) found on Manitoulin Island. An ornamental hybrid with purple leaves is also commonly sold in nurseries.
In late spring and early summer, sand cherry has white flowers with five petals. It reaches 2 to 6 feet at maturity. In fall fruit, it has round, very dark purple-colored drupes (a fruit with a central pit) about the size of a pea. I have collected these and made jelly from them. Though naturally rather tart, they made a fine-flavored jelly when helped out with a bit of sugar. However, the process of pitting them in sufficient quantity to make a batch of jelly was more time-consuming than I care to repeat.
Herbalists allege that it stimulates respiration, and it has been claimed to be of benefit in treating cancer. The Lakota, Pawnee, and Menominee tribes used the fruit fresh and dried. The fruit was crushed, pits and all, and formed into cakes, then dried.
Lewis and Clark noted in their journals another use for the fruit, with a recipe for Wild Cherry Whiskey. Cover cherries with whiskey, let infuse for a month, then strain. May be sweetened with maple syrup if desired.
Photo Credit: A.A. Reznicek, U. of M.
2024 GET Explorers Trail Race
Thank you to all of the runners, volunteers, and sponsors who came out and enjoyed two of the great Ottawa County parks.
Despite some rain and humidity, it was a beautiful morning to be on the trails. We were delighted with the great turnout. We had participants ranging in age from 2 to 82! From the smiles of the young runners as they completed the fun run under the finishing arch to the determination shown by the 10K runners as we told them there was one more hill before they could finish, it was fun to watch the joy, excitement, fortitude and camaraderie of the day.
We received many positive comments about how beautiful the trails were. The continued work towards the completion of the Idema Explorer’s Trail made this race possible. The section along the river was completed in the fall of 2022 and it is a gem. In the next few years you will be able to run all the way from Grand Rapids to Lake Michigan in Grand Haven on this trail. If you enjoyed running through the parks there are many great programs for kids and adults in our Ottawa County Parks throughout the year. Some of us participated in a Woodcock walk this spring in Grand River Park which was awesome. You all ran on the trail by the meadow where the shy birds gather to mate in the spring.
The results are online. Race photos are available on the Ottawa County Parks Foundation’s Facebook page.
We could not have had this race without some amazing sponsors. A sponsor list is available on the event website. In our second year, we nearly doubled last year’s fundraising amount, thanks to our participants and sponsors.
Breakfast/Lunch at the Park
Thanks to you, our supporters this year’s Breakfast/Lunch at the Park was a great success! We raised over $68,000 for the parks you love.
Thanks to our sponsors, 100% of the proceeds from the events will go to support our mission!
There is still an opportunity to donate if you missed the event.
A special thank you to our sponsors:
Gold Leadership Sponsors
The Crane Family Fund in Memory of Marilyn J. Crane
The Park Sustainers Club is a unique group of donors whose monthly investment allows us to complete special projects that can’t be accomplished within the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation’s budget, like building trail connections, adding land, and upgrading facilities.
Featured Park: Riley Trails
16300 Riley Street
Holland, MI
Riley Trails is 300-acres of rolling terrain, beech-maple forest, pine plantations, a small lake and an extensive trail system located in Park Township. The property is enjoyed by hikers, cross-country skiers, mountain bikers and other outdoor enthusiasts.
shores of our Great Lakes, and inland on sandy fields. It’s sometimes found with sweet fern, jack pine, or oak.
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