TrailMail
 
 
Friends of the Little Miami State Park

October 2013
Friends of the Little Miami State Park is a non-profit group of volunteers dedicated to restoring and maintaining safety on the park's scenic trail. Working under the sanction of the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources, the Friends provide almost all maintenance on the trail. We depend on your support and invite you to join us in serving our community.
In This Issue
Work & Fun Go Tandem: Bill & Kathy Schroeder
Ohio to Erie Trail Signs
Blooming Now
Creature from the Corn
Adopt-a-Trail News
Help Wanted: Debris Blower
Next Meeting
Work and Fun Go Tandem:
Trail Adopters Bill & Kathy Schroeder
by Janet Slater
 

Someone please tell Bill and Kathy Schroeder that adopting a trail segment is supposed to be work--because they're having too much fun. When they signed up to maintain the section of trail that runs through downtown Loveland and south to Branch Hill-Guinea Rd., they worried they might not be young enough to do what was required to meet FLMSP's high standards. However, soon others began to ask how they could help. Bill says, "That is when it really got fun."

 

Having fun on the trail is nothing new for Kathy and Bill. They've logged 5,000 miles on their tandem bike, and they also enjoy riding their single bikes separately and together. "I used to love riding the trail north from Morrow to Fort Ancient before any of that portion was paved," says Bill. "It was nice and grassy and fun to ride on a fat-tire mountain bike. A lot of deer were surprised to see a biker up there."

 

Joining Friends of the Little Miami State Park was a natural for Bill, too. During his 18 years as a member of the Warren County Park Board, land along the  . . . Read more & link to Bill's video

Ohio to Erie Trail Signs Now Here

by Don Mills & Janet Slater

 

Have you noticed the new Ohio to Erie Trail signs installed along our trail? The one pictured here is at Fosters.

 

Our Little Miami Scenic Trail is part of the southern terminus of the Ohio to Erie Trail, over 300 miles long spanning the state of Ohio. When it's complete, it will be the longest paved off-road trail in the country. Users will be able to travel the corridor linking Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron and Cleveland on safe, paved trails away from highways and automobiles, while enjoying the history and beauty of Ohio's rural countryside, small towns and villages. Currently 240 of the 300 miles of trail are open and in public use. In areas that are yet to be connected, trail users can travel on local roads between sections.

 

In our area, Great Parks of Hamilton County will extend the Little Miami Trail from Little Miami Golf Course to the south side of Beechmont Levee in 2015. . . Read More

Blooming Now

  by Kathy Maurer

 

If you look closely in the mowed areas of the trail in many areas you will see a small pink-flowering plant covering the ground. This is Tufted Knotweed, also known as Oriental Lady's Thumb (Polygonum caespitosum). In unmowed areas the plant will grow up to 36" high and blooms from July to October.  It is blooming now along the mowed areas of the trail in sun and shade.  This annual plant is not native but has spread widely across Ohio where it is often found along trails.

 

Creature from the Corn

  

What strange being has been wreaking havoc in a local cornfield and scattering debris across our trail? Find out here.

 

Adopt-a-Trail News       

 

 

The Dragon's Teeth Special Ops team, led by Don Mills, has been busy removing bollards like these that were so close to the trail they were safety hazards.  His group started at the north end of the trail last December, removing "dragon's teeth" at the trail's edge with the help of an ODNR crew. They returned to this project last month, removing an estimated 200 more of the bollards as they moved south to Morrow. The bollards were originally installed to keep vehicles off the trail, but motorists today are familiar with the trail and the "teeth" are no longer needed.

 

 

This buried culvert (left) north of Adams Rd. couldn't fulfill its intended purpose of directing water under, rather than over, the trail--until Pete Carey cleared it (right).

 

Last month we showed the brush being removed from this berm in Miamiville. Bill Schwinn and his team (right) reseeded at just the right time, and now the grass is up! (left)

 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE THE REGULAR ADOPT-A-TRAIL EMAIL UPDATES, please reply to this newsletter or to trailmail@flmsp.org, with "Subscribe to AAT Updates" in the subject line.


The Friends is a nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation and enhancement of the Little Miami State Park. We assist the Ohio Department of Natural Resources with development planning, routine maintenance, capital improvements, and safety concerns.   
 
PLEDGE UPDATE!
We're more than halfway to the $37,000 in pledges needed to apply for the federal Recreational Trail Program 4:1 matching grant of $150,000!
THANK YOU to all who have pledged. For those who have not yet pledged, we need your support! Click here for more information on this remarkable opportunity to quadruple your donation, or access the pledge form with the button below.
  
Some of the grant money will be used to resolve drainage problems like the one shown below.  

 

  

Outdoor Recreation Survey: Last Day!

                                 
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) invites residents to share their opinions about their favorite activities, and any new or expanded outdoor recreational opportunities they would like to see in Ohio.

Feedback from the survey will help park, nature preserve and forest managers, as well as local, state and federal officials set priorities for funding and improvements.

 The Ohio Outdoor Recreation survey is available through Monday, Oct. 14, here.
  
 

 

 

Reply to this newsletter or trailmail@flmsp.org to  volunteer or to learn more about these service opportunities.
  

Pull-behind Debris Blower Operators: Below is Bill Schwinn, making sure he's all set to blow debris from the trail. To be part of this team, so important to keep the trail clear in the fall, reply to trailmail@flmsp.org. Requires a vehicle with a 2" ball or 2" compatible receiver, and a clearance between ball and road of 16" or less. Training will be provided.

  

  

Co-adopters: Partner with a current trail adopter on a section of trail near you, and give back to the trail you enjoy. Co-adopter especially needed in the South Lebanon area.

 

Give of yourself to the trail and the community--learn about a variety of volunteer opportunities here. 

 

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Trail Hotline


 513-212-6958

Call to report downed trees or other non-emergency safety issues

 

  

   Monthly FLMSP Meeting
 Please join us!
Sunday, Oct. 27
4:00 p.m.
745 Center St., Milford
  
All are welcome at the open meeting.