Nestled in a suburban environment, the Poland Municipal Forest offers a quiet respite to all visitors. From the first founding land gift in 1916 from Judge Rose of the Poland Manor Community Co. consisting of 50 acres along the lowlands and known as the Poland Manor Park, to Mrs. Butlers’ 1931 land gift of 150 acres of primarily pasture and tillable land, to more recent acquisitions, the goal has been to develop, maintain and preserve the forest in its natural state so far as possible and as a recreational/educational asset for the community. The forest was officially created by Village Council ordinance on 1938 combining old growth wetlands along Yellow Creek with the pastures and tillable land to the north and west. The forest you now see was created by the first Forest Board through harvesting of timber and using proceeds to plant thousands of native trees, laying out trails, and building infrastructure for public use.
The bluebells are blooming and this is a perfect time to check out the trails. The Friends of the Poland Municipal Forest invite the public to their Spring Wildflower Walk on Saturday, May 4, beginning at 10am at the College Street entrance to the Forest. The leisurely hike will explore this beautiful nature preserve for approximately one to two hours.
There will also be a Wildflower Talk and Slide Show by photographer and environmental scientist Kyle Filicky. The program will begin at 7pm on Tuesday, May 7 in the meeting room of the Poland Library. For more information on either event, call 330-757-9057.
