The past week was full of fun and excitement as I got out in the field to do trail mapping and enjoy the beautiful spring weather of Frankfort City, Kentucky. I may have mentioned this before, but I will say it again. The parks system and the appreciation & respect of the people of Frankfort for public green spaces amazes me.

The historic Fort Hill park has trails and information markers that visitors could follow and learn about the history of the Fort. The task we participated in allowed us to see how strategic this high point was to the Union Army. Looking back at the ruins of the Fort and how nature has retaken this site should humble anyone about their place in history. And history for nature is as passing as the wind.

Seeing White Tailed Deer for the first time regressed me to a time when I first saw Bambi, the Disney movie about a young deer’s life in the woods. Its amazing how these animals found a home within the city.

Cove Springs park is also within the jurisdiction of the City’s Park, Recreation, and Historic Sites department. I like how the department’s director Jim Parrish explains the importance of investing in these public spaces is for “quality leisure of life”.  The diversity of fauna and flora in the city’s park system is something to aspire for city parks. It shows the possibility of integrating low density development and more so concentrated high density urban cores with natural parks.