Mill Creek’s Young: Capital Improvements Boosting Parks

Aaron Young, executive director of the Mill Creek MetroParks, is coming back strong. You can read more about the MetroParks at their website.

What are some ways the COVID-19 outbreak has affected your organization, and how is it rebounding?

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the MetroParks, and in a variety of ways —  some positive and some less than positive. It has shown how resilient the staff is as they continue to provide quality services to the community while dealing with the same challenges at home as everyone else has been forced to deal with as a result of the coronavirus. The pandemic has reintroduced members of the community to the many benefits the MetroParks provide, as use of the external recreational opportunities has greatly increased. There are many recorded benefits that the natural environment has on our physical and mental well-being, and many are seeing those today.  

Unfortunately, the pandemic has also led to our facility rentals, programs and events to be cancelled for the balance of the year. Protecting the health, safety and welfare of both the staff and general public is our highest priority and one that we take very seriously.  Although it was a very difficult decision to make, we believe it is one that supports the efforts of those who are working daily to combat this issue.

The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of communication and the many options in which it can be facilitated, especially when the in-person option is not available.  Where would we be without the technology we have today? Communication would be very limited, resulting in many more challenges.

So as most have come to understand, the MetroParks has certainly not been immune to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we will continue to move forward in a positive manner in support of our mission.

What steps are you taking to come back strong?

The MetroParks are taking this time to continue to implement our capital improvement plans, with many major upgrades taking place to the facilities and infrastructure that support the use of the parks. Currently, we are working on improving roads and parking lots with new asphalt paving and striping. We are also improving portions of the MetroParks Bikeway with new asphalt paving. Even the MetroParks Golf Course is seeing improvements to the cart paths that are being converted from aggregate to asphalt. A new restroom has been installed in the area of the Lily Pond. Surface improvements to the many miles of trails within the MetroParks are also under way. We are also under way with a $3 million renovation of our Ford Nature Center, which we are extremely excited about. While all this is happening, we are looking towards the future and beginning to plan for 2021 and beyond. There are many more improvements planned.

What advice are you sharing with the people you love?

I’ve always been a big fan of quotes and there are several that come to mind when talking about how to deal with this pandemic. They are:

“This too shall pass.” — Persian Parable

“It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.” — Professor Leon Megginson’s summary of Darwin’s Origin of Species. (This quote is often attributed to Darwin in error.)

“Be Nice.” — My mother.