“In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.” John Muir

I’ve lived in the west metro most of my life and a Bloomington resident for over 30 years. I lived briefly in San Francisco, Washington DC, and the mountains of Colorado, enjoying some of the best of our National Parks. The Nine Mile Creek Corridor is a rare gem in the heart of Bloomington that brings back fond memories of peaceful hikes in Muir Woods. Granted, we don’t have old-growth redwoods, but we do have old trees providing a shady canopy with rich biodiversity including endangered species and a meandering creek below.

I love the woods and water and enjoy taking in all the peace and beauty nature has to offer in our fabulous four (for how long?) seasons. Beyond fulfilling important needs for me including safe, easy, comfortable access to natural footpath walking trails (I work standing on concrete) with peaceful rest spots that are easier on my arthritic joints, and connection to nature for mental health, I also enjoy seeing all the friendly dog walkers, seniors, and young families using the trail. It’s super cool to regularly see plein air painters and photographers capturing images to share well beyond Bloomington. We can and should take great pride in this remarkable area and do everything we can to protect and preserve it for future generations. It should remain the peaceful walking trail that it is.

I referred to our changing climate and we see the effects in more severe weather patterns, droughts, and massive wildfires. Moir/Central Park and the creek corridor provide an important greenspace providing a free and environmentally sustainable escape from the heat while also helping to reduce the urban heat island effect. Living on the Nine Mile Creek Watershed, and with family owning lake property up north, I am keenly aware of the impact of runoff to water quality, and am therefore against adding additional paved walkways, and especially no bike paths since it would require the loss of too many trees and understory, too much straightening, and retaining walls.

I voted YES for the sales tax referendum because I believed it was to IMPROVE the Ice Garden and Community Center and improve the Nine Mile Creek Corridor by protecting the creekbanks, removing invasive species, protecting habitat, and improving park facilities at Moir Park. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that “improved accessibility” would mean creating bike paths or shared pedestrian and bike paths that would destroy the environment of the park. That would be counter to everything this park is and what the city presented as its case to voters in the 2023 election.

“Man must be made conscious of his origin as a child of Nature. Brought into right relationship with the wilderness he would see that he was not a separate entity endowed with a divine right to subdue his fellow creatures and destroy the common heritage, but rather an integral part of a harmonious whole. He would see that his appropriation of earth's resources beyond his personal needs would only bring imbalance and beget ultimate loss and poverty for all.”
- by Linnie Marsh Wolfe, describing Muir's remedy for human misery in her book, Son of the Wilderness: The Life of John Muir (1945) page 188.