Jacksonville Woodlands Association Celebrates 25th Year Sponsoring Annual Hike-A-Thon – by Charles Wilson, JWA President

My View Guest Columnist – April 2018

For the past 24 years, on a weekend in April, new and frequent visitors to the Jacksonville Woodlands have laced-up their walking shoes and hit the trails in celebration of an amazing community resource—The Jacksonville Woodlands.

This year’s Hike-a-thon event will be held on Saturday, April 21, at 9:30 am at the newly remodeled and expanded Jacksonville Community Center—Cedars on 4th—located adjacent to Doc Griffin Park in Historic Downtown Jacksonville.

The program will be led by founding JWA Board member and current Executive Director Larry Smith. Larry will also present a comprehensive slide program on the 25-year history of the Jacksonville Woodlands Association’s effort to preserve and manage Jacksonville historic open space lands.

Following Larry’s presentation, hikers will travel up S. 3rd Street to the Grove-Woods Trail and on to the top of the Beekman Woods. Be sure to watch for the Gentner’s Fritillaria, Jacksonville’s signature wild flower. From there, hikers will follow the Beekman Loop Trail down to the CC Beekman Arboretum. Hikers will then have the option to listen to a short presentation about the reinvigoration of the CC Beekman Arboretum or continue hiking down E. California Street to finish at Doc Griffin Park for lunch.

Once again, Brodie Dental is sponsoring the event with lunch donated by Jacqueline and Jason Williams of Jacksonville Chiropractic Clinic. Over the past ten years, Jason and Jacque have prepared the post-hike lunch offering—a variety of salads, sandwiches and soups.

Morning coffee is provided by GoodBean Coffee. Michael and Mary Kell along with the staff of GoodBean have donated coffee for the hike-a-thon the past 24 years.

Trail maps, wild flower brochures and other informational maps and brochures will be available at the Hike-a-thon event.

For additional information, please visit the JWA website: www.jvwoodlands.org; or visit us on Facebook at Jacksonville Woodlands Assoc.

I hope to see you at the event on April 21st or walking along the Jacksonville Woodland’s Trails.

Charles Wilson, JWA President