A ribbon cutting is planned for next month for the new St. Joseph-Lincoln Senior Center Hanes Family Wildflower Trail. Center Director Cindy McLaughlin tells us the new 1/3 of a mile trail is in addition to the 1/6 of a mile Priscilla Upton Byrns Walking Trail and Gardens the center opened in 2019. It purchased just under seven acres of adjacent property to make the new trail starting about a year ago.
“We purchased the property from the drain commission, the purchase finally went through in February of this year,” McLaughlin said. “Then mother Nature was kind enough to us. We had a mild winter, so we had our volunteers go out there and start working on the trail once it was cut in.”
McLaughlin says the purchase was possible thanks to a donation from Jerry Hanes. Volunteers and staff got to work about a year ago planting wildflowers and spreading wood chips. The Hanes Family Wild Flower Trail opened to visitors in May, but it will be officially celebrated at 10 a.m. on September 8 with the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber on hand.
