By Paula Pyzik Scott

A morning hike in late April 2025 through Bluffton’s Motter Park is accompanied by a Hallelujah Chorus of birdsong. And while I’m tempted to catch one or two feathered friends on camera, I’m there in search of an easier subject: a new overlook deck at the cascading pools feature created at the southern reaches of the park.

Tyler Black, executive director of the Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District, explains, “We received a very generous donation to help get the overlook built. Our staff constructed it over the winter and early spring. It is two levels and overlooks the newly constructed wetland project that we completed in partnership with the Nature Conservancy.”

He adds that the park district will stain the deck and re-install wetland interpretive signs along the front railing for people looking for various wildlife species in the wetland.

The Nature Conservancy along with MAD Scientist Associates LLC  will be on site in the coming weeks to finish the tree plantings that are part of project plans.

For Icon coverage on the project, visit Wetlands mitigation project underway at Motter Metro Park

About Motter Park
Motter Metro Park is located at 10740 Columbus Grove-Bluffton Road in Richland Township, just outside the Village limits. It is 105 acres with 1.5 miles of mowed grass trails adjacent to Little Riley Creek. It is open from dawn to dusk.

The parking area is adjacent to handicapped accessible gazebo.

The Motter Metro Park was acquired through two parcels, one in 2006 and the other in 2009. These were both purchased using the Clean Ohio Greenspace Conservation Fund, a state grant program that helps conserve greenspace. The parcels were in row crop agriculture when purchased and were planted in prairie grasses to help restore more native grassland habitat.

Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District
1682 Slabtown Road | Lima, OH 45801
(419) 221-1232
www.jampd.com