By Judy Garrison

Looking to take a nice long walk away from whizzing vehicles? Despite having trails on your own property are you nurturing a yen for a change of scene? My suggestion for a good recreational saunter without fear of trespassing or running out of clear paths is the SUNY Delhi Outdoor Education Center. This is in actuality a 50-acre park located 2 miles south of Delhi on Route 28 bordering the Little Delaware River. You have surely seen the sign off to your left heading north to Delhi. There is plentiful parking, and you will find a posted map as well as map brochures for a self-guided nature tour. By all means take along your dog! And take a picnic lunch! Send your weekend guests who don’t golf and are wondering what to do with themselves! If they do every loop they can clock in 2 ½ miles. They will be pleasantly tired afterwards.

Some of what you will discover along the recreational trails are defined picnic areas, bird and bat houses, buffer zone planting demonstrations, butterfly gardens, quiet sitting areas, fishing access and a mowed path forming a labyrinth. The latter was designed for meditative walking.

How did this marvelous park come into being? It was a work project of the Catskill Outdoor Education Corps that is an Americorps project sponsored by the Delhi College of Technology Parks and Recreations Department. Their mission is to provide environmentally friendly outdoor recreation and education experiences to all individuals and non-profit organizations in Delhi and the surrounding communities through the development of programs and facilities. Corps members plant trees, build and restore stone walls, stabilize shorelines, lead hikes, and teach outdoor education programs.

The Park is “open” from dawn to dusk 7 days a week. To learn more about their programs you may call Dave DeForest, Program Director, at 607-746-4112 or email him: deforeda@delhi.edu. Another number for information, or to reserve the fire-pit for a group barbeque, is 607-746-4051.

Happy walking! ~