Woodcock Nature Preserve wants to better serve people with physical disabilities. Small renovations at the Farm House facility for parking, ramps, entrance doorways and the downstairs bathroom are needed for people who use wheelchairs and walkers. Based in Appalachian Ohio amidst a growing set of outdoor recreation and education opportunities, there is still a great need for making these assets more accessible for the general public. The Woodcock Nature Preserve has been improving our hiking and running trails so these are now more accessible, with culverts and gravel and bridges. Now Woodcock’s board is excited to start the next stage of this accessibility journey by offering a four seasons indoor workshop space, with an ADA accessible bathroom and kitchen. In consultation with disability expert and advocate Davey McNelly, the Farm House and Barn at Woodcock will be upgraded. Moving towards compliance with ADA and working with the seven principles of Universal Design, Woodcock will be re-modeling the bathroom, widening several doorways, developing several parking spaces and utilizing appropriate ramps . Woodcock Nature Preserve hopes to become leaders in the handicap accessible outdoor recreation space in Appalachian.

We estimate these renovations will cost $8,000: $3,000 for a ramp, $3000 on replacing non-ADA compliant doors and doorways, and $2000 for removing walls, installing handrails and replacing a vanity in the bathroom. All of these changes are needed to make the bathroom accessible and we will proceed with the resources we have. If we come in under budget, we plan on using any remaining funds to make repairs on the roof of the barn, which is a COVID-friendly outdoor workshop space that needs repair. Woodcock Nature Preserve is open from sunup to sundown for visitors to explore the 5K Friendship Trail (except for during deer rifle season in Ohio). Thank you to past donors for making the Friendship Trail possible. If you want to participate in an inaugural 5K/10K footrace on May 14th, please visit Woodcock Nature Preserve’s Facebook page to register!

Everyone should be able to access outdoor spaces; this ADA-accessible workshop renovation project led by the Woodcock Nature Preserve will do just that, allowing people of all physical abilities to benefit from time in nature and programs held in the workshop space.

This project also notes funding needed for specific line items, allowing prospective donors to see the staged renovation Woodcock Nature Preserve will complete. This project builds upon a 2021 Cause Connector project which also expanded access to outdoor spaces in Appalachian Ohio.