dan river basin association

Unless someone told you, or you accidentally stumbled upon it, you likely didn’t know that there is a stairway off of Oakdale Street across from the Virginia Museum of Natural History that leads to the J. Frank Wilson Memorial Park.

Now there is no mistaking that the park that is entered at East Church Street Ext. by motor vehicle can be accessed by walkers easily from Oakdale Street.

Improvements at Oakdale include signage, flower planters and a litter cleanup by volunteers, funded by a special interest grant through the Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia.

“The goal of the grant was to connect the museum staff and visitors to the park,” said Krista Hodges, education manager of the DRBA in a release. “Most people didn’t even know the park was there, but now there is signage that is clearly visible from the museum.”

In early July, about 40 kids in the Martinsville-Henry County After 3 summer camp volunteered a few hours to clean up litter along the bank at Oakdale and along the trail that leads into the park, the release said.

The improved entrance is across the street from a storm drain that was painted this past spring by middle school student Irene Jewell of North Carolina, who designed a brook trout theme with the quote, “Think of the Trout, Before You Dump It Out,” said the release.

The Rotary Club of Martinsville helped to fund the painting of three drains throughout uptown Martinsville and also provided a grant to the DRBA for work on the Frank Wilson Park entrance, the release said.

“This park is a true gem in the city of Martinsville,” DRBA’s Executive Director Tiffany Haworth said in the release. “It is a greenspace surrounded by a school, the Virginia Museum of Natural History and residential area. It is a key site for community meetings and outdoor learning and recreation. By bringing more visibility, our hope is that the surrounding community will feel safe and welcome to explore the park.”

In addition to the museum, the park is also across the street from the YMCA and near the Silver Bell Trail. The park, owned by…