Earth Day

Jane Goodall, my first Heroine

Official Edgar Rice Burroughs Tribute and Weekly Webzine Site
Since 1996 ~ Over 10,000 Web Pages in Archive
Presents
Volume 1983

Lane Batot with Jane Goodall

A Conversation  with  A. Lane BatotRegarding His Association  With Jane Goodall and ERB By Mary "Amar" Fabian A Burroughs Bulletin Reprint

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Amar:  What does the A in ‘A. Lane Batot’ stand for?A. Lane Batot:   I am Alan Lane Batot -- I go by "Lane" -- ask my parents WHY they decided to use my MIDDLE name as the call name -- I sure don't get it. I also go by "Witko"- - my nickname from college days -- it is Lakota for "crazy"; if you knew of any of my wild college exploits, you'd understand! Most everyone who met me back then still calls me Witko, including Jane Goodall! Anyway, if it is about sled dogs, the environment, or critters of any kind, it is almost certainly about me! My googling of favorite characters (Robin Hood, Zorro, Mowgli, and -- Tarzan!) is how I found Sky's fun fun website and got invited to join the "movie hopes" discussion! And yes, the "Christy" references are about me, too! Small little world, ain't it? WHAT a WONDERFUL experience working on that T.V. series was! I had worked in a few movies filmed locally as an extra or a stunt-double ("Last Of The Mohicans", "Ritchie Rich", and "Heavyweights" -- all filmed partly around Asheville, N.C. -- not to be Confused with ASHEBORO, N.C., which is mid-state, where I am located now) and some wonderful casting ladies I got to know INSISTED I get a job on the Christy series -- the book was one of my grandmother's AND mother's FAVORITES!
I managed to get on the construction crew, but also got to do some of the animal work (some of my hounds were used a couple of times), some greenswork (horticulture backgrounds and such), AND, I was an extra twice -- a dirty deer hunter in one episode, and the Scottish ghost of Bonnie Prince Charlie in another! Never got any actual dialogue, though -- but it was loads of fun, and paid a heckuva lot more than I was accustomed to! A lot of the "rustic" props you see on that series I made! The production people were amazed at us local hillbillies -- they'd give us a chainsaw, explain what they wanted, and we'd just go up in the woods and MAKE it! They said we saved them kuhzillions of dollars being able to do that! Before the series was cancelled (alas), I was promoted from "laborer" to "Property Craftsman!" That is one of the jobs where I had the nickname "Tarzan", it seems to happen to me a lot, unprompted (that is my nickname at the Zoo, now too), as I never actually tell people that was ever a nickname. But I do relate to the character enormously, and I have long hair and run around in the woods and do good animal imitations, so I guess it is to be expected.
Did you see the Bonobo special on PBS a while back? (an episode of the series Nova) a super show, titled "The Last Great Ape"--available for $19.99 on tape! I hope the Del Toro (signed to direct the new Warner Brothers Tarzan film) writers saw that show -- I'll mention it on the discussion. They compared chimpanzee with bonobo behaviour throughout the program -- these apes look a LOT alike (they are closely related), but boy, how DIFFRENT in behaviour! ERB's Mangani are really amazingly like "regular" chimps -- moreso than any of the other "known" apes.
Amar:  When did you first start reading ERB books, and how old were you?"
A. Lane Batot:  My first ERB book was a tattered copy of The Beasts Of Tarzan that I got at a secondhand bookstore -- I believe I was 10 or 11 years old. I was hooked INSTANTLY, and if you knew how I grew up, you'd understand why; I was a purty feral kid! To this day, that still remains my favorite book in the series, though I've read (and reread) all of them repeatedly. I have read a few other books outside the Tarzan series, but I was never as interested in them -- my interests are VERY narrow; critters, indigenous peoples, and wild places -- that's it for me. Everything else just bores me....
Amar: How has your interest in ERB influenced your life?
A. Lane Batot:  Wow, probably a lot! Like I said, I did not read a lot of his other stuff, so the influence would be from his "Tarzan" character. By the time I read it, I was already a wild kid, roaming the woods and constantly interacting and learning everything I could about animals. To the extent that my human social skills (or LACK of) took a backseat and never fully developed! I had read Kipling'sJungle Book VERY early, six or seven years old probably, and it was a major influence, so Tarzan was just a lot more of the same. Tarzan definitely expanded and only intensified such interests! This includes the movies as well as the books. Even as a little kid, I was never happy with the portrayal of Tarzan on film, but there were few movies that involved animals and the jungle in those days, no VCRs, no DVDs, very little on TV (only three channels back then!), so, bad as they were, a Tarzan movie was still a big occasion! And when you are a kid, you BECOME whatever your favorite characters are.
It would have been strange if I had NOT been interested in the Tarzan character, having been exposed to him. I was already running around in the woods with a bunch of animals most of the time (and loving it!), and was ridiculed quite a lot by my peers at school for my animal-like behavior, so to have a hero-character to relate to helped a lot to just ignore what would have otherwise been very insulting and hurtful comments to the average kid. Being resistant to such peer pressure undoubtedly was an enormous influence, for better or worse! I never felt inferior to other kids despite their comments, never wanted to change my interests or ways. This made for a VERY HAPPY, magical childhood. And to this day, I am ribbed about my lack of technological ability, and my animal bluntness, but I have no desire to conform at all. I think Tarzan is at least partly responsible for that.
Amar:  Tell me about your research and travels
A. Lane Batot:  I suppose you want that in 777 billion words or less! I will assume you mainly want to know how I ended up "working" with Jane Goodall. Basically I was an animal nut from birth -- literally! I refused to play with anything but animals(real or toys) as a little kid, and all I wanted to do as an older kid (still in that phase) is run around in the woods with animals. Little wonder that Tarzan, Mowgli, Robin Hood, etc. were my heroes growing up. I had REAL heroes,too -- animal as well as human. Some of the human ones included actual historical Native Americans, and JANE GOODALL, who started her pioneering animal behaviour studies with the chimpanzees the year I was born (1960). So I grew up reading her articles in National Geographic, watching the rare and splendid specials on TV.
When I was in college, a lot of my classmates wrote off to various Hollywood and music idols, and got "autographed" photos and fan letters and such back. Well, Jane Goodall was MY idol, so I figured to write HER a fan letter! Just kind of a lark for fun; I never expected to get a REPLY! I got her address from the National Geographic Society--in those days she was still mostly at the Gombe Stream Reserve with the chimpanzees. I got ridiculed A LOT for writing "that monkey-lady" by my classmates! I wrote her quite a few letters, mostly about experiences I had had with animals of various kinds, and to my eternal AMAZEMENT, she wrote back! We corresponded for a number of years like this, and became quite good friends through the letters. I finally actually got to meet her when she came on tour in the U.S. at a location not too far from my college.
So, I was finally planning to get to meet Jane Goodall face-to-face. One problem intervened -- it was my Final Exam week at college the same week she was to lecture nearby (it was at Sweet Briar college in Virginia. I BEGGED all my professors to let me take my exams one week late -- only ONE anthropology professor would agree -- the rest said "no way". I can be a stubborn cuss though, and MY priorities have never been exactly mainstream, so after at least TRYING to do it properly, I just said, "what-the-hell!", and WENT ANYWAY! Flunked almost every class I took that semester! My parents were furious! But in hindsight, it was one of the best decisions I ever made!
I can write a small book on just that adventure alone -- it was quite the experience! It was a huge National Geographic seminar, with not only Jane Goodall, but the head of National Geographic, Dian Fossey (gorilla lady), Birute Galdikas(orangutan lady), and Francine Patterson (who taught Koko the gorilla sign language) -- I got to meet and chat with them ALL! FANTASTIC experience; and I don't even remember what classes I flunked or the professors teaching them anymore! But I'll never forget THAT experience! Jane Goodall and I hit it off really good -- she would lecture at that college every year then (the NICEST PEOPLE imaginable at that school, too!), and I would come visit, bring my dog, pitch a tipi, and stay awhile! We had a lot of great conversations in my tipi, with her and other people at the college.
My LAST year at my college (Western Carolina University, in Cullowhee, N.C.) when I went to visit, Jane asked if I wanted to come to "work" with her for the summer -- she ALREADY KNEW I was saving up to visit Africa! So OF COURSE I JUMPED on it! She offered me the deal like it was a "job" -- but I got no pay (big deal!) -- my EXPENSES were my pay (plane tickets, food, etc.) -- and she said it like that was some kind of sacrifice or something! Not for ME, of course! I DID sorta "work" -- camp duties cleaning dishes (Jane was usually the cook), getting firewood, helping to fetch supplies in the closest human settlement (four miles away) Mwamgongo, and OF COURSE following chimps and baboons daily, taking notes and compiling them each evening (by candle or campfire light).
Because my visit was quite "unofficial" in that I was not a student, not writing a Ph.D., not a fellow scientist, not working on a behaviour project of my own, not publishing anything, a lot of people have been quite DISDAINFUL of my experiences there, since I'm not an "official" anything! And I do not pretend to be! But it does not make the experience any less wonderful for me! Many days I "took the day off", and just roamed for miles in the beautiful African forest alone -- scaling mountains, climbing trees, swimming in Lake Tanganyika; I got to "play Tarzan" like few people EVER get to do! I was usually BARELY dressed in a very ragged pair of shorts with a sheath knife -- but I DID have tennis shoes on! It was an incredible, wild, amazing experience that I lived to the HILT! I am GLAD I didn't have to worry about
publishing a paper, or doing strict scientific research! I only later learned from a former colleague of Jane's that she NEVER allowed people free-run of Gombe; but she did me -- I guess she trusted my "wood's sense" and judgment and common sense around wild animals to allow me to do that -- but it was quite the honor!
At the time it was just me, her and her then 17-year-old son "Grub" -- some Tanzanian workers lived in a nearby village (wonderful people!) -- we had mainly rice to eat, and fish IF we caught any! No electricity, no plumbing, no roads -- you could only travel by boat on the lake, or you walked. I get a kick out of watching the contestants on the T.V. show "Survivor" whining about the conditions for a WHOLE MONTH! I did that for fun for two months, and LOVED IT! Jane goodall did it for thirty years!
An interesting bit of "Tarzan trivia" -- they were filming "Greystoke" that year(1983), and the movie people had approached Jane to be a technical advisor on the film -- but alas, she was too busy with other stuff. She recommended someone which they did use -- so let it be known, the apes portrayed in that film WERE supposed to be chimpanzees! I think they did a good job with it, portraying the apes, at least. Since they were trying to be ultra realistic in that film, they didn't want to go with gorillas, or heaven forbid, imaginary Mangani! So we sat around the campfire at night discussing various things, and we often discussed how we would like to see Tarzan portrayed, and had hopes they would do him justice at last! Pretty much like everyone else -- first half of the movie -- GREAT! Second half, when they went off on their own tangent -- sucked! And they had the WIMPIEST Tarzan in the history of the movies!
My time there was very poignant, too, as it was to be some of Jane's last free time at Gombe -- she was anguishing over having to leave -- begged to do so by various people knowing the impact she could have on public awareness for environmental issues. Soon after that she began the almost CONTINUOUS lecture tours (which ARE quite inspiring) that she is STILL doing to this day, in her SEVENTIES! She still visits Gombe briefly (oh, so briefly) each year, but it is just not the same as LIVING THERE, of course.
I will mention a few other things briefly to finish this As to the question about how Jane Goodall feels about ERB and Tarzan -- you need to read some of her books too! (I recommend Reason For Hope as a good all-arounder about her life written by herself). I am not sure if she read any other ERB, but she has always been a huge Tarzan fan. She still has the original books she read as a little girl in her famliy home in England. Tarzan is one of the characters that influenced her and made her want to go to Africa when she grew up. We actually sat around the campfire in Gombe when I was there and discussed different Tarzan aspects -- including the then upcoming "Greystoke" movie, which she had been asked to be a consultant on, but had to reluctantly turn down, because (as usual) she had too many other commitments to attend to (a bit of Tarzan trivia most people are probably unaware of). We both had high hopes for the movie -- I'm pretty sure, like most of us die-hard fans, she liked the first half, but was disappointed in the second half. As a little girl, she was jealous of the "Jane" character in the book, and thought she was a real wimp! She felt SHE would make a much better mate for Tarzan! Amazing (some might say prophetic) that she ended up living so many years in Africa with apes! No-telling where those childhood dreams will lead if we can just hang on to them long enough.
Amar:  I see you work at the North Carolina Zoo.  What do you do there?
Yes, I work at the N.C. Zoo -- I am an animal keeper (of course!) in the Cypress Swamp exhibit, as well as the former Australia exhibit, which recently got eliminated, much to my chagrin. We still have a few Australia animals around that have not gone to new homes that have to be cared for, so for us keepers, it isn't quite over yet. In the Cypress Swamp area, I get to take care of cougars, alligators, various waterfowl, turtles, and snakes. Plus, as a volunteered aside, I also help with monitoring wildlife on the expansive 1,000 acre property, especially beavers and Canada geese. And I assist with stray animals (mostly dogs and cats, but we had a renegade goat get in the zoo once!)
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my job! Most of my working "career" has been extremely menial, miserable jobs -- low pay (well below poverty level), foul conditions, wretched people -- certainly no "benefits" like paid vacations or insurance or anything like that! This job (a State job) has ALL those benefits and more, plus I LOVE my work and the crew I work with is super. You might wonder how I ended up
in "The Swamp", especially since there are chimps, baboons, gorillas and other more "prestigious" animals at this zoo -- one word -- "politics". There were people in those sections who were so jealous of others, hateful and insecure, that I had ZERO chance of getting on. Sad, but true. Major Zoos can be incredibly treacherous quagmires of politics! In this zoo, some sections are MISERABLE to work in (because of the people), and others are WONDERFUL -- the Swamp is WONDERFUL, and I am supremely thankful to be there!
Being a keeper (basic animal care) is only one of MANY jobs at a major zoo like this. There are all manner of administrative jobs, including an entire computer department! There is a custodial staff, retail staff (gift shops), entertainment and Public Relations staff, maintenance crews, warehouse and shipping crews, commissary staff (they make up and deliver ALL the animal diets), automotive crew, an entire veterinary staff, design crew, horticulture and landscaping staff, educational department staff, special events committee, and an entirely separate Zoo Society in charge of fund raising -- I'm sure I've probably forgotten a few! All this adds up to quite the complicated and convoluted social hierarchy, so I am most happy to JUST deal simply with a few critters and stay OUT of all that! It really IS a nice zoo (lotsa room for improvement for the animals' sakes', but nice), and is one of North Carolina's best kept secrets. I hear visitors say all the time, the only zoo they think is better, is the San Diego Wild Animal Park! That's saying something! We COULD be so much better, though. You oughta check out the N.C. Zoo's website!

On the set of "Last of the Mohicans"
Batot is the Frontiersman on the far left

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Visit Amar's Shenandoah Site
http://groups.msn.com/ShenandoahSite/

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Dehydrated Sweet Potato Dog Treats Made in the Oven

I made dehydrated sweet potato treats for my dogs using the oven method provided in the link below. I must say, they are easy to make, they are healthy, and best of all, the dogs LOVE them!!!

http://www.17apart.com/2012/02/how-to-make-sweet-potato-dog-chew.html

Just Sayin'

Tribute To A Dog

Gentlemen of the Jury: The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us, may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads.

The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer. He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.

If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.

George Graham Vest - c. 1855

Bliss

Columbus Metro Parks Dog Trails

Finally Spring has arrived and the time is right to take advantage of the dog friendly trails in the following Metro Parks. Great exercise for your dog and for you!


Battelle Darby Creek

Directions: From I-270, take the W Broad St (US 40) exit west. Go about 5 miles and turn left on Darby Creek Dr. The main entrance is about 3 miles on the right. Indian Ridge Area is about 1 mile south of the main entrance on the right.

Darby Creek Greenway Trail  (4.7 miles, easy)
Gravel, winds through fields and woods and through the bison areas

Wagtail Trail  (1.6 miles, easy to moderate)
Grass surface traverses restored prairies, open grasslands, forest and wetlands.

Directions to trail entrance: From I-270, take the West Broad Street (U.S. 40) exit west. Go about 5 miles on Broad Street and turn left on Darby Creek Drive. Continue about 5 miles on Darby Creek Drive passing the main park entrance to Alkire Road and turn right. Continue on Alkire Road about 1 mile (crossing over Big Darby Creek) to Georgesville Wrightsville Road and turn left. Pet trail parking lot is about 1.6 miles on the left, after the road zig-zags.

Lake Trail  (1 mile, easy)
Dirt surface loops around a quarry lake. (Pleasant Valley Quarry Area).

Edgewood Trail  (1 mile, easy)
Dirt surface loops through a meadow and along the edge of woodland. (Pleasant Valley Quarry Area)

Prairie Way  (0.25 miles, easy)
Grass surface passes through a meadow and splits the loop of the Edgewood Trail. (Pleasant Valley Quarry Area)

Directions to Pleasant Valley Quarry trails entrance: From I-71, take exit 94 and go 1.75 miles on Sr 62 / SR 3 southwest towards Harrisburg. Entrance is on the left.

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Blacklick Woods
Blacklick Creek Greenway   (0.75 miles north/0.75 miles south, easy)
Paved surface passes through meadows.

Directions: From I-270, take E Main Street/Reynoldsburg exit. Go east on Min St to Brice Road and turn right. Take Brice Road to Livingston Ave and turn left. Entrance is about 1.5 miles on right. Drive to nature center parking lot for southern section of trail, which continues out of the park to Refugee Road. Park at Beech Maple Lodge or Ash Grove for northern section of trail (or join it from the bike and pedestrian entrance on Livingston Ave).

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Blendon Woods
Goldenrod Pet Trail  (1.2 miles, easy)
Grass surface passes through meadows.

Directions: From I-270, take State Route 161/New Albany exit east to the Little Turtle Way exit and turn right onto Old State Route 161/East Dublin-Granville Road. Entrance is 1/2 mile on the left.

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Clear Creek
Barnebey Pet Trail    (1 mile, one way, easy to moderate)
Gravel surface. Trail is actually the first mile of the Chestnut Trail, which flows over gently rolling hills to a gate where the trail enters the forest. Pets are not allowed beyond this point.

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Glacier Ridge
Ironweed Trail  (2.8 miles, easy)
Paved surface traverses woods and fields.

Marsh Hawk Trail  (2.2 miles, easy)
Paved surface traverses grasslands and woods.

Directions: From I-270 take U.S. 33 west (near Dublin) to State Route 161/Post Road exit. Turn right onto Post Road, then left onto Hyland Croy Road. Entrance is about 3 miles north on left.

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Heritage Trail Park
Multi-use Trail  (3.7 miles, easy)
Paved surface traverses open fields.

Directions: From I-270 take Tuttle Road and turn left onto Wilcox Road. Turn right onto Hayden Run Road. Entrance is about 2 3/4 miles on right.

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Highbanks
Coyote Run Trail  (3.5 miles, moderate)
Grass surface, through hardwood forests and fields. Closed to pets and hiking when cross-country skiing conditions exist.

Big Meadows Path  (1 mile, moderate)
Asphalt surface, through meadows and playfields. 

Oak Coves Path  (0.4 miles, easy)
Asphalt surface, through meadows and playfields. 

Directions: From I-270 take U.S. 23 North about 3 miles. Entrance is on the left, just before Powell Road.

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Inniswood Metro Gardens 

Chipmunk Chatter Trail  (0.6 miles, easy)
Paved surface traverses woodland.

Trail is accessed from North Street, Westerville, or from the far end of the Inniswood parking lot, outside the gardens, near the maintenance area.

Directions to trail entrance (North Street): From I-270, take the 161 east exit and turn left onto Sunbury Road. Go north on Sunbury Road about 1.5 miles to North Street on the left.

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Pickerington Ponds
Blacklick Creek Greenways Trail  (1.2 miles inside park, then 7.8 miles south to Three Creeks, 0.85 miles north to Portman Park)
Paved surface passes through woods, fields and wetlands. Trail can be accessed from the Glacier Knoll Picnic Area off Bowen Road

Directions: From I-270 take U.S. 33 east toward Lancaster about 3 miles. Turn left onto Gender Road, go about 1 mile and turn right onto Wright Road. Go about 1 mile to Bowen Road and turn left. Glacier Knoll picnic and parking area is about 0.25 miles on left.

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Prairie Oaks
Note: Pet Trails are not accessible from the main park entrance off Plain City-Georgesville Road.

Sycamore Plains Trail  (1 mile, moderate)
Grass and dirt surfaces traverse grasslands and passes along Big Darby Creek.

Osage Opening Trail  (0.5 mile loop, moderate to difficult)
Grass and dirt surfaces traverse fields and woodlands.

Tall Grass Trail  (0.7 mile loop, easy)
Grass and dirt uneven surface, but fairly level, extends southward in a loop from the Sycamore Plains Trail.

Directions to the above trails entrance: From Route 142 (Plain City-Georgesville Road) go about 1/4 mile south of I-70 exit. Turn left on High Free Pike. Go about 1 mile to Roberts Road and turn left. Go about 1 mile on Roberts Road to Amity Road and turn left. Entrance is on left

Mound Trail  (0.3 miles, easy)
Grass and dirt uneven surface, but fairly level, encircles an Indian Mound in the Darby Bend Lakes area.

Lakeview Trail  (0.6 miles, easy)
Grass, dirt and hard-packed grit surface, fairly level with a few uneven surfaces, runs down the east side of the most southerly lake in the Darby Bend Lakes area, connecting with the Darby Creek Greenway Trail near the bridge to the west side of Big Darby Creek.

River Rock Trail  (0.6 miles, easy)
Grass and dirt surface fairly level but uneven, loops around one of the lakes in the Darby Bend Lakes area from the Darby Creek Greenway Trail.

Darby Creek Greenway Trail  (3.4-miles, easy)
Gravel surface, runs through the Darby Bend Lakes Area, crosses Big Darby Creek and runs alongside restored prairies.

Directions to Darby Bend Lakes trails entrances: From I-270, take I-70 west to the West Jefferson / Plain City exit (exit 85), turn right onto Plain City-Georgesville Road / State Route 142. Go about 2.25 miles to Lucas Road (passing the main park entrance) and turn right. Go across Big Darby Creek and turn right at the stop sign onto Amity Road. Entrance is about 1/2 mile on right.

Beaver Lake Trail  (0.9 miles, easy)
Natural surface, loops around Beaver Lake in the Natural Play Area.

Directions to Beaver Lake: (8921 Lucas Road, Plain City):
From I-270 take I-70 west to West Jefferson/Plain City exit, turn right onto Plain City-Georgesville Road/State Route 142. Go about 2.25 miles to Lucas Road (passing the main park entrance) and turn right. Entrance is about 0.25 miles on right.

Prairie Oaks also features a dog swimming area in the Darby Bend Lakes area where dogs are allowed off leash.

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Scioto Audubon
Scioto Greenway Trail    (2 miles, easy) The Scioto Greenway Trail runs through the park, going south about 2 miles to Berliner Park, and north to Bicentennial Park, where there's a connection to the Olentangy Greenway Trail, which goes north of I-270 to Worthington Hills Park.

Directions: From I-71, take the Greenlawn Avenue exit east one-third of a mile and turn left on South Front Street. Go a quarter of a mile and turn left on West Whittier Street. Entrance is one-third of a mile on left.

Scioto Audubon also has a 2-acre Dog Park with separate areas for large and for small dogs, both with an agility course.

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Slate Run
Covered Bridge Trail  (0.5 miles, easy)
Gravel surface through fields with a view of Buzzard’s Lake.

Lake Trail  (0.4 miles, easy)
Paved surface loops around an inlet in Buzzard's Roost Lake.

Shagbark Trail  (0.5 miles, easy)
Gravel surface loop trail through fields and forests connects to Covered Bridge Trail.

Directions: From I-270, take U.S. 33 east toward Lancaster to the Canal Winchester/State Route 674 exit. Turn right onto Gender Road/Route 674 and go about 2 miles until it dead-ends into Lithopolis Road. Turn left and go about 1/2 mile to Route 674. Turn right and go about 4 miles to the entrance on the right.

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Three Creeks
Evergreen Trail  (0.5 miles, easy)
Dirt and grass surface traverses white pine grove.

Blacklick Creek Greenways Trail  (9 miles to Glacier Knoll Picnic Area in Pickerington Ponds, easy)
Paved surface runs parallel to Blacklick Creek through meadows and wetlands.

Alum Creek Greenways Trail  (14.6 miles roundtrip, easy)
Paved surface runs parallel to Alum Creek, crossing a 300 ft. bridge below the confluence of the Alum, Big Walnut and Blacklick creeks.

Turtle Pond Trail  (0.4 miles, easy)
Gravel surface loops around the pond in the Confluence Trails Area.

Loop TrailsPets can also be walked on the Heron Pond Loop Trail, the Turtle Pond Trail in the Confluence Trails area, and loops around Madison Mills and around Sycamore Fields playing areas, extending to Smith Farms.

Directions: From I-270, take U.S. 33 east to the South Hamilton Road exit. Turn right and go about 1 mile to Bixby Road and turn right. Entrance is about 1 mile on the right.

Three Creeks also features a 4-acre Dog Park managed by the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.

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Walnut Woods
Sweetgum Trail  (2.5 miles, easy)
Paved surface traverses stands of sweet gum and pine trees.

Directions: From I-270, take US 33 east toward Lancaster. Go about 1.3 miles then turn right on Hamilton Road/SR 317. Go about 2.7 miles and turn left onto Main Street/Groveport Road. Go 1.4 miles to Richardson Road and turn right. The entrance to the Tall Pines Area is about 1.1 miles on your right.

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