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Bullstone Nature Sanctuary seeks city help to formalize lease, expands free public programs
Summary
Representatives from Bullstone Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum described volunteer efforts, monthly public programs and school outreach, asked city staff to help clarify a lapsed lease and offered volunteer and event coordination details.
Nancy Clark, president of the Bullstone Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum, and Melissa Prophet, the sanctuary’s naturalist, presented to the Middletown Park Board about the group’s volunteer-run programming and operational needs.
Clark said Bullstone — an 11-acre nature area in the city — runs monthly free public events and volunteer park workdays. She told the board the organization’s formal lease for the city park site has lapsed and asked to be directed to the appropriate city contact to begin lease reorganization.
Prophet described the sanctuary’s education programs, including “Nature Tots” for children ages 18 months to 8 years, regular spring wildflower walks, prairie walks and volunteer workdays scheduled most Saturdays. She said Bullstone maintains an annual calendar of free programs, lends classroom backpack kits to local teachers through a community foundation education grant, and charges modest fees only for school field trips to cover costs.
Clark and Prophet reviewed ongoing maintenance needs: removal of hazardous trees (they identified a heavy loss of ash trees), invasive-plant control (honeysuckle, wintercreeper, autumn olive), and bridge repairs for 40-year-old structures. Prophet said volunteers handle routine mowing and prairie management but that larger repairs require city coordination and periodic outside funding.
The pair left brochures and a program calendar with the board and provided contact details for volunteer coordination. Clark said a Bullstone board member submits event dates to the city calendar; Prophet asked that city staff help with sign placement and advertising at the park to publicize events. Clark also asked whether the city could pay for seasonal porta-potty rentals during April–November events.
The board did not take formal action during the presentation but discussed connecting Bullstone with the staff member who manages park leases and calendars. Board members encouraged Bullstone to submit requests through the city calendar and said staff would follow up.
Bullstone representatives also noted recent grant work: they applied for an education grant through the Mendeepah Community Foundation in February 2023 to create education kits available for local classrooms and field trips. Prophet said the kits are listed on the sanctuary website and have been used by local Girl Scout troops and elementary classes.
The presentation ended with an offer by Bullstone to coordinate volunteers for upcoming city workdays and to provide the board with additional material for the city calendar and event promotion.
