GRAND CHUTE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – “Safer at Home” does not necessarily mean “stuck inside.”
Many people are heading outside to get some fresh air and exercise.
As the weather warms up, parks and nature preserves are getting more popular, but could that popularity become a problem?
At the Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve in Grand Chute, COVID-19 warning signs are up, and officials say it’s far from business as usual.
“We had to cancel all of our events and programs for the time being. Our doors are currently closed to the public, but our trails are still open,” said Connor Gehrke, Bubolz Nature Preserve Property Manager.
Gehrke tells FOX 11 more visitors are taking to the 8.5 miles of trails, and that’s causing some concerns.
“With the influx of people coming here, we have been noticing more litter, and then also some vandalism that’s been occurring. We put some signage out for people just as a reminder.”
At Heckrodt Wetland Reserve in Menasha, the Nature Center has been closed to the public for a month. Signs are up throughout the park, reminding people to treat the three-mile trail system with respect, because the site has become a popular place.
“Oh very. Very. I came about a week and a half ago, and it was too “peoply.” Too many people here, so I turned and left,” said Cindy Robarge, Appleton.
“We were going to High Cliff a lot because it’s closer, and there’s obviously more extensive trails, but it was getting really crowded. So I can understand why they shut it down,” said Sam Baldwin, Harrison.
At Bubolz, Gehrke says people practicing proper social distancing, and picking up their garbage, will go a long way.
