The Huntertown Community began August 29, 1871, when formerly enslaved Union Veteran Jerry Gatewood purchased 5 acres just outside of Versailles. The hamlet thrived for close to 100 years with a school, churches, and even a baseball team before it was ultimately abandoned to later become a place of history. The area was left mostly untouched until a year ago, August 28, 2021, when Huntertown Community Interpretive Park was established on its 150th anniversary. What many people do not know, however, is that Huntertown park was largely student-driven at the beginning. High-schoolers from Woodford were instrumental in taking the idea for the park to the Woodford County Court, who made the conclusive decision to go forward with the plan. So, what was once a healthy “suburb” of Versailles now serves as a place where the public can enjoy a peaceful picnic, take nature hikes through the woods, or just get outside, all while being in a place of incredible historical significance to Woodford County.

Now, though, the park is adding another layer to their historical preservation goals according to Sioux Finney. Through partnerships with the University of Kentucky Landscape Architecture Department and the Woodford County Master Gardeners, Finney and leaders of the park now seek to conserve the environment that is such an attraction to park-goers.

UK professors and students have devised a plan to improve the efficiency of the park’s current storm water runoff. The existing system is not only ineffective, but also deters native plants from growing properly, which negatively affects the overall ecosystem of the park. Finney states that closer to the fall volunteers instructed by U.K. experts will plant native species of bioswales (strong plants native to the area) in integral parts of the park with the ultimate goal of redirecting and strengthening storm water runoff into areas that would benefit from the excess water rather than be damaged.

The Woodford County Master Gardeners also have designed a plan to improve the health of the park’s ecosystem. The Master Gardeners are a group of community leaders and activists with the goal of improving and educating the public on everything environmental, more specifically pollination. Through volunteer work they intend to plant a garden in the park aimed to attract swaths of pollinators to the area. The increased amount of pollinators will boost the health of the park’s ecosystem in a large way, attracting everything from bees to bats in the process.

Future plans for the park include lots of conservation and public education. The master plan includes an outdoor classroom for outreach and teaching and installation of a “natural” jungle gym with materials sourced 100% organically from nature rather than factory produced. However, all those plans start now with U.K., the Master Gardeners, and volunteers from the community improving upon the wetland health, pollinator health, and storm-water runoff efficiency within the park with the ultimate goal of creating a strong foundation capable of growing and bettering all for the public to enjoy.

If you are interested in volunteering to help with the conservation efforts within the park please contact Sioux Finney at [email protected] – they will need the most help come fall and would love your involvement!