August 2018 Park of the Month: West Ashley Greenway
From our Program Director Jim Martin
The West Ashley Greenway is a linear park located on a former railroad bed, linking neighborhoods between the Stono and Ashley Rivers, running a total of 8.5 miles.
From June 4th to 7th 2018, Charleston Parks Conservancy and the City of Charleston hosted a West Ashley Greenway & West Ashley Bikeway Community Design Workshop for the public to help shape future improvements to the Greenway and Bikeway. The next step for this project will be completing a draft master plan to present to the City of Charleston in Fall 2018.
While the West Ashley Greenway and Bikeway have a long list of potential improvements to consider, there is still plenty of beauty to enjoy now in these linear parks. Our Program Director, Jim Martin, took a stroll on the West end of the West Ashley Greenway, starting on the Johns Island, and has shared some thoughts and fascinating flowers you can find on a walk in the woods:
Sprinkling rain meets the visitor on this breezy morning. Buxom clouds dot the sky while a snowy egret sits patiently in skeletonized trees waiting for something to trigger flight. It only takes a few steps on the West end of the West Ashley Greenway to spot summer’s abundance.
While we think this season is about the flowers, as fall inches closer the jewels in the landscape begin to look like seeds, pods, and berries. Nature feeds its own and the variety is living proof that, when one is willing to narrow the view, color and texture come to the forefront.
Interested in visiting the Greenway for yourself? Visit the Greenway off Main Rd. and Maybank Highway on John’s Island or view Jim’s nature gallery below.