Haiku trail dedicated at Miami University Middletown
Student poems key part of trail renewal project
Haiku trail dedicated at Miami University Middletown
A Middletown Community Foundation grant has helped make the Miami University Middletown nature trail a more accessible, educational, and inclusive outdoor environment.
Opened Oct. 1, 1978, for over 45 years the nature trail has benefitted the Miami University Middletown academic community and residents of the Middletown area, supporting wellness, learning, and connection with nature.
Foundation support helped clear overgrowth, fallen trees, and other debris to improve safety and ease of access. New seeds and plants were added to increase the variety of foliage along the trail, and replacement trees were planted to ensure long-term sustainability and maintain the overall ecological balance.
The project included broadening the academic use of the trail, so the campus transitioned from a STEM to a STEAM focus (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) by adding a Haiku Trail inspired by the “Arts in the Park – Haiku” at Hueston Woods State Park trail that was dedicated in 2023 as part of the Haiku North America conference.
Traditionally, haiku focus on nature with the goal of sharing new ways to experience a natural setting. The Rentschler Library on the Hamilton campus has had a long-running annual haiku contest created by Mark Shores, the library’s assistant director, in 2010. Selected from the collection of submissions, more than a dozen have been installed as permanent signage along the trail, offering users of all ages a thoughtful and artistic engagement with the natural world.
With an eye toward the future, the campus has also installed signage with QR codes linked to a feedback survey. This real-time community input will help guide ongoing improvements and enable the campus to better understand how diverse groups engage with the space.
“Our trails have become an increasingly valuable space for Middletown community members of all ages,” said Moira Casey, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science. “We are grateful for the support of the Middletown Community Foundation as we work to provide year-round access to a safe, scenic, and welcoming natural environment.”
