Steinberg Park opens, making dream a reality

SARAH DAY — Sentinel Staff Writer
BLUE EARTH — Vera Steinberg had a love of nature and a dream.

That dream came true when Steinberg Nature Park officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday.

Steinberg donated 33 acres of land for the park and did much of the footwork.

Though she passed away July 2007 at age 88, before the park could open, many of her friends and family traveled to see her legacy.

On Saturday morning, many spoke of Steinberg’s efforts, as well as tales of her tenacity.

Steinberg had come to City Administrator Ben Martig and former Community Development Director Rick Juba about her vision for a park. Martig was hesitant at first, thinking it would involve significant dollars from the city.

But that wasn’t the case. Steinberg told him she wanted to give something to the city. Funding for the park also came with a grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“In part, when I found out what piece of land she was talking about, I got excited,” he said.

He described Steinberg as a warm, gentle and caring person, who took her time working out the details on the project.

“We’re also here to remember Vera and what a great person she was,” he said.

The more city staff worked with Steinberg, the more they saw the possibilities, Martig said.

“We realized how great this park really could be,” he said. “It’s truly a project that’s a grass roots effort. We haven’t spent any tax dollars on this as well.”

He did acknowledge there would be maintenance costs in the future.

Blue Earth Mayor Rob Hammond said the project “has exceeded the expectations that a city the size of Blue Earth could imagine.”

The park can be found on the east edge of Blue Earth, along County Road 16 — just over the bride and the first driveway on the left.

The physical work on the park has been in progress for the past two years, with the initial planning beginning about four years ago, according to Glenn Gaylord, City Councilman and an avid outdoorsman.

He owns the property next to the park and has spent many hours working on the project.

The most important thing for him is that people use the recreational area.

“We want to emphasize it’s open,” he said. “It has been open. It’s here to be used. No matter where they’re from, they’re welcome to be here. The worst thing that could happen is we put this much work into it and have it not be used.”

A crushed limestone path leads around the prairie portion of the park. The next trail is just off to the west of the parking lot, through the wooded area along the river.

This path — which is downtrodden just enough for the passerby to know they’re not lost — gives glimpses of native flowering plants painting the woodland floor.

Gaylord and his daughter led tours of the trails Saturday. He pointed out different species of native plants along the river trail. People were “in for a real treat” because a trillium was blooming along the trail.

Along the path he drew attention to violets in yellow and purple, Dutchman’s Britches, wild ginger, springcrest and even a budding Columbine flower — to name a few.

Bill Olson, with Feder Prairie Seed, spoke of the work done in the park. He said 20 species of grass and 40-50 species of flowers were planted in the prairie portion of the park.

“I think it’s going to be a beautiful asset,” he said.

For anyone unaccompanied by a guide, signs are planned to describe the plants and trees. Also coming are more benches along the pathways and picnic tables. Long-term goals include adding restrooms and an outdoor building for a classroom — similar to the one at Cedar Park in Fairmont.

Vera’s family and friends spoke of her love for Blue Earth and nature, remembering her affection for flowers and birds.

Wayne Feder, an avid bird watcher, thought the timing of the park’s opening was interesting because this is the best time of year for birding and because bird populations have been dropping for many years. He believes the park is the perfect habitat to help defer that.

City Attorney David Frundt remembers when Steinberg’s idea surfaced on a Faribault County Trails Association trip.

“She clearly was someone who was very passionate about it (the Steinberg Nature Park),” he said. “She believed the birds needed it. ... I really thank her every day for it. It’s great for our town, it’s great for nature and it’s great for Vera’s family.”