Athens Conservancy and Passion Works Studio are connecting art and nature at the new Mary Beth Art Trail at Gillett Pond. An open house will be held from 2-4 p.m. June 5 at the Mary Beth Zak Lohse Preserve located about 2 miles west of Strouds Run State Park on Strouds Run Road east of Athens. Trail signs were created by nine artists at Passion Works and depict the creatures and plants of Southeast Ohio. (Image Provided)

ATHENS, Ohio — A new trail highlighting artistic talents and the flora and fauna of Southeast Ohio will open June 5 in Athens County.

An open house for the Mary Beth Art Trail at Gillett Pond will be held from 2-4 p.m. June 5 at the Mary Beth Zak Lohse Preserve located about 2 miles west of Strouds Run State Park on Strouds Run Road east of Athens. While parking is limited, the event will include self-guided tours of the trail, activities, trail snacks and information from the Athens Conservancy.

The trail is from a partnership of the Athens Conservancy, Passion Works Studio, Live Healthy Appalachia and the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery. The trail features whimsical nature-inspired trail markers created by nine Passion Works artists that are designed to combine art and nature and encourage people to explore the natural world.

The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio financed the project.

“We are thrilled to open the Art Trail to help connect individuals and families to the joys of art and nature around us,” said Christine Fahl, president of the board of Athens Conservancy. “The shared initiative focuses on the value of being active outdoors, breathing in the fresh air, and experiencing our precious natural world.”

A map of the trail in the Mary Beth Zak Lohse Preserve. (Image Provided)

A new, permanent kiosk at the preserve houses trail maps and materials focusing on nature-based activities and on the benefits of time spent outdoors.

A short walking trail from the service road leads to the Art Trail, created around the Gillett Pond, where 10 artist-designed trail markers feature native plants and animals including an owl, bobcat, salamander, cicada, wildflowers and dragonflies. Visitors of all ages will enjoy walking the trail and looking for the wildlife images woven into the colorful artwork, but the short trail leading to the pond is fairly steep.

“Appalachian Ohio is rich in so many things, including our amazing natural spaces and beautiful forests and woods,” Fahl said. “We’re also known for our creative spirit. This project is a unique and purposeful way to combine these two resources that Southeastern Ohio is known for – nature and art – and we couldn’t be happier to work with community partners on this initiative.”

The artwork was created as a 5-foot wide acrylic painting by nine artists at Passion Works Studio. The project was financed by a grant from Brilliantly composed by the artists on a bright pink-and-purple background, the Art Trail markers will provide a pop of color along the trail in all seasons.

“Our artists are proud of their art and the fact that it is being shared in the community, not just inside the studio,” Nancy Epling, artist-in-residence, said. “We chose the native flora and fauna of Athens County because it made sense due to the location of the trail. We also thought it would be a nice ode to Mary Beth Zak Lohse (for whom the preserve is named) to include some of her favorite wildflowers from the Athens area.”

Upon completion, a high-resolution image of the huge artwork was split into 10 pieces, each featuring a native plant or animal. The 10 pieces were turned into 18-by-12 inch trail signs and installed around the small Gillett Pond at the preserve.

The Mary Beth Zak Lohse Preserve is a 283-acre preserve adjacent to Strouds Run State Park and Riddle State Nature Preserve. Named in memory of Mary Beth Zak Lohse, a local friend of the environment, the preserve features a forest canopy, large trees, valleys, bluffs, ridges and a pond.