Palmetto Bay Park
I visited Palmetto Bay Park which sits on 25-acre land located in Miami, Florida just off US-1. The park was initially called Perrine park but was later renamed to Palmetto Bay Park in 2006. The park is surrounded by a serene environment full of trees, green grass and wildlife birds such as grackles, mockingbirds, and the white ibis. There are sideways designated for both cyclist, and people at the parks. The park has been built with amenities such as courts for playing baseball, playgrounds for children, skate field, fields for playing softball, and gazebos that are available for rent to small groups of people. In addition, there is a two-story building that is the focal point of the park. There are also rooms that are well ventilated for indoors activities such as seminars and meetings.
Experience at Palmetto Bay Park
When I entered the Park at around 1:00 pm, I found there were already a lot of people from the elderly, parents, youths, and children; all involved in different activities. I walked through the park enjoying the beauty of nature while taking the initiative of feeding some of the birds. The atmosphere was so relaxing and a happy mood could be sensed within the area. I later sat down at one of the gazebos to take some snacks that I had brought. Will eating, I had a conversation with a random guy that ended up with us exhausted after playing baseball for a remarkably long time. I really enjoyed myself and could hardly notice how time was moving fast.
Cleaning the Park
Before leaving the park, I noticed that there was litter around especially at the playground areas and fortunately, I had carried some pair of gloves in my bag. I wore them and started collecting the litter and placing them in the proper trash receptacle. After about five minutes, I was joined by two elderly couple who told me that they were encouraged by my efforts in cleaning the environment hence they wanted to help. By the time we were done with the cleaning exercise, we were almost nine people and I was amazed how small contributions could motivate people to lend a hand. I walked away convinced that it only takes a one-person initiative to make a difference. Even so, there were those who did not seem to care about making the park clean and some children kept throwing sweet wraps hardly before we finished the cleaning work.
The Worth of Parks
From my experience at Palmetto Bay Park, I strongly believe that parks are worthwhile and converting real estates to parks is the best decision that can be made. With the conservation of trees in the park, a fresh air environment is provided that clears pollution of air bringing healthy benefits to the people. The trees in the parks also attract wildlife, like in Palmetto Bay Park, the trees there have attracted a variety of birds that people just come to have a view of. The parks provide avenues where you can meet new people, interact with them, play together with different games and share life lessons. These act as stress relievers and improves on your mental health. With the increase in urbanization and industrialization, we find that we are hardly left with enough space to indulge in physical activities and playgrounds where children are free to play. Parks provide these spaces and make life more satisfactory.
Conclusion
With the endless positive contribution of parks to our society, I would recommend that more parks should be considered and that we should take care of the already existing ones by actions such as keeping them clean.
