It’s a June afternoon at Polk Valley Park, and I’ve packed a picnic and summer reading. Like a blue postcard, my blanket covers a small portion of the grass trails that thread through the park’s
meadows. Though Polk Valley Park was designed with great care and deliberation, it retains all the wild characteristics of a natural woodland. This is mainly thanks to its many deep meadows,
which grow without human interference and hum with the sounds of crickets under a lazy sun.
Polk Valley Park was not always intended to be for recreation. Its 48 acres were once destined to be purchased and developed into a residential area consisting of 155 homes. But those plans never came to pass; instead, in 2002, the land was donated to Lower Saucon Township and designated as a future park.
When the 48 acres were acquired, the residents received a survey asking what they would like included in the new park, and their answers were used to determine the composition of Polk Valley. A baseball diamond, a playground with a pavilion, walking trails, athletic fields, the dog park and endless natural meadows now stand as an area for the benefit of the community, suggested by the community.
The 1-acre dog park is enjoyable in all types of weather and is treasured by both patrons and their canine companions. When a 2012 hurricane damaged the dog park’s infrastructure and temporarily shut it down for repairs, many residents missed the weekends spent at the park playing with their dogs and conversing with the other owners. The park’s popularity has even led to the creation of a Facebook page, which serves as both a social space and a board for listing events.
Because the playground is located on the park’s highest slope, picnicking at the pavilion or swinging at the playground comes with a beautiful view of South Mountain, which is a rich green in the summer and a collection of yellows and auburns in the fall. South Mountain also served as the backdrop for many Little League games I’ve watched throughout the summers, framing the baseball diamond that lies at the slope’s base. The park offers a balanced collection of social and solitary activities.
What I find most interesting about Polk Valley Park’s history is the team of Lafeyette student engineers that helped design it. I roll up my blanket and begin strolling down the grass trails, trying to see the land from their perspective. The park’s area is diverse, with woodlands, wetlands, and of course, the meadows. Though many plans were submitted for the layout of Polk Valley Park, the chosen plan included several recreational structures while also leaving room for meadows to grow. Rather than install grass fields, areas of the park were cultivated into natural meadows, with biodiversity as the main goal. Assortments of wildflower seeds, native trees and shrubbery were all carefully planted to attract wildlife and insects; the hodgepodge is now a colorful collection of plant life.
Though relatively new, Polk Valley Park is already a wonderful contribution to Lower Saucon and the surrounding communities. People come for the grass trails, dog park, baseball games and
the like, but find themselves staying for the components of the park that are not necessarily advertised: bumblebees on the marigolds, conversations at the dog park or sunsets lighting up the trees on South Mountain. A place gifted to and created by the community, Polk Valley Park is always a welcome place to spend a relaxing afternoon.
Helen Behe is an MFA candidate at DeSales University, where she is studying through the program’s poetry track for a degree in creative writing and publishing. Aside from her studies, Helen enjoys gardening, boxing and rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles. She is a resident of Bethlehem. Read more of Helen’s Then & Now series here.
