Sulphur Creek: New and Improved

Hayward Park and Recreation Department (HARD) has plans to update Sulphur Creek Nature Center. The “new and improved” version advertises tours, family fun, green space, a robust education program, a variety of wildlife, and welcoming environment for visitors, volunteers, and staff alike. Everything I love.

Yet, even as HARD advertises these attractions, there are no public plans to provide or maintain the additional staff and volunteers needed. The much loved volunteer program, once a mainstay of accessibility and community representation, is now threadbare.

To advertise a new park system without a staffing plan is not an improvement. To assume Sulphur Creek’s tradition of accessibility will survive without a public commitment, is problematic. As donors, taxpayers, and citizens, we deserve a clear action outline for our beloved parks, and the inclusion and equality that they provide for us all.

–Anne-Marie Tucker, Hayward