Oshkosh’s natural beauty is something we should be proud of as a community. We sit at the intersection of the Fox River and Lake Winnebago while also having over 400 acres of community greenspace spread across 41 parks. Our park system is unique as it helps cultivate strong public-private partnerships with recreation groups across the city. With shelters and pavilions for groups to gather as well as boat launches, our parks system is also a revenue driver for local government and enhances Oshkosh’s position as a year-round destination city. Whether it be biking on the Riverwalk, spending an afternoon at Menominee Park Zoo, going to Waterfest at the Leach Amphitheater, or just throwing the ball around at your neighborhood park, our parks system has something for everyone! 

Let's look at the numbers. According to the 2022 Oshkosh Parks Department Impact Report, charitable donations and grants to the Parks Department nearly totalled $1,000,000. In terms of events, 98 were held over the course of over 260 days (including repeats). Brews in the Zoo debuted in October of 2022 with over 250 attendees. On the preservation front, 172 trees were planted, 236 dead stumps were removed, and over 1,500 trees were planted. At the Oshkosh Senior Center, over 37,000 people visited, and 84 volunteers dedicated over 12,000 hours of their time. These numbers reflect a healthy system and also highlights the room our parks system has to grow.

Parks are critical when assessing a community’s quality of life, and our city is no different. The 2018 Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan surveyed the community on the state of our parks. In terms of overall approval rating, 38% of respondents answered that they were “very satisfied” with the park system while 50% said they were “somewhat satisfied.” Menominee Park was reported as the most visited park with South Park coming in at second. In terms of needs, respondents reported that expansion of biking and walking trails were the most pressing as well as more bathrooms and expansion of the Riverwalk. The city also has a lack of dog parks with the county-owned dog park at the Winnebago County Community Park being one of the only public dog parks in the area, and I’d like to see the city use its existing park space for another dog park. 

So what does the future of our local parks system hold? Well to start the main goal should be (as it currently is) to provide for an accessible parks system for all residents to enjoy while being good stewards in the preservation of our natural resources. The second is to try and continue to meet the needs that the community lays out in the survey in the 2018 report. Admittedly, this report is dated, so I would like to see a new assessment and survey where we hear again from the community on priorities, popularity, and future needs for the park system. I would also like to see further development of our neighborhood parks so there is an equal degree of attention paid to each neighborhood park. In terms of programming, the city should continue with its strong public-private partnerships such as Waterfest and look for new opportunities for year round programming to bring more visitors to Oshkosh. Additionally, I’d like to see the city build a dog park on existing park land with possibly more in the future. 

As always, let me know what you think! Join the conversation by emailing me at jacobforoshkosh@gmail.com or contact me on social media.