Message from the Director

A neighbor stopped me in front of my house recently to say he had just spent a good part of the day in one of our parks, walking the pathways, sitting under a tree, getting some work done in a quiet place, and enjoying some down time. It got me thinking about our need for quiet times, what I like to refer to as ‘silence and solitude,’ during our crazy, fast-paced lives.

A recent National Recreation and Parks Association article said: Rumbling traffic, blaring car alarms, pinging message alerts, upsetting 24-hour news today we are more bombarded with noise and stress than ever. In fact, the World Health Organization considers noise one of the worst environmental stressors for humans. Further, it calls stress the health epidemic of the 21st century. Fortunately, this problem has a simple, powerful solution spending quiet time in natural settings.

I love that Meridian’s parks are places of activity, sports leagues, special events, and lots of good old-fashioned fun. But I want to take a moment to celebrate that our parks are also places for relaxation and quiet moments. Several studies have shown that spending time outdoors is good for your mental and physical health and can do wonders for relieving anxiety, stress, and depression. What you see, hear, and experience in natural settings can greatly improve your mood in a short span of time. Making time for silence and solitude in life has also been shown to increase creative thinking and concentration, as well.

Best of all, getting outdoors doesn’t have to be a lot of work. Our city parks can provide the ideal setting for enjoying more passive types of recreational activities. For example, you might want to try fishing, nature photography, bird watching, picnicking, flying a kite, sketching or painting, reading, riding a bike, walking as a family, meditating, or exploring the public art in our parks.

I love and celebrate that our parks, pathways, and open spaces provide ample opportunities for quiet down time for our entire community. So, the next time you’re feeling down, sluggish, or stressed out, relief might be closer than you think. Just head to your nearest park for a little down time.

You can learn about Meridian’s various parks, pathways, and recreational activities by going online to meridiancity.org/parks. I hope to see you outside in one of our many City of Meridian parks this fall!

Bear Creek Park – 2400 S. Stoddard Road

Cole Valley Christian School – 200 E Carlton Ave.

Discovery Park – 2121 E Lake Hazel Rd

Heritage Middle School Practice Gym – 4990 N Meridian Rd

Meridian Boys & Girls Club – 911 N Meridian Rd

Meridian Community Center – 201 E. Idaho Ave.

Meridian Homecourt – 936 Taylor Ave

Meridian Middle School Wes Lowe Gym – 1507 West 8th Street

Motions Dance Studio – 440 W. Pennwood St. Suite 140

Settlers Park– 3245 N. Meridian Rd.

Storey Park – 205 E Franklin Road

Tully Park – 2500 N Linder Road

Victory Middle School – 920 Kodiac Drive

Willow Creek Elementary – 6195 N. Long Lake Way