WELL WISHES FROM THE WILLOWS PARK PRESERVE

It's hard to imagine spending time at The Willows, Radnor Township's most beautiful park, and not feeling better than you felt before you arrived. The Willows Park, with its rolling hills, stately trees, and pictureperfect pond, is a soul-soothing, spiritlifting place regardless of the time of year, but it is especially so in early spring after a damp, dreary winter with too much gray and too little green. Spring is a time of renewal, of rebirth, of restoration, a time to abandon the stuffy confines of home or the crowded aisles of CVS, tissues and cold remedies in hand, and venture outdoors where the air is fresh and bracing and we begin to recall that we have hearts that beat, lungs that breathe and limbs that move!

Spring encourages us to shake off our winter torpor and resume the healthy habits and exercise routines so many of us abandoned as the days grew shorter and the temperatures dropped. Spring exhorts us to be well, in mind, body and spirit (or, as the Romans might say, “Mens sana in corpore sano”). Spring does what she can (longer days, warmer weather) to make it easy for us to do so.

But sometimes even Spring needs a little assist loosening the remote control from our grasp and nudging us out the door to a nearby park or gym. Recognizing this need, the Willows Park Preserve is busy making plans for hosting its second annual, daylong Wellness at the Willows event on April 23, 2023 (rain date April 30). The Willows Park Preserve is a nonprofit organization that was formed by a group of local residents to restore the longshuttered, rapidly deteriorating Willows Mansion, once the jewel of the Willows Park, and open it up for public and private events, community programming and simple, passive enjoyment.

The inaugural Wellness at the Willows event was held last April and, by all accounts and measures, was a huge success. The 2022 event featured, among other things, classes on yoga, mindfulness, stretching and exercise; lectures and demonstrations on healthy eating and nutrition; display tables with educational materials; a nature hike along the Skunk Hollow Trail; and a tour of the adjacent Skunk Hollow Community where Radnor residents can grow their own vegetables, herbs and flowers in a pesticide-free environment. This year's event will be similar but with some new features and new lecture topics to keep the event fresh and timely. And, as was true of last year's event, the 2023 event will be free of charge and accessible to all members of the community.

Opportunities to hold a class, deliver a lecture, lead a workshop or to set up a table or booth with health and wellnessoriented materials and displays are still available. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Sponsorships are a win-win, as they help the Willows Park Preserve fund the event but also give local businesses a chance to engage with the community and let the community know that “we are there for you!”

This year's Wellness at the Willows event will take place at the Willows Mansion, both indoors and outdoors in the courtyard, on the terrace, under the tent or, most appropriately, in the “wishing well” circle. Yes, the Willows Park Preserve wishes you well and looks forward to seeing you at this year's event.

For more information or if you are interested in sponsorship, leading a class or workshop or setting up a display and information table, please email the WPP at: info@willowsparkpreserve.org.

If you would like to host your next event at the WPP, register for a program, learn about volunteer opportunities, provide financial support, or simply want to learn more about the WPP, please visit our website: www.willowsparkpreserve.org or email us at: info@willowsparkpreserve.org