Days after the tornado hit, the COVID-19 pandemic became a global emergency. The city locked down. People turned to their parks like never before—for fresh air, exercise, meditation, solace, and a much-needed break from the stresses of a quickly changing world. With their park closed indefinitely, Lockeland Springs’s residents began to venture onto a privately owned five-acre lot adjacent to the park.

This land quickly became the secret garden and a place of respite that Lockeland Springs Park provided before the tornado. It was a sanctuary for neighbors seeking socially distant time in nature. A new footpath was carved along the stream by residents trekking through the dense forest to experience nature’s physical and mental health benefits.

As the city reopened, the community embarked upon a massive volunteer effort to restore Lockeland Springs Park. Together, they worked tirelessly to clean up the land, plant 350 new large trees, and plant new wildflower meadows on the now sunny slopes. But as neighbors organized to rebuild their park, they faced a new challenge: the adjacent private land—which had become a natural extension of the park—was up for sale for development. The loss of this property to development would not only strip the community of their enjoyment of the land. It would also destroy a core piece of the sheltered cove forest—changing the enchanting nature of Lockeland Springs Park forever.