Imagine a situation where you have a large backyard that was beautiful with serene nature. You enjoyed walking through wonderful trees and seeing interesting birds and animals and learning new things, being thrilled just to see the wonders that are there. Your backyard gave you much serenity and enjoyment.

Then, the next thing you know, you hear vehicles, people talking, music playing and see a large crowd gathering, disrupting the once-tranquil setting that you so deeply enjoyed. Then to have that same scenario reoccur more frequently and have nuisances with even more traffic, more noise, more lights and mischief causing the devastation of plants, trees and animal habitats.

Next, you learn that permission of alcohol was granted for crowds, and next on the agenda is adding a parking lot for 200-plus vehicles, thus destroying 3 acres of gorgeous nature to promote more and bigger events.

This is exactly what the township has allowed with Preston Park. This park was created with care after many years. It was a gift — a gem — to observe, conserve, preserve and revel in its beauty, to learn and teach others how to continue this preservation. It was not given for the purpose of abuse by development and killing what was given in good faith. More development means more destruction. We need to nurture what was given and teach others to nurture and love what God has given to us through the Preston’s gift. We need to honor the Preston’s intentions, or shame on us!

How many times will we let people kill nature? Do not pave paradise and put up a parking lot.

Development is not conservation.

Cindy Wulff, Butler