To display welded sculpture within a natural setting, the Hobart Limited Partnership, which consists of the William Hobart, Peter Hobart, William Howell and Robert Bravo families, donated an 80-acre farm within the heart of Troy to the Miami County Park District.  The family’s request was to have this tract of land restored back to Ohio native habitats with trails for passive recreational and educational pursuits. 

In 1999, a conceptual master plan by Human Nature, Douglas Reed and Elizabeth Bravo-Benson, was completed.  Phase one of the preserve was directed toward the major earthworks, re-sculpting the natural drainage patterns and creating a lake with wetland edges and the first trail loop. Two grants made this first phase possible, one from the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund and the other from the Land & Water Conservation Fund. 1,700 native trees and shrubs were planted along the new headwater streams and around the lake. Many of these were made possible through the Park District’s "One Tree at a Time" campaign, which encourages the public to buy trees in recognition of special people or organizations in their lives. The master plan calls for planting a total of almost 10,000 trees, so there are many more opportunities.

Phase two of the preserve involved the entry drive, parking area, entry sign and wall.  The Cor-ten steel sign and gate, as well as the glacial boulder wall, help feature a unique mix of old and new. The steel also creates a visual linkage to some unique features in the preserve, four welded steel modernist sculptures that were donated from the collection of the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology. These works of art, representing the four families, include Weldicon by Pino Spagnulo, Eclipse by Aka Pereyma, Split II by Charles Ginnever, and Trinity by Mike McConnell.  Three of these are made from Cor-ten steel.  The sculptures are placed in four distinct habitats to highlight the relationship between nature and art.

In harmony with the restored natural setting, land management is geared toward promoting a diversity of plant and animal life, providing a unique respite from the hustle and bustle of city life, where visitors can be replenished and inspired by activities such as bird-watching, leisurely walks, and observing the seasonal changes of the landscape. Continual development of the preserve are in the planning stages, adding interpretive signage, two trail loops, native plantings, educational and art opportunities to a new preserve just beginning to blossom.

The dream to blend art and nature in Troy became a reality and fills an untapped passive recreation niche within the city.  The main entry, at 1400 Tyrone Drive and South Dorset Road in Troy, brings visitors into the preserve via a country lane experience that is flanked by Oak trees and waving prairie.  From  I-75 - take exit 74 (St. Rt. 41) east to Dorset, turn right on Dorset (south); take Dorset to Tyrone, turn left (east) at entrance sign on Dorset.

Reference:  Hobart Urban Nature Preserve brochure from http://www.miamicountyparks.com/