Sandhill cranes visit the Kenai Peninsula every spring to nest before flying south for the winter.
One crane has found a permanent home in Soldotna. A six-foot-tall, bronze-cast crane sculpture is the new centerpiece of the Kenai Peninsula Peace Crane Garden Trails — a Japanese community garden and set of walking paths tucked in the woods near Soldotna High School.
On Thursday, neighbors and long-time proponents of the project huddled beneath umbrellas to celebrate the official opening of the trails, which have been years in the making.
The crane sculpture, too, has taken time. It seems to watch proudly over the trails from their middle, its neck defiantly bent back and its windchime-covered wings outstretched. Anchorage artist Christina Demetro said she first had the idea for the piece in 1992.
"My idea, when I was 19, took 30 years to manifest," she said. "So some ideas — like sculptures, like a park, like world peace — some ideas take a long time. But it’s worth standing in the rain for, right?
Demetro’s vision coincided serendipitously with that of Matt and Sarah Pyhala. The Kenai residents are the brains behind the garden trails project and they say they were inspired in 2018 after they were gifted seeds from trees that had survived the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima.
The nonprofit overseeing the project went through several sites before landing on the trails’ current home, on Marydale Avenue. It's now under a 20-year land land lease through a Community Trail Management Agreement with the Kenai Peninsula Borough for that property.
Still, some neighbors of the trails have been vocal in their opposition to the plans, asking for more public input in that process. Park organizers said they’ve worked to address those concerns, including a plan for parking at the Soldotna Prep building.
Last year, volunteers got to work building the trails, from clearing trees to laying soil. Matt Pyhala said they used a $15,000 grant from the Rasmuson Foundation to cover construction costs.
"So we have about half a mile of trail, with the inner and outer loop combined," he said. "You can see high-quality gravel, where it should be handicap accessible. It’s coming together really nicely."
Pyhala said going forward, the trails’ board and Rotary Club of Soldotna will work on upkeep.
"Ten months ago, this was raw land," he said. "And it’s become a space that is used often. Every time I'm out here working I see new faces and a lot of really positive feedback. And I’m really excited for things to come."
Demetro, the artist, worked with Alaska students on the crane sculpture and the chimes attached to its wings. Through a slot on its chest, the piece welcomes donations and poems. Demetro said there’s already one haiku inside.
Support for the project also came in part from the Salamatof Native Association.
At the ceremony Thursday, Jon Ross with Salamatof acknowledged that the park was built on the ancestral lands of the Dena’ina and Sugpiaq people.
"Hopefully, over the years, this garden can be a place where the history of our people and our stewardship of the land can be honored and recognized," he said.
The trails are open to visitors, but the garden isn’t completed — yet. Pyhala said still to come is an entrance gate and a Japanese torii gate, symbolizing the passing of the mundane to the sacred.
