Paul Belz, a Chico author and poet, recently published his book Bidwell Park: Personal Reflections and Casual Conversations About Chico’s Crown Jewel. This book dives deeply into the cool waters of Big Chico Creek and the tight relationship between Chico, Bidwell Park and the people who love it. The Bidwell Park project started as an article for a travel site and evolved into a years-long mission. It included extensive examinations of books, articles, and websites, along with a dissection of the Bidwell Park and Playground Commission’s minutes and other government documents. Personal reflections, stories from a range of sources, and extensive discussions with the late biologist Wes Dempsey and other passionate park advocates strengthen Bidwell Park’s story.
The 3,600 acre open space stretches from the heart of Chico into the foothills of the southern Cascades. The book describes the park’s basic geomorphology, plant communities, and wildlife. An extensive appendix takes readers to a range of sources about the indigenous Mechoopda Maidu’s history and culture. Other sections describe the park’s many ecological and political issues.
Rancher John Bidwell and his wife Annie Bidwell agreed that they wanted to share part of their extensive land to the city of Chico. John died in 1900; Annie had two main wishes when she donated the park to the city in 1905. She stated that the park would belong to all of Chico’s people; she also insisted that Big Chico Creek must be protected and preserved, along with the park’s plants and wildlife. A range of debates and disagreements involved people who felt the park should exist for recreation and other human uses and others who focused on the area’s ecological health. Some of these issues continue today and remain unresolved.
Bidwell Park remains a mixed-use open space. Recreational areas include picnic sites, developed and undeveloped swimming areas, a golf course, and other facilities. Additional parts of the park are semi-wild areas that are well-loved by hikers, bikers, and others. Belz’s goal is to get the community involved in discussions about the healthiest ways Chico can relate to this very beautiful and unique place. Belz feels that while the park once received media coverage and was included in community debates, it has faded from many peoples’ sight. “We need to get attention back to Bidwell Park,” he said.
Bidwell Park so charmed Paul Belz that he moved from Oakland to Chico in 2016. He loves to hike, read, and explore Bidwell Park. He has presented science- and nature-based workshops for children, adults, and teachers for several decades. His poetry, nature writing, travel-based essays, and articles about education appear in a range of publications, and he recently published Sometimes the Soul Needs Chocolate: Pandemic Odes in September 2023.
His travels have taken him to Mexico, Central and South America, Asia, Canada, a number of European countries, and much of the United States. His passions include vegetarian cooking, books, photography, movies, concerts, and long walks around his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He lives in Chico with his partner Kate Roark.
The book is available in Chico at The Bookstore, Made in Chico, and the Chico History Museum. Published by the Association for Northern California Historical Research, ANCHR Books, the book is also available online at https://tinyurl.com/mvcjnj92
