SUNBURY — Today, Preservation Parks of Delaware County unveiled its new logo to the community on National Fox Day, Sept. 17. The logo is the final touch to a brand identity process that was introduced by the park district in 2016. The new logo, called the “foxleaf,” is unique, modern, and unexpected among Ohio park districts.

It is one piece of a strategic initiative to create greater awareness of the park district.

“We are excited to share our new logo,” said Tom Curtin, executive director of Preservation Parks. “It will differentiate Preservation Parks in a county that is fortunate to be home to state parks, a popular Columbus Metro Park, and other local community parks. Each step in the process was done with intent and with the goal on being good stewards to our natural and financial resources.”

The new logo is an illustration of a red fox looking back at its tail, which is represented by an oak leaf.

“We looked at all sorts of animals to represent the parks and everyone resonated with the concept of a fox,” said Jeremy Slagle, designer at Slagle Design, LLC. “It’s easy to forget all the times you’ve spotted a deer or bird, but you never forget the times you have seen a fox in the wild.”

According to Slagle, Preservation Parks is all about memorable and unexpected experiences.

“By integrating the fox with a leaf, we were able to bring both flora and fauna to the logo, further representing the beauty the parks have to offer,” he said.

The creation of the new logo was not only to differentiate Preservation Parks, but to continue to communicate Preservation Parks’ mission to Delaware County residents. “To protect and conserve the natural and historic features of Delaware County and to inspire outdoor exploration and learning.”

“The new logo is definitely unique and different from the ‘expected’ look of a park’s logo. The design and implementation were a bottom up approach by the Preservation Parks staff. The goal of differentiating from other parks logos with adventure, activity, exploration, and a bolder look is positive. I think it hits on what the staff were going for,” said Bruce Ruhl, Preservation Park commissioner.

To coincide with the logo launch, park district naturalists are planning a #FindThatFox activity through Instagram. A photo of a hidden fox silhouette will be taken in a park and the viewer will be challenged to find it. The fox’s location will be circled in the next picture of the post. There will be an extra challenge of guessing which park the photo was taken in. The fox will be placed in the kiosk of the correct park and left up for two weeks, letting visitors check their answers as they visit the parks. The fun begins today, and a new picture and park will be featured every two weeks until Dec. 10.

The logo was presented in February 2020 to a focus group comprised of a diverse gathering of community stakeholders. The overwhelming consensus of the group was that the logo successfully distinguishes Preservation Parks from other nearby park districts.

Over the next year, the district plans to transition to the new brand. The transition will begin with electronic formats and any print projects currently in production.