FAIRHOPE — The long-awaited Flying Creek Nature Preserve in Fairhope is now officially open to the public.

To celebrate the opening, the city held a dedication ceremony on Saturday morning featuring several local and state officials in attendance, including members of Fairhope’s city council and steering committee, Mayor Sherry Sullivan and Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR).

“This is for you,” Sullivan said. “This is not for us; this is for you. This is something that you can bring your kids and grandchildren to for years.”

Located along Fly Creek, the preserve covers 108 acres of land just a short drive away from downtown Fairhope. The preserve offers multi-use trails accompanied by picnic tables, a butterfly garden, bird blinds, a longleaf pine reserve and a pedestrian tunnel featuring a mural painted by local artist Hannah Legg.

The preserve also features the John Martin Nature Center, a visitors center that was also the former residence of the Dyas family. The house was donated to the city by the nonprofit preservation group Triangle Conservancy.

Officials have said this is only the first phase of a multi-phase project. Sullivan said the preserve is “only going to get about four or five times better.” The next phase will include more multi-use trails and amenities as well as a direct connection to the Eastern Shore Trail that runs from North Daphne through South Fairhope.

“There was a lot of blood sweat and tears over the years to make this happen, so to see it come to fruition is a blessing, and we should all be thankful for the quality of life that we have,” City Councilman Corey Martin said.

The project was funded through the ADCNR using money from the Gulf of Mexico Energy and Security Act (GoMESA), which supports environmental restoration and preservation along Alabama’s coast.

“The City of Fairhope has done a fantastic job setting aside land like this for the public,” Blankenship said. “As we continue to grow in coastal Alabama and in communities like Fairhope, being able to have a place like this that people can come and enjoy the outdoors right here in the midst of the city is priceless because once these places are developed or things are built here, they’ll never be like this again.”