WOODLAND DISCOVERY PLAYGROUND

Groundbreaking: March 2, 2010  |   Open to public: Late Fall 2010

Play concept: Innovative new play landscape in the Plough Park area of Shelby Farms Park (current playground site).  Dramatically rethinking current concept of play.  We held a workshop last year in which we invited kids who used the current playground to tell us and show us how they want to play.  We learned they value adventure, discovery, togetherness, nature.  Central design element is planted arbor made of steel with live willow trees growing around it.  The arbor snakes through 1.5 miles of the landscape, with wide, large openings to give varied sight lines.  In the curves of the arbor are playground nests programmed for different ages and ability levels—sand nest, swing nest, net and treehouse nest, slope nest.  Planting large specimen trees around the site.

Rebirth of an urban forest—section of pine forest adjacent to the playground is badly consumed by privet.  We are doing a large scale privet removal and tree replanting in that section tied to urban forest education for children.  Map at VC and online at www.shelbyfarmspark.org.

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