The big picture for Playcosystem has always been a seventeen-acre natural play environment that serves as inspiration and a touch point for the creation of new nature play opportunities in the region. As we grow beyond the initial two-acre play area that is already open to the public, we are working area by area so that we can keep the landscape near Spirit Nest open to the public. If you’ve been to Playcosystem recently you have probably notice construction in the area just across our operations drive from Zone 1. The area that is currently fenced off with construction fencing will be where a new water and mud play area is going. This area will feature:
- A hand pump so children can pump water onto raised stream tables. The pump and the water tables will be at a height that wheelchairs can roll up under. We feel certain that when children are supplied with moving water, mud, sticks, and gravity some wonderful new discoveries about the universe will take place.
- A wheelchair accessible ramp that will allow people in wheelchairs to get down into the stream course. The stream through Playcosystem only flows when it rains but when it does you can experience that even in a wheelchair. The oval pad area in the stream is now being fitted out with rocks, stumps, poles with ropes and other natural challenge course objects. Our vision is that one day this area will create a sort of natural skate park for wheelchair users. If you are on the athletic end of the wheelchair spectrum we hope you might find ways to turn this area into your own personal adventure challenge course. We’d be delighted to work with you on the specifics if you are such a person.
- And of course there will be the usual fare of rocks to climb, logs to navigate, mud to sculpt, and loose parts to support new natural creations.
None of this work would be possible without the generous support of The James Graham Brown Foundation and the WHAS Crusade for Children.
Below are some photos of all of this in process. We are doing much of this work in-house so we will be situated to help others with similar projects. We are already working with libraries, schools, parks, and non-profits to do that work. Contact us if you are looking for help with similar projects and we can talk about what that looks like.
