Nearby Nature

In the last year, we’ve added quite a bit of fun to our Learnscape site! One of our biggest projects was moving our office from inside the Park Host Residence where we work, to our Nature Hut storage shed. This extension remodel was possible thanks to the efforts of two very dedicated volunteers. Our office now lives right in the heart of the Learnscape! One of the same volunteers who helped with this transition also created a Little Free Library for our site.

In terms of youth-friendly aspects of the Learnscape, the Sound Garden on the Star Stage got a facelift. This area features colorful musical instruments made from recycled materials attached to a shed wall. Kids can make music here to their heart’s content! We also added a retractable awning to the Star Stage to make it more all-weather friendly. A Dig Inn Dirt Box now lives near the Nature’s Builders Playspace, offering a new way for kids to engage directly with the fun digging in dirt! An Herb Spiral was added to our Edible Schoolyard this fall, and will be full of fragrant garden delights by next spring. Finally, in the works right now, a new sandbox cover designed to look like a huge Turtle with a map of the Earth on its back! This should inspire many tellings of one of our favorite Native American tales, the Earth on Turtle’s Back.