Colene Hoose Natural Playground & Audubon Garden Members Only
Members Only Free Event Group Tour Nature Walk/Hike Free Public Parking Lots of Physical Activity
Gretchen Monti will lead a hike through the new Colene Hoose Natural Playground which is a project funded by a longtime resident of Normal who made the donation in honor of his parents. It's a unique design that integrates play spaces into the surrounding environment. The playground equipment often incorporates elements of nature and children are encouraged to develop creative interactions rather than prescribed activities.
After a tour of the Playground Gretchen will lead the group to the nearby Audubon Garden along the Constitution Trail, a native plant site that is maintained by a group of volunteers led by Gretchen.
Post Event Update:
Colene Hoose Natural Playground: 8 participants viewed the various mini-parks that primarily use natural materials. The wood used to craft them had attractive identity signs. The living trees (92 in media reports) have tags that are coded, so we relied on our participants' knowledge to try and identify living plants, shrubs and trees. Unit 5's Communications Director Dayna Brown was my contact; she said Horticulturalist Heather Wilcox was out of town so she supplied me with a few media reports. I will follow up to learn whether other schools are using the playground.
Audobon Garden: 5 participants viewed native plants and Gretchen identified several aggressive natives that require regular control.