July 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 39

A woodland character, trail narrator -
" Boomer " (a mountain beaver) - introduces
parts of a forest experience. Simple activities
for exercise, balance and observation skills are
introduced, such as a long timber beam walk,
a zig-zag balance beam, a hole climb, stepping
stones and boardwalk to view a forest ravine.
There's a stone, in-ground compass and sundial to orient outdoor adventurers. Travis Buell,
assistant park director, notes: " This is a new
venture for our county parks and it is proving
to be a destination play facility. "
Clamber, Scramble, Traverse
The city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is welcoming adventure seekers to a new trail at
Sterchi Farm Park and Trailhead, the city's
first environmental art piece. The new adventure section is directly off the multiuse path
near the Sterchi Farm trailhead and features
several ramps users can walk, climb, ride or
run across. Several of the obstacles feature
challenging objects spanning two ramps to traverse, such as repurposed logs.
" The South Chickamauga Creek Greenway
is one of the most vital elements in a growing network of trails and paths in our city, "
says Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke. " The
new project at Sterchi Farm will enhance the
experience for everyone and is another terrific
example of how public art and public land can
work together to create a safer, stronger and
healthier Chattanooga. "
Dinosaur Hunt!
Life-sized dinosaur replicas are the focus of a
healthy initiative project at Gwinnett County
Parks and Recreation in Georgia. The dinosaurs are finding new homes in county parks
and along greenways to encourage kids and
families to get outdoors and explore public
lands. Educational signage providing interesting facts about each dinosaur and programs,
such as scavenger hunts and guided walks, will
be a great incentive to search for and discover the creatures, particularly for families with
young children. After the first year, the county
will assess the program and decide if the statues

should be moved to different park locations to
create new attractions for dinosaur enthusiasts.
A path or trail can provide a perfect setting
for people to be active and connect with nature. When helping to inspire kids and families to get outdoors, trails and paths can also
be the location where they explore, learn and
play. Through the Meet Me at the Park play
space program, new opportunities for kids
and families to experience the benefits of play
are being created across the country. Play
space projects that focus on making trails and
paths more fun and engaging are encouraging
greater use of those places for play, physical
activity and so much more.
Marla Collum is NRPA's Senior Manager of Programs (mcollum@nrpa.org).

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Parks & Recreation

July 2018 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2018 - Parks & Recreation