The first phase of what will eventually be a ten-acre natural playground is in full swing. (Well – the rope swings come a bit later actually.)
Playcosystem will be a unique play experience that will capture the imaginations of children and hopefully start them on a lifelong journey to become the next generation of environmental stewards. None of this play environment comes out of catalogues. It’s all being crafted of natural materials collected from the region and here at Bernheim.
If you’ve been out to Bernheim recently, you probably noticed an area adjacent to the Visitor Center where piles of gravel, sand, and rock have been temporarily staged as we build out the play area. Or perhaps you’ve seen the large steel dome that will help us create an arbor of sycamore trees that will be gently bent to conform to the steel arches of the dome as they grow into a shaded play arbor.
Playcosystem will eventually reach out from the current construction site into a park-like area and then further into a wooded hillside. Each zone supports more adventurous and more natural play options. When construction is complete on the current phase, we will enter into a landscaping phase so that we can open the Playcosystem sometime in the spring of 2021 – assuming Covid allows that. Next time you are out we invite you to peer into the construction area to see for yourself the play opportunities that will soon be available to you.