The City and GRPS broke ground on the outdoor classroom and natural playscape at Plaster Creek Family Park in June.
The playground will be an outdoor classroom overlooking the park near Burton school and will feature a rain garden, native meadow planting and community picnic area. At the preview on Monday students of Burton Elementary and Middle School were invited to play in the area. Here is Mayor Rosalyn Bliss.
“Today is also an example of what happens when we come together with the shared goal and vision for connecting children to nature, for having rich and vibrant green spaces and parks in our city – this is the culmination of that.”
The neighborhood where the park is ia one of four sites in park deficient areas in the city and this initiative will get the city closer to its goal of having a park within a 10-minute walk of every resident in Grand Rapids. Here is Kristian Grant, president of the Grand Rapids Board of Education.
“We are leveraging public and private funds and GRPS resources to activate parkland in our schoolyard for the benefits of children, parents, families and neighbors for teaching and learning.”
The project is funded through a grant from the Wege Foundation, the City’s Environmental Services Department and a $600,000 dollar city millage from 2013.
Michelle Jokisch Polo, WGVU News.
