Nature Play Community Workshop For Westmoreland Park

Portlanders celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a community design event put on by Portland Parks and Recreation and GreenWorks geared around the eventual design for a nature play area to be built in Westmoreland Park. Kids of all ages really enjoyed the event! Their creativity, teamwork and ingenuity were all in full gear. It was an amazing start to an exciting project. Thank you to those who joined us!

The Concept: Portland Parks and Recreation and GreenWorks Landscape Architecture invited the community to play with natural materials, talk about natural play, make models and lay the groundwork for the design of the nature play area at Westmoreland Park. The City of Portland recognizes the benefits of letting children play in nature, including the physical, mental and social benefits. Prior to the natural play workshop, Parks and Recreation staff participated in a workshop to discuss risk and maintenance associated with natural play areas.

The Activities: Activities ranged from having adults remember their childhood play experiences, to free building and water play areas, to model making. The design team was able to talk with kids and adults about what they would like to see in the natural play area.

The Outcome: As kids of different ages and abilities worked together, creativity soared. We got some amazing feedback and ideas for the play area. Plus, we had a lot of fun!

St. Louis Ponds

St. Louis Ponds is a 260 acre public open space owned by the State of Oregon and located directly on Interstate 5 just south of Woodburn, Oregon. Offering seven ponds stocked with a variety of warm water fish species, it is a popular fishing destination. GreenWorks has been commissioned through grant funding to master plan the central 20 acres of the site, with program elements including new accessible trails and fishing platforms, an education center and restroom, host sites, wet prairie & oak savannah habitat restoration zones and a new parking lot incorporating green stormwater infrastructure.

On February 4th, Mike Faha of GreenWorks met on site with the client, Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation and members of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to discuss the options and ideas that have been presented to date. Completion of the master plan is expected for later this spring/summer.

FINAL DESIGN: CAROLWOOD PARK PLAYGROUND UPGRADE

Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD) has posted the final design renderings for the new playground design at Carolwood Park.  The park district is replacing another old and out-of-date playground in a continued effort to maintain recreational opportunities for young people that are up-to-date, safe and fun.  GreenWorks helped THRPD develop a new playground design based on feedback from a public meeting and an online survey conducted earlier this year. In addition to the new playground equipment, new site amenities include:  an ADA accessible pathway and ramp, a bench and picnic table. The new playground will be completed this summer. THPRD is looking for volunteers in the neighborhood to help with installation. More information can be found on the park district website.

Three New Playgrounds in Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District

THE PROJECTS Kids in the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District will soon have three new playgrounds to enjoy. The parks district is replacing old and out of date equipment at Forest Hills Park, Raleigh Hills Park and John Marty Park. GreenWorks is helping THPRD develop playground designs and solicit feedback from the public. Along with the playground designs will be upgrades to ADA accessibility, the addition of site amenities including benches and picnic tables, planting for buffers and shading, fencing and seat walls.

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

THPRD and GreenWorks held public meetings earlier this year to get feedback on the playground designs as well as receiving feedback on the internet. The neighbors are excited about the new equipment and were able to steer us in the right direction for the design of their new park. Below are some of the drawings developed by young neighbors of John Marty Park.

The playground should be ready to enjoy this summer!

Bond Measure Dollars at Work!

The Project Pioneer Park, located in the Tualatin Hills and Recreation District, embodies some unique natural features including approximately 7.5 acres of wetlands, stream corridors, and upland forest. This park is an amenity for the surrounding neighborhood and we are excited about the opportunity to provide general park upgrades, increase habitat value, and provide an attentive approach to stewardship while creating a memorable and enjoyable recreation space.

GreenWorks Approach

The design challenge at Pioneer Park is how to balance ecological preservation and restoration with recreational uses. The park improvements should respect the natural amenities on site including hundreds of mature native trees and a seasonally wet field. We hope to offer features that keep park users’ feet a little drier and less muddy as they walk through the park. Upgraded play opportunities and ball courts will also be a priority. Our design team will be following the City of Beaverton, Clean Water Services, Division of State Lands and Army Corps of Engineers guidelines for development in sensitive ecosystems.

How You Can Get Involved?

What type of site features would you like to see in this park? How can Pioneer Neighborhood Park be improved? Come share your thoughts and ideas with us at the first community involvement workshop on March 17^th. For specific project updates, public meeting details, and general bond information please click on the link to THPRD’s website. From there, you will be able to view Pioneer Park project updates for both the park renovation and the natural area preservation.

http://www.thprd.org/bondprojects/schedule.cfm

We look forward to working with THPRD and the community to make this great park even better!

Early Head Start Playground Breaks Ground at Clackamas Community College

After a few months of intensive design, the children at the Clackamas Community College's Early Head Start are starting to see their playground take shape.  Little hands grasping the chain link construction fence and eyes set on the excavator, they wait patiently as the sea of bark chips is replaced with a natural area for creative play.

The Clackamas County Children’s Commission (CCCC) is a non-profit organization that serves children in Clackamas County. Their Early Head Start play space was in need of upgrades. The equipment was out dated and not meeting the physical needs of the young children.

GreenWorks worked with CCCC to develop a plan that fit within their limited space, met development requirements of younger children and offered an alternative play experience from traditional playground equipment. The nature based playground design includes an embankment slide, sand play area, trike loop, potting shed play house, lush planting and timber climbers. GreenWorks helped the client re-invision how to use the existing covered space for additional all season play, how to incorporate appropriate storage, and how play surfacing could extend social areas for music, arts, and classroom activities.

Graham Oaks Nature Park Opens to the Public

METRO and the City of Wilsonville unveiled their newest park last Saturday, Graham Oaks Nature Park. GreenWorks provided schematic design, construction documents, and construction administration for the 250 acre park. The opening had a great turnout despite the rainy conditions! Special thanks to METRO for hosting the event with various activities and to our own Michelle Mathis for her hard work as Project Manager on Graham Oaks.

Silver Falls State Park Natural Play Area

Have you ever wanted to nap like a cougar, climb into an ant hill, build a birds nest or dig for insects like a bear? In the coming year you may be able to do all these things and more in the animal themed interpretive,  natural play area at Silver Falls State Park. GreenWorks has begun work on phase one of the interpretive natural play area at the Park. The idea grew out of the Oregon Parks and Recreation ‘Stepping Stones’ program with the goal to get kids outside and connected with nature.  A 2009 series of workshops with educators, OPRD staff, designers and of course kids, developed themes, ideas and concepts using the Stepping Stones methodology.

The Silver Falls Play area will be animal themed. The young and young at heart can explore a series of play areas situated in a fir and fern wonderland. The first phase of construction will include bear, ant, cougar and bird themed areas. Below are schematic site plans of some of the areas, as well as sketches developed in the design workshops last year. Keep your wild ears open for further design and construction news.

Have a wildly fun and safe Labor Day Weekend.

Graham Oaks Nature Park is Under Construction

Graham Oaks is Metro’s new regional park and includes an important piece of the Tonquin Regional Trail. (Metro is the Portland, Oregon area regional government including Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties). This 250-acre nature park situated on the western edge of the urban growth boundary (UGB) in Wilsonville, hosts an amazing variety of habitats both existing and restored. Over 150,000 trees and shrubs were planted in the restoration effort.

Construction is full speed ahead as the regional trail piece is installed, plazas are completed and artistic additions are coordinated. Soon you will be able to enjoy expansive views, walk through the forest, sit in the shade of the signature oak tree and spot birds in the wetland. GreenWorks completed schematic design, construction documents and is providing construction administration.

Be on the lookout for a grand opening in September and be ready to enjoy all the site has to offer!

City of Dundee Selects Design for New Wastewater Treatment Plant Nature Park

Located within the city limits of Dundee, OR, the Dundee Parks and Open Space Plan identified a portion of the new wastewater treatment plant site to become a city-owned natural park. About 40 acres in size, this site has a strategic location along the Willamette River, offering potential for public use and recreation. GreenWorks established a park concept plan along the northern and eastern edges of the property while incorporating three zone designations:

Zone 1: Habitat – a zone dedicated to the Western Pond and Western Painted Turtles

Zone 2: Treatment – a zone committed to the development of the new waste water treatment plant

Zone 3: Recreation – a zone designed for public use / recreation

GreenWorks created three concept alternatives that focused on the public recreation zone, while aligning with the goals and objectives of the two adjacent zones: habitat and treatment. Based on the three concept alternatives and supporting precedent imagery, The Park’s Advisory Committee defined a program and established key elements for a preferred alternative. Some of the key elements include: protecting and restoring recognized priority habitats such as wetlands, riparian forest and shrublands, and Western Oregon oak woodland and oak savannah, and establishing a small area in the northwest corner of the site that provides access for passive recreation, a nature-based play area/playground, and the interpretation of environmental, cultural, and historical values associated with the site.

GreenWorks presented the preferred alternative to Dundee City Council. The concept was accepted in July.