22 Comments

Bill, what an amazing project! Your community has made a commitment to growing young naturalists. Nature teaches so gently and gradually that the children are always learning and understanding, each at his or her own pace. A lifetime gift!🌿

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What an incredible project. A nursery island in the plains. May her seeds spread far and wide, and may she inspire others to create more spaces like this as well.

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I love the geese 🤗❤️

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It’s so exciting to see a project like this take place! Please post if there are volunteer opportunities to help with maintenance. Thanks for sharing! As always, I enjoyed reading.

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I would love to see this story (or a version of it) in a national magazine. Bloomington-Normal should be very proud of this.

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A wonderful initiative. I do so hope that its positive effects are felt throughout the community and beyond. Thanks so much for sharing it with us. 🤗🤗😘

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The new playground is awesome. Thank you for sharing this with others.

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This is just amazing! What a gift for the entire community.

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I have been saying for yrs, little kids are the key to saving birds, other animals, and this planet in general. I help rescue ducks at a park close to where I grew up. Terrible things happen to these gorgeous, very intelligent birds. They're mostly Mallards or mallard hybrids. Dozens of them I've known for going on 5 yrs. Needless to say very attached and they're more like family dogs...except somehow smarter! I watch and listen to the parents interacting with the kids and the negative ways these parents mostly teach these kids to treat the waterfowl. It's actually very disturbing. We need more programs or what have u to enlighten kids to nature in its REAL reality. How much nature needs respect, and how mother nature can't do this alone anymore. There is catch&release fishing at this park. Which I've been trying to stop for yrs. These birds are targeted yr after yr. No humans seem to care if they hook a duck on purpose or on accident. They use lure that isn't even for catch and release now which REALLY INJURES THE DUCKS. The fishing line is everywhere, ducklings are a big loss bc of the line. Especially when they become "tweens"& become curious and want to snap at anything that moves. I love this idea and how the children here are learning that nature isn't only relaxing, but a break from social media and TV. Nature is definitely its on entertainment on its own. Kids learn what they are taught and by what they see. If we can get them to love nature...even if they're taught different at home...we have SOME hope of reaching some of these future humans who are the next generation to hopefully help mother nature.

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You should write an article about this playground for Landscape Architecture Magazine. https://landscapearchitecturemagazine.org/contribute-to-lam/

They are always looking for writers and good stories, and they pay well, as far as that goes. I know the editor if you want an introduction.

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Hi Susan, Thanks for letting me know about this magazine. I would appreciate an introduction to the editor. We also have a food forest in our community and I am involved with our local land trust and have other ideas about how to integrate nature into urban landscapes.

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Lucky kids that get to play in such a fabulous place. Kudos to the former student who made it possible.

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What a beautiful and perfect playground for the children. Seems there is a bit to be optimistic for our future.

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Fantastic project, thank you for sharing.

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What an inspiring project! Thank you for sharing.

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This is so what our kids need. I've linked to it from my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/diane.porter.102), because I want my Iowa town to do this here. In fact, if it were everywhere, it would go a long way toward healing our wounds.

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What a beautiful place, it gives me hope.

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