The natural playground is now valued at $300,000, with additional funding and items being donated from members of the community.
Edmundston, Ontario, Canada (PRWEB) September 22, 2013
A year after taking the title “2012 LIVE RIGHT NOW Capital of Canada”, Edmundston, New Brunswick is a busy place. For the past two weeks the Bienenstock Playground crew has worked alongside the City of Edmundston with heavy equipment, cranes and trucks delivering hulking tree trunks, boulders and thousands of tonnes of mulch and soil in preparation for the massive community build this Saturday. In town to manage the entire process is the visionary behind its new Natural Playground, Adam Bienenstock.
Adam Bienenstock, the Principal of Bienenstock Playgrounds is an internationally respected thought-leader, designer and advocate of the nature/community playground movement. He is in Edmundston for the massive community build. While surveying the site, Bienenstock reiterated why he’s so passionate about the project saying, “I’m incredibly excited and proud to be here after intense planning. We’re now working side-by-side with this inspired community to build a half acre natural playground and connecting trails between the city, the botanic gardens and provincial park. The design we created months ago is coming to life so the whole community will be able to enjoy all the benefits of a natural playground. As a company, as an advocate and as a man deeply committed to connecting people to nature, I couldn’t be more proud of my team and this community!”
Edmundston, NB earned the natural playground when it won the CBC’s Live Right Now contest. The community of 16,000 rallied together to inspire one another to lead a healthier, more active lifestyle, earning top marks along the way. Their hard work paid off as Edmundston was rewarded with the new playground, thanks to a partnership between CBC, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Parks Canada and Bienenstock.
The new natural playground will be the first attraction at the entrance of New Brunswick, located along the city’s cycling path. The Bienenstock plan calls for natural landform, boulders, an upside down tree, log furniture, a sand cave for kids, a pond, musical elements, and a slide worked into the landscape. The original plans for the park can be seen at http://www.naturalplaygrounds.ca/edmundston
Just as Edmundston brought together its community members to win the grand prize, they have used the same enthusiasm and comradery to make the most of their new attraction. With a volunteer committee headed by the endlessly energetic Elaine Albert, decisions on everything from location selection, park design, natural materials and landscaping were made, along with fundraising efforts to help support the ongoing upkeep of the park. The natural playground is now valued at $300,000, with additional funding and items being donated from members of the community.
On Saturday September 21st the community is undertaking a massive community build under the watchful and enthusiastic eye of Adam Bienenstock and his team at Bienenstock Playgrounds. Together they will do what he has done so many times in the past; taking the dream of a natural playground to a reality with the help of tireless volunteers. Updates will be regularly available on the Edmundston’s park progress on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.
On Twitter @bienenstock
On Facebook join the Group: Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds
On Pinterest: Pinterest.com/bienenstock
On the web: naturalplaygrounds.com/edmundston
About Natural Playgrounds
Headed by Adam Bienenstock, the company mission is to connect children and communities to nature through play. Based in Canada our environmentally sensitive, fully accessible parks and playgrounds celebrate the local natural heritage by reflecting local iconic landforms and natural materials. Our projects are made possible by our diverse public and private partnerships and the local champions that make each park unique. Our work can be found in cities, hospitals, zoos, nature centres, child cares, schoolyards, and backyards across Canada and the USA. For more information, please contact us at 1-800-306-3319 or visit http://www.naturalplaygrounds.ca.
About Adam Bienenstock
Adam is an award winning consultant on design, construction, policy, risk and regulatory process for connecting children to nature in our cities. His partners and clients include Parks Canada, ParticipACTION, The Canadian Wildlife Federation, Right to Play, CBC, , the US Army, US Forestry Service, Head Start, World heritage sites, nature centres, zoos, hospitals, child cares, and schoolyards across New Zealand, Australia, the US and Canada. Connect with Adam on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/adambienenstock
About LIVE RIGHT NOW
Engaging Canadians all year long with seasonal themes, activities and goals. CBC is proud to work with Canada's leading national health and wellness organizations on the Live Right Now advisory board to provide Canadians with health information, support and inspiration they can trust: Active for Life, Breakfast for Learning, Canadian Diabetes Association, Canadian Obesity Network, Dietitians of Canada, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, ParticipACTION, YMCA Canada and our magazine partner, Canadian Living.