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Oct 29, 2024

Natural playground created along Clarksville Greenway, with standing logs, stick tent - ClarksvilleNow.com

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville Parks & Recreation Department has created the city’s first natural playground alongside the Clarksville Greenway just north of the Pollard Road

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville Parks & Recreation Department has created the city’s first natural playground alongside the Clarksville Greenway just north of the Pollard Road Trailhead. The play area includes a stick tent, balancing beams, stepping stones and movable pieces that allow for creativity and fun.

The park is built entirely out of recycled materials and costs virtually nothing for taxpayers, according to Parks Deputy Director Karla Ellis, speaking at the Oct. 15 Parks and Recreation Committee meeting. Even the surface is made from recycled mulch and pea gravel from a demolished park, which was used to flatten the once-sloped area.

Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Letourneau said, “The park maintenance crews created this natural playground utilizing wood from trees that have naturally fallen along the Greenway. It’s a huge win for taxpayers as the project cleans up the walking path, provides fun for our youth, recycles material that would have been disposed of and only costs the labor to build it. We’re excited to offer this to our patrons.”

The play area was designed in such a way that it’s resistant to water capture, and thus it doesn’t flood easily. The only expense was the riprap bordering the park, which was brought in to further prevent flooding.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, “Research indicates that, when children play and learn in nature, they do so with more vigor, engagement, imagination, and cooperation than in wholly artificial environments, and that symptoms of attention deficit and depression are reduced. Experts agree that children need access to nature the same way they need good nutrition and adequate sleep.”

In another matter, the playgrounds at Billy Dunlop Park and Dixon Park are in the process of being demolished, in order to be rebuilt for ADA compliance and full accessibility. All of the Billy Dunlop playground has already been removed, excluding the swings.

The work being done at Dixon Park was funded by a federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), said Michelle Austin, director of Clarksville Neighborhood and Community Services. She said the program was administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides funding for projects that support primarily low- to moderate-income residents.

This project will help Clarksville “enhance neighborhood infrastructure, improve accessibility, and create safe, inclusive recreational spaces that support the well-being of all community members,” Austin said.

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Curtis is a news reporter and editor. He is studying at Austin Peay State University for a bachelors in English and Communications, with a concentration in journalism and minor in creative writing.