Submitted by: Heather Ranck, Chair Natural Playground Committee
Residents of all ages of Fargo-Moorhead have created dozens of model treehouses out of toothpicks, marshmallows and a variety of other materials to inspire the Natural Playground that is planned for construction at Riverfront Park in Moorhead in summer of 2022. The project was part of the FM Rotary Foundation’s Giving Hearts Day campaign. The FMRF is participating in GHD for the first time in 2022.
Hundreds of marshmallow and toothpick kits were distributed by Rotary members to schools, senior living centers, sports teams and families. On Wednesday, February 9, a team from the Natural Playground committee took the kits to the classroom of Jennifer Grund, an English Language Learners teacher at Willow Park Elementary in West Fargo. This hands on project was easy for students with varying levels of English proficiency, and the students created an impressive variety of structures.
Winners of the playground structure design competition were chosen on February 9:
1. Cooper and Zoey Maeyaert
2. Laura Bertzyk
3. Ginny Byrd
4. Ian Budke
5. Teresa Joppa
To see the designs and learn more about the project, visit the FM Rotary Natural Playground Facebook page or the FM Rotary Foundation Natural Playground website. The FM Rotary Foundation (led by the 5 local Rotary Clubs) is seeking to raise $1,000,000 to build a large Natural Playground and Bike Skills Park at Riverfront Park in Moorhead in the summer of 2022. The Foundation is already halfway to the goal, with major gifts coming from the John Ballantyne Fund, the Scheels Foundation, the Sanford Foundation, KLJ Engineering, and members of the Rotary Clubs. It will be a year round inspirational recreation destination and an attraction for visitors, creating a unique space that promotes physical activity, free unstructured play and year round exposure to nature which are all proven to provide physical and mental health benefits for children. Strategically located in the community core, the site will be easily accessible by community members.
