Infirmary Mound Park celebrates new accessible play zones in Licking County

Trees morph in and out of the play structures. A currently dry stream rests in the middle of what seems to be a hidden utopia in Infirmary Mound Park – a place where children and adults alike can find wonder in the beauty of nature.

For the Licking County Park District, the stereotypical play structures of most people’s youth just don’t quite cut it anymore. Instead, they designed every child’s ideal playground, built into the surrounding woods of Infirmary Mound Park, south of Granville along Rt. 37. The woods give way to pockets of fun that include zip lines, climbing posts, wobble walks and a new accessible treehouse.

Kyle Lund, director of the park district, walked through the park’s latest addition on a cool Thursday morning in early November – just two days before the district celebrated the additions in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

“The zip line, I probably rode it 10 times before it got opened to the public,” Lund said with a chuckle.

The zip line and its recently added counterparts – including a hill zone, a willow hut, a sandbox, several slides, climbing and bouldering walls, areas to build and an adventure course – are the latest additions of what has been four years in the making.

In 2021, the park district began construction of phase one of the nature playscape. Year after year, the playscape saw more features added and put into use by the lively groups of young individuals who enjoy them most. 

And on Saturday, Nov. 9, the park district celebrated completion of phase 4.2 – the final phase of construction in the park. 

The new Nature Playscape cost $385,536. About 33% of that money was provided by grants from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and by the Licking County Foundation’s multi-year Marguerite Halpine Heppenstall Fund. The rest of the project was funded by Licking Park District levy dollars.

Lund was especially excited to unveil the new treehouse zone to the public.

“The treehouse, though – oh, my gosh – when you get out there, it’ll blow you away,” Lund said. “An A.D.A. [Americans with Disabilities Act] access ramp goes up to a platform that’s 20 by 20 (feet) in size. And then above that 20 by 20 platform is another 8 by 8 platform in a corner, and that’s called the eagle’s nest.”

The “eagle’s nest,” is surrounded by branches taken from the property, and metal wiring to prevent children from falling. A small ladder leads up to the perch for easy access. When children decide they’ve had enough of the view, they can even take a slide down for a swift exit. Lund hopes that even people who require A.D.A. compliance can use the slide with help from friends or family.

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The playscape, which has focused on using materials from around Infirmary Mound Park, such as trees and wood, was designed by Urban Wild and constructed by Inspirations Landscape.

Anne Belogh, the program manager of the Licking County Park District, first presented the idea for the nature playscape to the board of parks commissioners in 2017.

“At the Licking Park District, we’re always trying to find ways to provide opportunities to improve health and wellness here in the county, and also to get people outside and help us conserve our green spaces,” Belogh said. “I do want to note the intention of the playscape is not just to stay in the zones. The whole area is for exploration, especially this wood section. Go off trail once the rain comes back, explore the stream. Get out and look at the plants. It’s all there for you to be in.”

Belogh stressed the importance of getting children away from their screens throughout the day – and said having access to a park like this could help reduce screen time. 

Increased use of screens, particularly in children, has led to an increase in a variety of health issues, including sleep disorders, obesity and mental health challenges, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report children ages 8-18 spend an average of 7.5 hours per day in front of a screen. It’s even higher for 11-14-year-olds, who average 9 hours per day in front of screens – about five of which are simply watching television. 

“When we started to discuss a large playground here at Infirmary Mound Park, the vision emerged of an inviting landscape that would invite children and adults to interact and explore and reconnect with nature,” Belogh said. 

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After several speeches in front of an audience of nearly 50 people, a red ribbon was stretched across the opening of the treehouse walkway. Several children and adults in attendance were asked to cut the ribbon. As metal sliced, cheers broke out, and little feet dashed to the entrance of the treehouse.

One after another, smiles grew larger and larger as children reached their new perch, while those who had worked to construct the Nature Playscape stood and admired it being put to use for the first time. 

Amy Dutt, a 60-year-old Ostrander resident, is the creative mind behind the playscape. As the CEO of Urban Wild, Dutt was tasked with the designs for each phase starting in 2020.

“It’s just been incredible, and the best thing is watching the kids; it really just brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart,” Dutt said. “It’s just like every dream come true in a nature playscape. You got the hills, the slides, the tunnels, the running, the meadow, the treehouse, the fort, building, the adventure. It’s so much.”

Families sprawled out across every inch of the playscape. Children and parents played together on the new equipment. 

Markus Willis, 34, and Jennifer Willis, 38, swung with their daughter Faran on the swingset beneath the treehouse. They had no idea the ribbon cutting was happening and simply stumbled upon the ceremony while making their way to the ziplines for some midday fun.

“Granville never ceases to amaze with the cute stuff they put in here,” Jennifer Willis said.

Rick Van Gundy, 45, the head of Inspirations Landscape, stood side by side with Tami McAdams, 65, the operations administrator at Licking Park District. They chatted together as children darted around them.

Van Gundy described his work as a “labor of love” to bring the playscape to completion. 

“I’ve watched Rick come up with thoughts and creative things right in the middle of other things that he’s doing, and go, ‘Oh, oh, I think this would be a great idea!’ And then he runs with it. And it turns out fantastic. His creativity is endless,” said McAdams.

“One of the questions I got a lot while we were here working, was, ‘Where do we pay?’ and I said, ‘No, this is free,’ and they couldn’t believe it. ‘Who do we pay to play out here?’ and I said, ‘No, no, this is your park,’” Van Gundy said.

Van Gundy has already started planning some new additions that he thinks will benefit the playscape, such as additional benches and a larger trail.

Jessica Merkle, a 41-year-old Newark resident and Denison University professor, stood with her family by the wobble walk, where her four children played with her husband. 

“We have a farm, and we let them run around there, but we thought this would be a great place for them to try out some equipment. And also, we were looking for a place for a birthday party,” Merkle said.

Her 10-year-old daughter Catherine approached. “I really like the logs over there,” Catherine said, pointing to another zone in the playscape. “Because I like the feeling of just climbing on them.”

Kyle Lund stood nearby the ziplines. He watched child after child fly through one of his favorite attractions. He was emotional to see everyone running around. 

“It’s kind of bittersweet, because it is done, and I so appreciate the process. But to see the kids out here today having such a good time with their parents … I’m just very proud to be part of this organization that thinks outside the box and puts our residents first,” Lund said. “No one thought this far ahead back in the ’70s. When I was a kid, there was nothing like this. So to see how far the field of Parks and Rec has come, and the creativity thing is – it’s pretty amazing.

Lund said he hopes people from around the county will travel to check out the new Nature Playscape. With the opportunities for exploration and adventure, Lund believes that the playscape represents “nature at its best.”

Andrew Theophilus writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.