The following is a brief of the story. For the full version, see the Friday, Aug. 14 print edition of the BDN.
It’s not always possible to know immediately what the outcome of an event will be.
But after the death of a large willow tree on an unused area of Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic School property, a group of volunteers decided to make the most of it by working to develop a new play area. The area is also to serve as a learning tool, as well as recreational entertainment for students who may not have had much exposure to nature.
When considering the removal of the downed tree from the property, Ferris Pfeiffer – a Ss. Peter and Paul alumnus from the class of 1992 and a parent of a kindergartner this year – had an idea for recycling the tree while incorporating education into the process. That led to conversations and discussions with staff and parents of students at the school, many of whom pitched in and began work on the natural playground.
The volunteer group has mostly worked on the playground on Saturdays. Materials that have shown up, other than the big willow tree, have been donated by various businesses and individuals. The enormous rocks in the rock bed were donated by both Village of Windsor Place and Hail Ridge Golf Course. Landscape timbers were donated by Walmart, and Greis Excavating donated large tires.
