Cox Arboretum Woodworkers - Connecting Kids to Nature through NEW Nature Play
For more than 20 years, woodworking volunteers at Cox Arboretum MetroPark have used their skills to support the work of MetroParks staff. Building anything from bat boxes to benches, these volunteers meet once a week to work on projects, learn from each other and build camaraderie. While each woodworking volunteer must have a basic skill set, they all have a wide range of woodworking experience, from newer hobbyists to life-long contractors.
"I've learned a lot since I joined," said volunteer Don Erwine. "Before I joined, I would do some repairs around the house, and I have an old pull barn that's always needing repairs, but I wasn't doing anything near what I'm able to do now." Recently, Erwine and his team of woodworkers - led by MetroParks park technician Uriah Langmeyer - completed their largest project to date: portions of the nature play at Cox Arboretum MetroPark.
Cox Arboretum MetroPark's nature play opened in fall 2023. The woodworking volunteers constructed two bridges, a sloped climbing wall and the pergola - resulting in considerable time and cost savings. The group spent 850 hours completing these structures, which would have otherwise been built - and billed - by contractors.
Langmeyer is especially proud of MetroParks' staff and the volunteers' accomplishments. Staff spent nearly 3,000 hours on the project, much of it working side-by-side with volunteers. "Teamwork makes the dream work," said Langmeyer, who values the woodworking team's collective learning experiences and process more than simply completing a project. "We're all learning together," he said. "Each person gets the chance to participate in everything that's going on. We problem solve together. We come up with ways do things by talking with everyone about it, and then evaluate the best approach." While building the nature play was, indeed, a challenging project, it also required a very collaborative approach. "On the pergola build for the nature play, volunteer Rex Miller was instrumental in getting the project finished," Erwine said. "The climbing wall was very meticulous, and volunteers Gary Drake and John Baldwin were phenomenal in getting that done because of their woodworking experience." With great challenges come great rewards: The woodworking volunteers and MetroParks staff are thrilled to see the community's reception to the project. "It's a wonderfully unique experience to be able to build a playground," Langmeyer said, "then get to watch kids of all ages enjoy it every day you go to work."
The Nature play features structures created from natural materials that encourage kids to explore nature and connect to the natural world. John Kennedy elementary was the first school group to enjoy this new feature just as it was opening to the public. The students were excited by the new feature, and one was having so much fun, she shared with her teacher that "this is so much better than the playgrounds at school."
Thank you to our Cox Arboretum Woodworkers for your outstanding commitment, dedication, and service to Five Rivers MetroParks:
Gilbert Aguilar, John Baldwin, Frank Beitel, Peter Bertolini, Dori Dick, Gary Drake, Don Erwine, Terry Kutter, Brian McNicholl, Rex Miller, John Szelog, Larry Turner, Jim Wafzig, and Paul Westhafer!
Read the full article here. Look for this feature in the next issue of Parkways!
Learn more about Skilled Trades volunteer opportunities like this one here.
Meet More Amazing Five Rivers MetroParks Volunteers in our Volunteer Spotlights
