LANDCURRENT NATURE PLAY
Play, Discovery & Learning for All
A variety of grant opportunities specifically targeting traditional playgrounds are available to help fund your project, but their number is limited.
Fortunately, the unique qualities of natural playgrounds broaden the range of grant opportunities.
Ensuring a high degree of inclusive play also increases funding options.
LandCurrent can shape your play area project to build a strong case for specific certifications and funding opportunities.
The state of Oregon provides grants and fund natural play areas for local Oregon governments, contact LandCurrent for more information!
LandCurrent's Principal Landscape Architect, Anita Van Asperdt, is a founding member of the Oregon Nature Play Initiative or ONPLAY. The Oregon Nature Play Initiative or ONPLAY had its roots at a Natural Play Areas workshop in March of 2010 organized by the Oregon Recreation and Park Association (ORPA) and the Oregon Park and Recreation Department (OPRD). Anita Van Asperdt of LandCurrent was one of the presenters along with various other people some of whom later became key members of ONPLAY. Following the workshop presentation, OPRD staff asked Anita to help design criteria for the development of OPRD funded natural play areas as well as develop step-by-step implementations plans for local communities to develop natural play areas in Oregon. Anita developed draft outlines for these tasks and brought up the idea of an online map that would show all natural play areas completed in Oregon. When Michelle Mathis founded ONPLAY these initial ideas merged with the goals of ONPLAY. In addition, the idea behind ONPLAY, was to be an information sharing group. Founding key members included: Sandra Burtzos (Portlands Park and Recreation), Jerry Burgess and Bruce Barbarash (Tualatin Hills Park and Rec), Rod Wojtanik (Portland Metro), Mark Davison (OPRD), Steve Kirn (Timberform) and of course Michelle Mathis (Learning Landscapes) and Anita Van Asperdt (LandCurrent). Goals shifted along the way as a national team of experts started working on guidelines for nature play under leadership of the National Wildlife Federation. Currently, the group has several new local government members and private landscape architecture practitioners, the group is now back at OPRD where Jamie English along with Vera Vollbrecht and Vicki Sink will lead to group to new goals and aspirations. Contact Jamie English at OPRD if you like to be part of this group or like to be updated on their efforts, or you can contact info@landcurrent.com and we will pass your name along to OPRD.
LandCurrent's Principal Landscape Architect, Anita Van Asperdt, is both a designer and educator. Below is her schedule of classes, workshops and presentations. Contact info@landcurrent.com to inquire about a nature play workshop, lecture or presentation for your organization: info@landcurrent.com or 541-434-2458 or 503-335-6167
More Useful Information on Nature Play, Discovery & Learning
LandCurrent Nature Play Blogs:
Ontario award for Natural Playground designed by LandCurrent
Natural Playgrounds in the Netherlands: Speeldernis
Natural play areas are emerging as an important need in Oregon
The Oregon Nature Play Initiative or ONPLAY enters its third year
Last week at Oregon Hills Park
Oregon Nature Play
Kids Dig Dirt
LandCurrents Designer Catherine Davis now Certified Playground Inspector
LandCurrent 2011 Head Start Preferred Vendor
Nature Play Research Information:
LandCurrent Nature Play Areas Archive: Speeldernis, the Netherlands (pdf)
The Nature Play Continuum: Areas, Scapes and Grounds (pdf)
National Guidelines Nature Play & Learning Spaces (link with pdf)