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Press Releases
| The Crookston community needs your help in designing its first nature-based play area.
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Come one, come all on Wednesday, June 15, 2011.
There is growing research and awareness that connecting children to nature has multiple benefits (physical, social, emotional). An effort is beginning in northwestern Minnesota to integrate and apply the emerging knowledge on this topic to developments in our community.
Polk County Public Health’s Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) is partnering with the City of Crookston, Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships and faculty and students from the University of Minnesota – Crookston and Twin Cities and local partners including Crookston Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) and Tri-Valley Child Care Resource and Referral in bringing community members together to participate in the design process this summer and will be followed by potential implementation of the nature-based play area this fall. This initiative continues the work emerging from a very successful "Connecting Children and Nature Conference" held on Sept 29, 2010 at the University of Minnesota Crookston funded by the 2010 Challenge grant to Rydell National Wildlife Refuge. (See summary posted at this link: http://umcrookston.edu/childrenandnature )
What Is a Natural Play Area? Natural play areas use a blend of natural areas and things found in nature including rocks and plants to interest children in learning about the wonders and secrets of the natural world. Swings and slides may still be there, but new-style playgrounds also offer other things to do that enhance creativity, physical activity and spending time in nature.
We invite community members and organizations in Crookston to participate in the design process on Wednesday, June 15 from 11:30am-3:00pm at the Polk County Sheriff’s Dept, Community Room (600 Bruce St) across the street from the Northwest Mental Health Center. A healthy and free lunch will be provided from 11:30-12:00. Please register with Sarah Reese at 281.3385 or sreese@pcphealth.org by Thursday, June 9th.
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