On Friday, Sept. 15, as part of the annual IU Health Day of Service initiative, more than 170 volunteers from IU Health North, Saxony, Tipton and several other IU Health Hospital facilities, joined with Hamilton County Parks and Recreation staff to transform an underutilized parcel of land in Cool Creek Park into an innovative new park feature – a nature play area. IU Health Saxony President Mike Harlowe was on hand to support his associates by donning gloves and working alongside volunteers as they labored throughout the day in warm and humid conditions.
The project included installing six separate play elements, designed to encourage children to enjoy unstructured play, in a natural environment. The elements are comprised of mostly natural resources removed during regular land management. The project was made possible through funding and the hard work and dedication provided by IU Health and their army of volunteers, in support of the Hamilton County Park staff. Additional support, materials and services were donated by BAM Outdoor, Elbert Construction and Kona Ice.
As another function of IU Health’s Day of Service, hospital volunteers at both IU Health North and Saxony campuses who were unable to attend the park work site stuffed and labeled 4,000 packets of milkweed seed that will be distributed as part of Hamilton County Parks’ Mission Monarch program. The intent of the program is to re-establish the monarch butterfly population that has shown an alarming decrease in recent years.
The nature play area is now open and best accessed via the road that runs past the Cool Creek Nature Center. It is hoped that this new addition to Cool Creek Park will serve as an innovative alternative to traditional play for Hamilton County children and families for years to come.
For more information about the Cool Creek Nature Play Area or Cool Creek Park, contact the staff at Cool Creek Nature Center, 317-774-2500, or Hamilton County Parks and Recreation at 317-770-4400.