LINCOLN SQUARE — Welles Park's "coming soon" one-acre NaturePlace will incorporate an innovative play area but it's not just a playground, something the park's advisory council aims to make clear to the area's grownups.
To that end, the council applied for, and recently won, a $500 Connecting Communities Award from the Chicago Parks Foundation. The funds will finance an event in the fall that will introduce the NaturePlace, and its benefits, to the neighborhood's senior citizens.
As the council's grant application noted: "The usefulness of the space to families and children may be obvious by the promotion of the nature play elements of the space. We hope to reassure other community members that there are ways for them to enjoy the space as well."
In addition to the natural play area, the NaturePlace will include paths to wander, spots to sit and reflect, and the opportunity to engage in activities like bird watching, the council said.
The nature area, near the intersection of Montrose and Western avenues, is intended to be "full of hidden nooks ... and buzzing wildlife," according to a description of the project.
The council is in the midst of a $30,000 fundraising campaign for the NaturePlace. Contributions to date total slightly more than $11,000. (Click here to donate.)
