A new playground at the Medicine River Wildlife Centre will help children learn while they have fun.
Dozens of families came to the grand opening of the playground Saturday morning.
Carol Kelly, MRWC executive director, said she’s thought about having this playground for four or five years.
“It’s actually kind of surreal to have what was in my head for so many years finally be real,” she said. “Everybody really seems to be having a good time and enjoying themselves. That’s what it’s all about.”
The playground is made up of four animal habitat structures; an owl nest, a bird box, a fox den and a beaver lodge.
Kelly said she wants children to learn about animals while playing.
“Maybe they’ll have a little more empathy for animals when they understand they need a habitat – a home – to live in, just like we do.
“There’s a lot of disconnect in this day and age. If the kids are connected to the earth and to the animals … we’ll have a healthier society,” she said.
READ MORE: Come play at Medicine River Wildlife Centre
MRWC officially began planning the playground this past winter after receiving funding from the Co-Op Community Spaces program.
“At first … the structures were going to look more like something from Walt Disney. Then we changed our mind and thought we should make them look more realistic because we’re teaching kids about wildlife homes,” she said.
Kelly said the design continued to evolve throughout the summer and there are plans to add more habitats to the playground in the future.
Gerald Hiebert, Central Alberta Co-op chief executive officer, said the MRWC is a great place to support.
“It’s about the education of youth here,” he said. “I’m extremely proud to be a part of this (grand opening) because this is truly what we’re about – rural life, nature and our people.”
Hiebert said the Community Spaces program provided $133,000 to the MRWC for this project. Since 2015 the program has provided $4.5 million to 60 projects, he added.
More information on the MRWC is available at www.medicineriverwildlifecentre.ca.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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