Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn Thursday joined East Goshen Township, Chester County, officials in a tour of a township park undergoing renovation and incorporating strong nature-based play elements.
The tour of the 55-acre East Goshen Park Playground provided Dunn and other DCNR representatives an opportunity to discuss an ongoing playground rehabilitation under way.
Designed with heavy input from township youngsters, the playground will feature fabricated tree stump and boulder seating; monarch butterfly designs; and abundant tree plantings.
“This innovative playground sends out an open invitation to the region’s youth to enter, not just to play, but to learn about conservation and the natural world around them,” Dunn told her township hosts. “From the imprint of the monarch butterfly to the fabricated tree stump and boulder seating, this facility reinforces the township’s position as a municipal environmental leader.”
Designed with strong input from township youngsters, the playground will feature abundant tree plantings, fabricated tree stump and boulder seating and monarch butterfly designs. The project at 1661 Paoli Pike, West Chester, is nearing completion.
“I commend the township for a commitment to recreation that stresses conservation and ecological education,” Dunn said. “This is directly in line with the Wolf Administration initiative under way across the state that seeks to draw more young people and their families out into Pennsylvania’s great outdoors.”
"In East Goshen Township, we have only one active park for our residents, but it is truly regional in usage. The new destination playground was hand designed by over 600 East Goshen Elementary students,” said Carmen Battavio, vice-chair of the East Goshen Township Board of Supervisors.
“My fellow township officials and I are proud and excited they chose a playground that is accessible by design, incorporates nature play elements like play mounds and a boulder reading nook, and is encouraging new friendships through the Imagination Playground facility. It truly will be a remarkable space for individuals, families and our community as a whole to make memories.”
East Goshen Township’s more than 500 acres of park space is anchored by East Goshen Township Park. Its rolling hills and vistas offer a full complement of recreational facilities: baseball, softball and soccer fields; a multi-use field, a sand volleyball court, six tennis courts and hitting backboard; two full-size basketball courts, a well-equipped playground area, a fitness circuit area and a gazebo.
The East Goshen Amphitheater has grass-tiered seating and plays host to many summer theater productions, movies and concerts.
The park also is home to a seasonal Farmers Market on Thursday afternoon, where patrons peruse locally made items and produce from over thirty vendors.
At the 2017 Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society annual conference, East Goshen Township received the Excellence in Recreation and Parks Award, and was the first-ever recipient of PRPS’s Good Job Award.
The township was also honored with the Governor's Award for Local Government Excellence in the Health and Wellness category for its “Fit and Fun in the Park” initiative.
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