By Jeanne Zlonis

It’s hard to believe that it has been seven years since the installation of the Natural Playground at Wildwood Elementary and the culmination of MAGI’s “Plant a Tree… Grow a Playground” campaign.

The trees MAGI volunteers planted in 2014 are looking more and more stately and are producing needed shade. University of Minnesota Extension Tree Care Advisors Jackie Metelak and Paul Richtman visited the site in early June to check on the health of the trees, do some pruning, and make recommendations. They pronounced all of the trees healthy and strong. They also recommended adding mulch to suppress weeds and protect the trunks from potential damage from mowers and string trimmers.

On a lovely June evening a robust group of fourth grade Scouts (Webelos Troop 89) and sixth grade Girl Scouts (Troop 57418) and their families made quick work of the mulching task.

Thank you, Scouts!

If you visit the Wildwood Playground this summer, you may notice that the big hill is closed for renovation. Soil was added and the entire area was reseeded and mulched with straw. Some areas of the hill will be roped off permanently to direct foot traffic to climbing rocks and stairs. This will hopefully reduce the effects of compacted soil on the grass and tree roots.

We look forward to providing a welcoming, friendly, and natural play space for our Wildwood Elementary students when they return in the fall!