Nature Play Space at MLK Station Neighborhood Park Opening!

Austin Parks and Recreation invites the public to the opening of the second official Nature Play Space in Austin at MLK Station Neighborhood Park, 2907 E. MLK Jr. Blvd., on Saturday, June 4 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit the Nature Play Space in Austin at MLK Station Neighborhood Park project page.

When asked about their desires for the park, people who took part in community engagement efforts in 2020 indicated that they wanted to be able to climb, jump, balance, build forts as well as access water, trees and native plants. These elements were echoed in the final design which includes a stump, log, and boulder play trail; circular stump seating with central space for loose parts; and play hill. It also features a seating/gathering space, a looping natural trail, a mulched central trail, limestone block seating, adjusted and re-secured stepping stones across the creek, and ongoing treatment for invasive bamboo. A sign with the park's name will be installed at the entry along 16th street, and signage for the nature play features will also be installed in the coming months.

To help build understanding and comfort with these new features, Cities Connecting Children to Nature will be hosting several weekend Nature Play Days over the summer to be announced later. They will also begin tracking the degradation of the logs and stumps, as well as the use of the new features in our ongoing effort to build our communal knowledge around the intricacies of nature play. The project was funded by Parkland Dedication and initiated by the Cities Connecting Children to Nature initiative within the Community PARKnerships Program.