Media invited to event at 10:30 a.m. Monday in Huntington
WV Press Release Sharing
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association (WVNLA) will dedicate a Natural Learning Environment landscaped outdoor space at Cabell-Wayne Association of the Blind (CWAB), 38 Washington Street in Huntington, on Monday, Oct. 16, at 10:30 a.m.
The WVNLA funded the project and members and volunteers designed and installed the pavilion and playground, which offer children the opportunity to use objects of nature to stimulate imaginative play and enjoyment. The plan was later expanded to include swivel rockers and gliders to provide seating for patrons of all ages to enjoy the restful outdoor space.
Speakers at the CWAB dedication include:
Steve Saunders, former WVNLA president, whose blind aunt and uncle enjoyed many years at CWAB, volunteered a tremendous amount of time, service and resources from his business Saunders Lawn Care. He will attend the dedication.
Walls, director of the Cabell-Wayne Association for the Blind, said the project culminates during National Disabilities Month (October) and the day after National White Cane Day (Oct. 15).
“We here at Cabell-Wayne Association of the Blind are so thankful to the WVNLA, Stephen Saunders and Dave Hill, and all those who helped them with this project. We look forward to the many ways our consumers and friends will enjoy this garden. We have already seen our consumers, staff, and friends admire and enjoy this space,” Walls said.
Julie Robinson, WVNLA executive director, said each association president – upon completion of his or her term — is allocated funds for a volunteer landscaping project of their choice. She said past presidents David Hill and Steve Saunders contributed to this project, which has a special meaning to many at WVNLA. Hill, who is a certified Natural Learning Environment designer and installer, wished to create the playground at CWAB in honor of a former WVNLA board member, Mike Bartholomew, whose daughter was born with serious eye issues.
Hill said his interest in natural playgrounds developed after learning about a study that showed that children are losing the ability to play imaginatively. “Children’s days are filled with structured activities in which a leader instructs them,” he said. “Natural Learning Environments allow youth to use objects found in nature to create their own games and fun, without any instruction. The deceivingly simple set-up actually holds their attention longer than a playground filled with bright plastic equipment.”
Steve Saunders added his president’s project allocation to the cause in memory of his uncle and aunt, Willis and Mary Ann Saunders, who were both blind and active at CWAB.
Robinson said the project had multiple stages and many skilled contributors. A concrete pad was poured, and a pavilion was built, with trusses constructed and installed by students in Hugh Roberts’ carpentry class at Cabell Career and Technical Center. Roberts and his students also roofed the pavilion.
In the first work session, a sweltering 90-degree day, John Perry of Grass Busters used a Ventrac tractor and tiller to break up and remove the sod in the area. Volunteers pulled out chunks of sod, broken brick and other debris. Others pulled out the remains of a submerged horseshoe pit. Mark Springer of Lavalette Landscaping remembered installing the pit decades ago.
After the grass was removed, work began to dig, line with fabric, fill and tamp down gravel on the paths around the pavilion and the quadrants. The divisions now form themed play areas in the Natural Learning Environment.
Saunders’ cousin Teri Saunders Booten, daughter of Willis and Mary Ann Saunders, brought her family and friends to give a substantial labor boost to the project. “Both Mom and Dad were completely blind,” said Booten. “Mom lost her sight as an infant when she developed an eye infection in 1940. They began to use antibiotics to treat eye infections in 1941. Dad had a rare bone condition that pinched off his optic nerve. Neither of them had any visual memory.” She said her parents met at the Romney School for the Deaf and Blind and eventually settled in Huntington, where they were active at CWAB. Booten’s father passed away, but her mother still lives in Huntington.
After Hill and Saunders delivered supplies to the site, Saunders brought a bobcat, plate compactor and a dump truck to remove debris. Perry also provided a power rake and tiller. At the conclusion of day one, the soil had been turned, landscape fabric placed, gravel pathways installed, and the perimeter landscaping planted.
A mix of family, friends and WVNLA members and employees all worked collaboratively. Perry brought six Grass Busters employees to help, and Saunders had four Saunders Lawn Care employees pitching in. TerraCare landscape designer Eleanor Gould and her friend and landscape student Maram Moushmoush put in a full day’s work, as did Mark Springer.
“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to help install this beautiful playground,” Gould said, adding that this was her first opportunity to work on a Natural Learning Environment.
With the landscape and structural bones in place, the playground’s features took shape during the next work gathering on June 11. On that day, volunteers completed:
After the second work session, Saunders, Hill, Springer and Bud Cottrill finished the remaining work to create a special place of serenity and activity for CWAB’s clients.
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West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc., established in 1939, is a professional trade association dedicated to supporting nursery and landscape businesses and vendors throughout the Mountain State.
WVNLA members support West Virginia college students studying horticulture and landscape architecture with scholarship opportunities. They also share expertise and support in their communities; meet for volunteer projects; and support worthy, industry-related endeavors through Association donations. Regionally, WVNLA co-owns the annual Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show along with the Maryland and Virginia associations. For membership, events or mission priori
