A Mammoth Of A Playground
A Mammoth Of A Playground
Randolph, NY winner of the “Play Everywhere Design Challenge”; receives grant to rebuild playground at Weeden Park to reflect historic mammoth discovery
Nearly 87 years ago, a small group of men were charged with the task of excavating an area that would become the pond for Randolph’s Fish Hatchery, one of 12 in New York state. But on May 19, 1934 what appeared to be a fairly straightforward task soon garnered the attention of geologists all over the northeast, for what that group discovered had never been found in New York state before: two large tusks with a combined weight of approximately 150 pounds and a large skull, weighing nearly 200 pounds! Indeed, the group had accidentally unearthed the remains of a Columbian Mammoth, one of the most complete mammoth specimens ever found in New York state.
In just a few months, children in Randolph will have the same exciting experience as these pond excavators when the town’s Mammoth Natural Play area opens at Weeden Park. Recently, the Randolph Area Community Development Corporation (RACDC) learned that it was one of 19 winners of the Play Everywhere Design Challenge, presented by KABOOM! and the Built to Play initiative and supported by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.
This design challenge awarded $1 million to communities in western New York and southeast Michigan building landmark play spaces that, when construction is completed, will provide kids with equitable opportunities to play. The Play Everywhere Design Challenge invited communities to submit creative design ideas that make it easier for families to incorporate play into everyday moments. According to KABOOM!, “Winning projects will bring play into public spaces in unconventional ways in neighborhoods that have experienced significant disinvestment.”
Deborah Miller, RACDC director, said the design challenge began in September of last year, and the RACDC learned it was a finalist in October. At Weeden Park, “The play area will be installed at the old tennis courts,” Miller explained. “The play area will mimic the natural surroundings of Weeden Park with many of the features looking like trees and rocks. There will be replica mammoth bones for the kids to excavate.”
An important feature of the play space is its accessibility for children of most ages and all abilities, said Miller, who noted that the playground is ideal for those aged three and older. Importantly, the new design will repurpose an underutilized portion of the park, which already serves the community in several ways through its sports fields, pavilions, and existing playgrounds.
“Weeden Park is utilized by many different people, and we felt repurposing the tennis courts, which are no longer used, would be a great use of this space,” she said. In addition to informational signage about the historic mammoth discovery, “The play area will mimic the natural surroundings making it visually appealing. We are incorporating the Randolph Mammoth, making the space not only fun but educational.”
All 19 winners of the design challenge were provided with the opportunity to work with design experts to support the development and execution of their project. The RACDC was the only organization in Cattaraugus County named among the winners of the design challenge, which also includes winners in Almond, Chautauqua, East Aurora, Houghton, Perry, Rochester, Springville and Warsaw, New York.
Miller is looking forward to the opening of the play space and said, “We are working on finalizing the design and hope to break ground in May or June with completion being the end of October.” The community will play an active part in the creation of the space, as volunteers will help construct the new play area.
The Built to Play initiative aims to give kids in western New York and southeast Michigan more opportunities for unstructured, kid-driven free play. This need was identified in the regional "State of Play" reports conducted by the Aspen Institute and supported by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, and through research conducted by both The Skatepark Project and KABOOM!. KABOOM! Is a national nonprofit that partners with regional foundations to build kid-designed play spaces in underserved communities. To learn more about the Play Everywhere Challenge, including the other winning designs, visit https://kaboom.org/stories/play-everywhere-design-challenge-winners.