Climbable whales are planned at new KidsUp! Playground, and you can help
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND – Orcas at Battle Point Park? We’re not just spoutin’ off!
Climbable orca whales are among the many fun features planned for KidsUp! The Next Generation of Play, the expansive new playground planned for Battle Point Park. Centerpiece of the new playground will be a giant “ferry boat” play structure — and the theme will be carried even further with kid-friendly orcas swimming past for climbing fun.
“The new KidsUp! is themed around our cherished local stories, and the orcas are an indelible part of Pacific Northwest lore,” said Barb Trafton, executive director of the Bainbridge Island Parks Foundation. “The climbable orcas are a chance to add a whimsical, ‘wow’ feature to the playground, while teaching our next generation of conservationists about protecting the Salish Sea and the many wonderful creatures who live there.”
Volunteers are now sought for a committee to help design and fundraise for the orca play features, with kids and parents encouraged to join.
A portion of funds raised will be donated to protecting Puget Sound’s endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
Susan Andersson, a certified orca naturalist, will work with the committee on education and outreach about the whale population and the challenges it faces. Andersson volunteers with several Northwest-based marine mammal conservation organizations, including the Center for Whale Research, Orca Network and Wild Orca.
“Kids and their parents want to know what they can do to help our endangered Southern Resident orcas,” Andersson said. “Having this orca feature at Battle Point Park will be a wonderful way to further that awareness.”
To join the KidsUp! Orca volunteer committee, email barb@biparksfoundation.org or call the Parks Foundation at 206.842.7901.
See www.biparksfoundation.org for more information KidsUp! The Next Generation of Play or to make a tax-deductible contribution to the campaign.