The Greening of Detroit

Moses Field Developmental School

Accessible Forest, Playground and Enabling Gardens
1100 Sheridan, Detroit, MI

This exciting project was made possible through a combination of teamwork, dreams and generosity. Passing by this school before May 2000, you would have seen a barren, weedy field. What you wouldn't have seen is children playing outside. Because the kids of Moses Field all have special needs and most of them use wheelchairs, they never got to play outside. Outside play would require special accommodations that were not on the horizon for Moses Field. This situation became an opportunity for some amazing partnerships. Collaborators include, DENSO International America, Boundless Playgrounds, Michigan State University, Island View Neighbors, Belle Isle Greenhouse, Lila Silverman, Buzz Silverman, Chezcore and DTE Energy.

The Moses Field project has helped to build a strong relationship between DENSO and The Greening of Detroit. This project began when DENSO approached The Greening in 1998 to explore funding opportunities. Moses Field fit their organizational mission that includes a strong environmental ethic. Not only has DENSO provided the funding for this project, they have provided volunteers. It is a rare opportunity to work with a funder who not only approaches you, but who offers both grant monies and labor!

Planning for the project began in January of 2000 with the formation of a Playground Committee made up of Greening staffers, Moses Field teachers and therapists. From there we worked with Boundless Playgrounds to give the adult stakeholders a chance to give input on the playground design. Our next activity, The Dreaming and Design Party, asked the kids for their playground ideas. We gathered together children from Moses Field and Belleview Elementary to design their 'dream' playground, a place where children of all abilities could play side by side. The kids went wild with crayons, markers, play-doh, and craft sticks, creating amazing designs. We sent on to the specialists at Boundless Playgrounds who turned their ideas into the actual working design for the playground.

We broke ground on May 27, 2000 with a planting and building project. Raised planting beds were constructed to allow the kids to experience enabling gardening, gardening without barriers. Trees were planted both to provide much needed shade and interest to the senses. Neighbors, volunteers from DENSO, Moses Field staff, parents and Greening commissioners and staff worked together to accomplish the transformation. We combined this effort with the surrounding neighborhood's community planting that lined the streets around the school with the unique Leprechaun Ash.

For the next three years the folks at DENSO joined us twice a year to add to the playground, augment the plantings and construct additional components of the overall design. Every volunteer day turned out to be an incredible show of what an energetic group of volunteers can accomplish in a short amount of time. Most impressively, over 146 cubic yards of wood fiber safety surfacing were moved into place. That's a lot of wheelbarrows! This on top of the plantings, construction of the playhouse, erection of play equipment, and path building!

Features to date include:
• 20 trees chosen for stunning fall color, fragrant blooms, and shade value. Five shrubs selected for fragrant foliage and blooms, brilliant winter twig color, and unique corkscrew-like growth.

• Six raised planting beds, filled with sensory stimulating plants including fragrant and tasty herbs, bright flowers, plants with diverse textures, and vegetables to watch grow and eat.

• Two native wildflower beds to attract wildlife and serve as outdoor classrooms.
Hundreds of bulbs to provide stunning fall and spring color.

• Fully accessible playhouse complete with play panels and talk tubes.
20' x20' sandbox with two accessible mounted digger-scoopers.
Accessible spring platform designed to allow children to easily move from their chairs to the bouncy platform.

• Stationary cycler that allows children in wheelchairs to play and exercise their arms.
Four seat see-saw with back support and belts.

• Four-bay swing set with two standard and two full-body support swings.
A tire swing mounted with a swivel for easily spinning.
Safety surfacing firm enough to allow wheelchairs to maneuver, yet soft enough to absorb impact.

• Accessible wheelchair paths leading to two separate play areas.
Over 500 feet of wheelchair accessible concrete path running along the raised beds and weaving through the raised beds and accessible forest.

• The path comes together at a 20'x30' picnic structure. The picnic structure was built by a team of volunteers and rests on a slab of concrete. Moses Field plans to install accessible picnic benches to create an outdoor classroom area!

• The kids absolutely love it. We've heard glowing reports of green pepper picking, heavy playhouse usage, and the popularity of the see-saw. Moses Field staff confirms that the students gain immensely from the sensory experiences and responsibilities of caring for their new equipment, plants and trees.