When students at KELSET Elementary in North Saanich found out they were getting a new play space, they did what every other kid would – collected their little change and donated it to the school to help build the new playground.
This was enough to spur on the school's Play Spaces Committee to double up their efforts in raising money for their Naturescape Play Space Enhancement project.
The goal – to transform an existing play area that has deteriorated over the past 15 years into a new natural playground and native garden.
Over old wooden fences, worn out and muddy grounds, children would still play in the current natural space, climbing on bushes, trees and plants.
“When it's muddy out, they can't use that space because it's slippery and dangerous,” says committee chair Bianca Bodley.
Bodley explains that while students and the community are drawn to spending time in the space, the original design has limited accessibility and is susceptible to becoming waterlogged and dangerously unusable for at least four months of the school year.
She says the "nature-space" can be redesigned, revitalized and expanded for the children to climb, balance, jump, explore and imagine new worlds in the freedom of a natural environment.
The design for the new playground will include cedar climbing structures, natural boulders, a sunken sand play area, Pogo poles and spinners thoughtfully integrated around selected native plants.
"Through a collaborative process with community members and knowledge keepers of WASANEC First Nations, the project will include a series of interpretative signs with information about the selected plants and their contributions to well-being and the rich traditional and medicinal uses held within Traditional Ecological Knowledge," Bodley said.
The committee is looking to the community to help raise funds to build this nature space.
"We have gotten approval from the district of North Saanich as well as School District 63, so we are now able to start fundraising to make this improvement outside the school," says committee member Heather Brass.
They're hoping to raise $180,000 to support the project which will benefit not only the students but the community as well.
"Our goal is to have shovels in the ground by July 2025, to hopefully complete the nature-space project in the summer," school principal Tassie Harris added.
Anyone who wishes to donate to KELSET Elementary's Naturescape project can do so either in cash or in kind.
Cheques can be made payable to "School District 63 Saanich” re: KELSET Naturescape and mailed to School District 63 Saanich, 2125 Keating Cross Rd Saanichton, BC V8M 2A5, Attention: SD63 Charity
