ULC developed guidelines for the development of Nature Play areas for the Forest Preserve of Cook County, IL, Department of Conservation and Experiential Programming. These guidelines help in the creation of design, construction, usage, maintenance, evaluation and support of nature play areas that will meet Forest Preserve goals, needs, and realities.

“The Forest Preserves of Cook County Nature Play Guidelines may be the most ambitious system-wide plan in the country. The Guidelines provide a clear way forward for incorporating and managing nature play settings within the larger mission of the organization. The plan is especially forward thinking in its commitment to a strong evaluation component, the hope of which is to provide important impetus to other systems, to energize scaling-up of the Nature Play movement.” – Robin Moore, Director of the Natural Learning Initiative, North Carolina State University

Used principles of placemaking to engage the surrounding community to build ownership while envisioning and coming to consensus on improvements for their neighborhood park.