Garvan breaks ground on tree house project
A small section of Garvan Woodland Gardens has undergone a drastic transformation from serene garden to a hard hat area in preparation for its new tree house project.
The tree house will be added to the existing Evans Children’s Adventure Garden. Given the fact garden officials have already designated next summer’s event as “The Great Tree House Adventure: Play Up High,” they hope to have the $1.82 million dollar project completed in 2018, said Becca Ohman, gardens director.
“(The tree house) represents a major milestone for not only the children’s garden, but Garvan Gardens as a whole,” Ohman said.
The structure will consist of three stories, accessible from the ground and an overhead boardwalk. Plans for the tree house show it will have an open air design that will allow fresh air to circulate throughout each story, while the multiple stories offer slight coverage from the elements.
The tree house will also be ADA accessible, so all guests can enjoy the new feature to the garden without limitations.
It will be located within the serpentine-shaped Millsap Canopy Bridge in the 1.5-acre adventure garden, adding to the overall experience for younger visitors. The area was funded by a donation from Sunny and Bob Evans in 2009, and is designed to cater to families visiting the gardens with children.
The dream was to see an area in the garden where children could explore the natural environment, and test their personal limits. The area already contains a space for bouldering, water features and a man-made cave, but the new addition is expected to bring together all the elements in the adventure garden and enhance the overall experience for visitors of all ages.
“Really, it’s a wonderful place for children to explore. … We encourage children to climb and to seek adventure that they are comfortable with,” Ohman said.
When the contractors sat down with Garvan representatives, they
discussed the structure being comprised of several “ribs” spaced out far enough so natural light and air will easily enter the tree house. The ribs will also allow visitors to observe areas of the garden from inside the tree house.
It will also feature interpretive learning and artistic elements will be included in the finished project to encourage children to seek more information about their environment and the trees surrounding them.
The design elements will be used to teach visitors about dendrology, or the study of wooded plants, according to a news release. Sculptures rendered by a variety of different artists will illustrate the parts of a tree and teach viewers how trees and humans function in the forest, and the relationship the two organisms share.
CDI Contracting of Little Rock was awarded the construction bid earlier this summer, the same company that renovated the cardiac and emergency department at National Park Medical Center and the William J. Clinton Presidential Center & Park.
“(Construction) is going really well. CDI Contractors have proven to be wonderful partners in the process, and we’re very, very excited about the construction process in and of itself,” Ohman said.
For now, certain areas of the garden are closed off for guests’ safety, but a part of the children’s garden will remain open until the project is completed and the entire area opens back up.
Rather than cover up the progress being made, garden officials have elected to keep the entire process in plain sight. Fences have been placed around the construction zone, but all of the machinery and current construction are visible.
“It’s going to be a really unique opportunity for our guests because we will have an observation patio as well as viewing stations along the serpentine bridge, that our viewers can watch the construction process occur,” Ohman said.
“As they assemble this kit of parts for the tree house … (visitors) will get to watch this structure come to life. I think that it’s a very wonderful opportunity for kids to see the big equipment and wonderful people working together,” she said.
While construction is underway, they are also working on raising funds to help cover the cost of the massive project. The funds will go toward “expanding, embellishing and enhancing the tree house to the greatest extent possible,” said Bob Bledsoe, executive director.