Historically, trail construction has been based primarily on the mindset of conservation – in other words, how can we create trails using a process that leaves as small an impact? This is an extremely important perspective, but as nature becomes less a part of our collective everyday lives, it is also crucial to consider making nature accessible to as many people as possible. People will protect what they know and love, but in order for this to happen they must be able to experience it first.
New swing at North Beach Park
Thanks to a generous donation from the Angela Schipper Fund to the Ottawa County Parks Foundation there is now an accessible swing at North Beach Park!
Kathy Schipper started the fund in honor of her daughter, Angela, who was born with special needs. One of Angela’s favorite activities was to swing and we hope many more families can enjoy her generous gift. It was a great gift to our family to have a playground near our home that both Angela and her siblings could all enjoy.
This spring I saw that an upgrade in the playground was being planned and thought it would be the great opportunity to honor Angela and donate a swing for children with special needs. I am very excited to know that families with special needs children will feel welcomed and can enjoy playtime with all of their kids at the beach for years to come. – Kathy Schipper
