In honor of Urban National Wildlife Refuge Day, September 29, 2020, we unveiled the Nature Play Area at Old Cedar Avenue! While the celebration was virtual, we now encourage you to get outside and explore all the Nature Play Area has to offer! Visit today!
Join our community in the wild to celebrate Urban National Wildlife Refuges, and share your own stories by using hashtag #CommunityInTheWild!
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a thriving urban refuge where nature connects people, wildlife and communities. Our new nature play area is a great showcase of the creativity urban refuges provide to meet the needs of the families we serve. Meet Refuge Manager, Sarena Selbo, and Latinx Family Liaison, Oscar Hernandez, for a welcome to this special piece of nearby nature.
We’ve created a play environment that consists of elements and textures from the earth such as logs, full sized downed trees, boulders, and native plants, instead of a traditional playground structure that includes slides and climbers. Our hope is to inspire the next generation of conservation leaders by providing a space to learn and explore.
Have you ever wondered how a nature play area is made? With natural materials of course and a lot of helping hands! Read the full story to learn what went into restoring this overgrown gravel pit into a beautiful play area for all to enjoy.
Come along on a virtual tour of the Nature Play Area. Your next adventure starts here!
Art is a spectacular way to connect to nature. Meet the artists, Christopher Harrison and Emma Laskowski, the creative minds behind the new public art pieces located at the Nature Play Area.
Meet the Nature In Your Neighborhood Little Free Library. This is the refuge's first little library! This library features a selection of environmental-themed children's books. Take one to go!
Location: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife RefugeOld Cedar Avenue Bridge and Trailhead 9898 Old Cedar Avenue SBloomington, MN 55425