Forest
A large canopy tree transitions from the prairie to the forest, providing a setting for a reading area and the book A Tree is Nice. The main feature of the forest is, of course, the treehouse, shaped like a large bird house and cantilevered over a ravine and sugar maple forest. A boardwalk leads from the edge of the ravine to a cluster of treehouses 15 feet above the ground. The main treehouse functions as an open, activity area and the smaller treehouses, accessed by bridges, become places to read, play or make-believe. From the treehouse, a mulch path and boardwalk switchback down the embankment to the Three Billy Goats Gruff bridge, complete with a troll sculpture tucked underneath. The path terminates in a grove of birch trees with a council ring. Naturalist role-playing is encouraged here by examining items found in nature from the bookSand County Almanac.
- Dig for Dinosaur Bones in an area surrounded by ferns and other ancient plants.
- Like Goldilocks, try out the three chairs and find the one that’s just right.
- Explore the trails of the forest and identify the natural objects you find along the way.
- Visit Winnie the Pooh, tracking Woozles and Roo.
Garden's Slideshow
Books
- A Tree is Nice
- Dinosaur Bones
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears
- Sand County Almanac
- The Magic Treehouse
- Three Billy Goats' Gruff
- Winnie the Pooh
- Goodnight Moon
