The Story Behind the Enchanted Woods

The Enchanted Woods project began with a vision introduced by former Executive Director Henry Owen, who imagined a renewed, research-informed nature play area that would better meet the needs of today’s families. The Nature Discovery Center is collaborating with TBG Partners and StudioRed Architects to design a play environment rooted in child development, nature education, and joyful exploration. With design now nearly complete, the Board of Directors is working with Forney Construction to bring this vision to life, marking a major step as the project moves toward construction later this fall.

A Reimagined Nature Play Experience

The Enchanted Woods will transform our current nature play area into an immersive, dynamic landscape where children can climb, dig, splash, build, imagine, and discover the natural world.

The new design centers around signature zones:

Treehouse Terrace Tower: : Connected by an ADA-accessible bridge, the Treehouse Terrace Tower brings everyone, including wheelchair users, up into the treetops for a whole new vantage point on the forest. It's a shaded, quiet perch, perfectly placed for spotting birds, with room for an educator and a small group of students to take it all in together.

Discovery Creek: A fanciful water zone that celebrates the movement of water. Kids can get wet and playfully squirt water from boulders or whimsical frog statues. A water runnel and pump that invites problem solving and learning experiences.

Observation Deck: An elevated overlook designed to encourage wildlife observation and nature study. Children and families can take in unique views of surrounding habitats and the playscape below, while developing a deeper appreciation for local ecosystems, birds, pollinators, and native plants. The deck leads directly into the classroom entrance, connecting exploration with hands-on learning.

Imagination Meadow: A creative play landscape filled with natural materials, bridges, logs, boulders, and open-ended play opportunities. This space encourages imaginative storytelling, social interaction, creative thinking, and child-directed exploration.

The Nature Workshop: A high-energy zone for older explorers featuring the Treetop Tower, spider net climber, wood steppers, and hands-on building elements like the fort builder and a giant bird's nest constructed from fallen branches gathered in Russ Pitman Park, all designed to build balance, confidence, and creativity.

Anchoring the play scape is the Cottage classroom -- A welcoming hub perched on stilts, serving as the launch point for nature programs, camps, school groups, and community learning experiences. Additional features throughout the play area—including the Overlook Deck, sensory bins, tunnel, parent seating areas, and the beloved cypress pond—create a rich landscape full of movement, discovery, and connection to nature.

Why Nature Play Matters

Nature play helps children grow in ways traditional playgrounds can’t. It sparks creativity, builds confidence, strengthens coordination, and supports emotional well-being. Most of all, it nurtures a lifelong love of the natural world. The Enchanted Woods is designed to give every child access to these powerful, research-backed benefits.

Help Us Build Something Magical

This $2.5 million project will serve the thousands of families who rely on the Nature Discovery Center each year—and we have already raised 83% of our goal. With your support, we can bring the Enchanted Woods to life for our entire community. Your gift today helps build a place where children can run, climb, splash, explore, and discover the magic of nature.

Nature Discovery Center - Enchanted Woods

Help us bring the Enchanted Woods Nature Play Space & Cottage Classroom to the Nature Discovery Center. A place to climb, splash, explore and get closer to nature.

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