SAN ANTONIO – This Saturday, a new children’s nature playscape at Government Canyon State Natural Area will be unveiled during a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. The playscape is ADA accessible and offers young natural area visitors a unique outdoor recreation experience.

“Children visiting the natural area will now have a place to play that offers an alternative to the typical playground you see at a city or county park,” says Chris Holm, superintendent at Government Canyon State Natural Area. “With boulders, ropes and log features, our new playscape will provide children with an adventure that combines play with the natural world around them.”

A companion project to create an all-weather, 1.25 mile ADA accessible interpretive nature trail loop is underway.

“Currently when it rains, existing trails can become muddy and has made us close our 40-mile trail system,” says Holm. “The combination of an ADA playscape and an all-weather ADA interpretive trail will provide our visitors with new options for outdoor recreation that fit within the mission of a state natural area.”

The playscape project was funded by the Friends of Government Canyon organization through grants and generous donations and offers children visiting the natural area with an alternative to the typical playground of swings and slides.

“We are excited about what the great partnership with our friends group has been able to accomplish,” says Holm. “This new nature playscape is an exciting new offering that fills a long-awaited need of the natural area.”

The initial seed money for the nature playscape was provided by a challenge grant through the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation. The friends group’s fundraising challenge was met by several large donors, including donations from Mannapov, LLC out of Boerne, Zigmund Khersonsky, Tim & Karen Hixon, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation and hundreds of individual, private donors.

“The support for this playscape project has been overwhelming,” says Holm. “We even had little children putting their allowance money in the donation box to help make this happen.”

Government Canyon SNA is open weekly Friday – Monday, with additional open days during holidays, including spring break week March 10 – 20.

For more information about the natural area, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website.