MOODY— The staff of Mother Neff State Park will be hosting a celebration April 29 at 1 p.m. honoring the life of one of their own and unveiling their new natural playscape and day use area.

“Bubba was so very proud of all the new facilities and features Mother Neff was receiving,” says Melissa Chadwick, Superintendent of Mother Neff State Park. “Some of the design elements were influenced by his dedication in providing a wonderful visitor experience.”

A memorial bench has been placed at the playscape in memory of Orville “Bubba” Timberlake, an employee at the park who died tragically in a fatal accident in 2015 while clearing timber in the flood-prone area of the park.

Timberlake was an essential asset to the 2015 redevelopment of Mother Neff State Park and had been with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for 15 years, spending three and a half years at Mother Neff.

During the ceremony, a plaque will be presented and displayed prominently at the state of the art maintenance building he helped layout.

The dedication ceremony at the playscape will unveil the newly developed natural playscape, which offers an alternative to the typical playground of swings and slides. Nestled near a canopy of live oak trees, the new playscape includes wooden and log features providing children with an adventure that combines play with the natural world around them.

The playscape is also the home of the new “Army the Armadillo,” a large armadillo that children can climb and play on.

“Anyone who knew Bubba, knew how much he loved seeing visitors enjoy the park,” says Chadwick. “This playscape is one more area bringing families together and will hopefully instill an appreciation for special places like this for future generations.”

The Mother Neff State Park Association will be providing refreshments for the reception.

For more information about the park or to see images of the playscape, visit the TPWD website.

Photo Editors: Images associated with this news release are available on the TPWD Web site (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/news_images/).