Updates to Marine Heritage Park

Marine Heritage Park across from Jalapeño’s is getting two new upgrades.
First, the native plant signs, which distinguish local botanicals to passersby, will be replaced with new ones by this summer. The previous signs were made by students from Columbia Elementary. The new signs are going to be made by Whatcom Middle School 8th graders. The Washington Native Plant Society is working with the students to put together the signs. Like the old signs, the new ones will contain information about local plants, including historical facts and Native American names for specific plants like “Kinik Kinik,” a plant that natives smoked with their Tobacco. The term literally translates to “something to smoke.”

The second upgrade to the park is going to be a new playground. The old playground is not fit for children any longer. Ray Edwards, a lettered street resident wrote, “The current playground equipment does not meet current city safety standards, is not wheelchair accessible and does not have good visibility lines into or out of the play area.”
The idea to change the playground originally came from Jonathan Schlik of the city Parks and Recreation Dept who then shared the idea with the Lettered Streets Neighborhood Association. You can post your ideas for the new playground plans to the Lettered Streets Neighborhood Association’s Facebook page.

Check out the Washington Native Plant Society’s homepage @

www.wnps.org

or the Lettered Street Association homepage @

http://letteredstreets.org/

for playground ideas---- check out the pictures @

www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/view/80577079