Ecotarium requests $150,000 to rebuild accessible pathways and features at Nature Explore play area
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Summary
The Ecotarium requested $150,000 in CPA open‑space funding to rebuild degraded natural play pathways, improve ADA accessibility, and replace major play features in its Nature Explore playground; the organization said the site serves thousands of visitors and school groups and that pathways connect to broader trail work funded by MassTrails.
Noreen Johnson Smith, president and CEO of the Ecotarium, asked the Community Preservation Committee for $150,000 in open‑space/outdoor recreation CPA funds to reconstruct the access pathways and major play features at the Nature Explore certified playground on the museum’s grounds.
Smith said the Ecotarium sits on 45 acres in Worcester and that the Nature Explore play area—constructed with natural materials—was last renovated in 2012 and now requires substantial repair. The project scope presented to the CPC focuses on rebuilding eroded, uneven pathways to meet ADA accessibility standards, replacing worn natural play elements, and improving safety for mobility‑impaired visitors who borrow scooters and wheelchairs from the museum.
Smith told the committee the Ecotarium is leading a larger capital campaign and has raised $10.2 million of a $12.5 million goal for building projects; unrelated state MassTrails funding is supporting a parallel redesign of the Lower Pond trail that connects to the playground. The Ecotarium said it plans to start work in winter/January and be ready for the next visitor season in April.
Several public commenters and committee members expressed support for the project. No CPC vote occurred at the hearing; the CPC will score and make recommendations to city council at its June 17 meeting.