Picture this: Children, their families and friends clambering over and through hollow logs, making crafts from 'found' materials, exploring 'Mine Town' and riding a wooden 'train' through 'Hollins Station', all just minutes from your home.
Acorn Hill will be such a place - a natural play area geared to children, their families and friends - planned for a one-acre site on the peninsula in Robert E Lee Park, overlooking Lake Roland. Parking is available adjacent to the park entrance on Lakeside Drive. There is also access from the Falls Road MTA station.
Acorn Hill is the creation of a group of Nature Council volunteers working with the landscape architectural firm Hord❘Coplan❘Macht to design an area of the park that focuses on children’s activities.
Various play stations, including structures for climbing, swinging, exploring and balancing are planned. These are designed to help children develop physical skills, using natural materials in an open environment where they can learn while having fun. The station names highlight the history of the park, including its factories, mines, railroad and reservoir. In addition to the stations, Acorn Hill will have picnic and quiet areas, a bird sanctuary and spaces for art projects.
Programs will emphasize environmental conservation and exploration of animal and plant habitats, with talks by park rangers and a theater for productions by and for children.
Little Explorers Club
Recently, the Little Explorers Club, a program offered by the Baltimore Child Care Resource Center (BCCCRC) in partnership with the DRU Judy Center, visited Robert E. Lee Park for an educational event.
A group of 3 and 4 year olds from Baltimore city visited the park so they could explore the woods and nature first hand as most of them have never been to the woods.
WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED?
To make Acorn Hill a reality, the Acorn Hill Committee of Robert E Lee Park Nature Council needs contributions of time, energy and funding from volunteers and interested friends, neighbors and the business community.
A $215,000.00 bond bill to fund construction of Acorn Hill passed this session's general assembly. Next steps include working with Baltimore County and landscape architects on design and construction of Acorn Hill.
Our thanks to Senator Bobby Zirkin and Delegates Jon Cardin, Steve Lafferty, Dan Morhaim and Dana Stein for sponsoring the Acorn Hill Bond Bill and to County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, County Administrative Officer Fred Homan, Councilwoman Vicki Almond and numerous Baltimore County Recreation and Parks Rec & Parks staff for their support of this wonderful community project.
