Debbie Rosenberger plans to bring her seven-year-old granddaughter, Emily Ernst, back to the Grand Traverse Area Children's Garden every week to see how her plants are growing.
Ernst, using specially designed gardening tools, planted tomato and pepper plants in the raised beds of the Grand Traverse Area Children's Garden Monday evening as the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation launched Access to Recreation at Boardman Lake.
Access to Recreation, a project that received a $440,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, is aimed at improving recreational opportunities available to individuals, families and groups of varying abilities, ages and interests.
The Community Foundation plans to ease accessiblity to sailing, gardening, biking and walking activities in the areas on the north end of Boardman Lake by partnering with the Children's Garden, Traverse Area Community Sailing and the TART Trails.
Each partner has a goal to reach in order to fulfill the requirements of the grant.
The Grand Traverse Area Children's Garden will capture $80,000 in matching funds by creating a universally accessible garden by:
• Including raised beds and paved paths
• Building an educational pavilion and garden house
• Engaging youth in a "Root to Mouth” experience
• Teaching youth about growing vegetables
• Teaching the importance of nutrition
"We are looking at the overall layout of the garden and the accessibility issues, including surfaces for the pathways and planters that are raised a little higher,” said Dean Conners, a landscape designer who will oversee the project.
Traverse Area Community Sailing will capture $100,000 in matching funds through enhancing access to boating by building a new boathouse, boardwalk, dock with a lift system, an accessible boardwalk from the boathouse to the water and accessible storage to protect and secure equipment.
By connecting the two-mile Boardman Lake Trail and the 11-mile TART trail and enhancing their accessibility, TART Trails will capture $20,000 in matching funds.
"The Community Foundation has a goal of bringing generations together,” said Jeanne Snow of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation.
"This project fits perfectly within that objective by providing opportunities for families, groups and individuals of all abilities, ages and interests,” she said.