Submitted by Margaret Payne.

With funding from a county lodging tax grant, Orcas Island Community Foundation’s “Give Orcas” campaign, a Ginny Lu Wood Legacy Grant from OICF), Island Market and numerous private donors, Orcas contractors and citizen volunteers have begun construction of a nature-based playground at the Village Green.

The design features logs and rocks collected from Moran State Park and Camp Orkila and complements the Stage-on-the-Green. Landscape trees will be donated by OICF in celebration of its 25th anniversary.

Phase One construction will be completed in summer of 2020. Fundraising continues for finishing touches to the project, including a handcrafted slide, rope climber, ship’s net ladder, screening fence, boulder seat and interpretive signage.

To make a donation, call San Juan County Parks at 360-378-8420 or visit https://www.sanjuanco.com/1587/Eastsound-village-green-play-area-design.

The playground team includes project manager Mark Mayer; contractor Chuck Greening; artist Zackaraya Leck; architect David Kau; former SJC Parks Director Dona Wuthnow; Eastsound Water Users Association Director Paul Kamin; Parks Commissioner Margaret Payne; and Dan Burke, who is handling publicity.

Local contributors of time, talent, and materials are Gregg Bronn; Greg White; Cory Harrington; Island Excavating; Todd Shaner; Nate Averna; Rob Harvey; Rich Harvey; West Sound Lumber; Carson Sprenger and Rain Shadow Consulting; Bathan Shaner; Micheal Yeaman; Erin and Emily Bennett; Susan and Wally Gudgell; Charles Toxey and Jill Johnson; and Kenmore Air.