Nature-Based Play: Long-Range Management Plan for the City of Rosemount

Abstract

This project was completed as part of a year-long partnership between the City of Rosemount and the University of Minnesota’s Resilient Communities Project (http://www.rcp.umn.edu). In recent years, research has grown on how nature-based play improves children’s (and adults’) health, development, and relationships with the natural world. Although the parks and facilities within the city of Rosemount have a predominant focus on athletics, such as baseball and soccer fields, there are a few parks that have nature areas implemented into their design. The goal of this project was to create a long-range plan to implement nature-based programming for community members and recreational opportunities for underserved populations. In collaboration with city project lead Tom Schuster, Parks Supervisor for the City of Rosemount, a team of students in EnEd 4315: Operations & Management assessed the current park system in light of a nature-based approach, determined what components are lacking or can be enhanced, and recommended future park improvements in existing parks and planning for future parks through a long-range management plan. A final report and presentation from the project are available.