About the Project
Myrick Hixon EcoPark is a unique facility dedicated to the advancement of “Ecoliteracy” and awareness of local ecosystems. WDM helped plan an oasis for exploration and outdoor education that facilitates a fun, unique way for children to learn about ecological concepts and sustainability.
Highlights include:
- A sustainable café with outdoor seating with a marsh view
- Community art entry plaza
- A working community produce garden alongside demonstration gardens
- A stage and community gathering space for events
- A lookout tower for a birds-eye view of the surrounding marsh
Proposed amenities would give patrons a chance to attend group events and connect to the adjacent marsh.
Patrons can explore four distinct zones:
- Farm Play — Guests can pet farm animals and learn about sustainable farming practices. Eating locally grown foods is promoted through an interactive “garden” in which kids can pick larger-than-life-sized produce and sell it at the local farm market stand.
- Forest Scramble — A multi-level playground with “hollow logs” to crawl through, elevated boardwalks connect tree houses and a tower to climb for a view of the surrounding marshland.
- Prairie Mystery — As guests wind their way through a real tall grass prairie maze, they encounter educational nodes with questions about prairies. Right answers direct guests on the correct path, but incorrect answers lead to a dead end with educational graphics explaining the correct answer.
- Wild Water — An interactive watercourse where patrons can get wet while experimenting with dams, pumps, and Archimedes screws to learn about hydrology as well as the importance of the local marches.
