Local children wasted little time getting wet and wild at Hudson’s new Water Cycle Splash Pad in Veteran’s Memorial Park. Photo by Eric Horchy.
Long-Awaited Splash Pad Unveiled at Veteran's Memorial Park Information and image from Suncoast News After almost two years after the groundbreaking on the Veteran’s
Memorial Park Water Cycle Splash Pad, project and community leaders opened it for play at the end of May this year, according to Suncoast News online. “This is a really exciting day,” said Pasco County Parks and Recreation Manager Brian Taylor. “It’s a really warm day, but that’s okay, because we have a splash pad.” The Water Cycle Splash Pad is right on time for the heat and humidity of summer, and it came to be thanks to the collaboration and Investigation Station and Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources, as well as a long list of community Contributions. Investigation Station is a non-profit organization that “strives to create interactive experiences for Pasco County residents and visitors,” according to its mission statement. The Veteran’s Memorial Park splash pad is the group’s third permanent exhibit, joining From the Sun to Pluto, a virtual walk through the solar system in Starkey Wilderness Park, and Kidstruction, a traveling STEM exhibit offered by the Pasco County library system. At first glance, the Water Cycle Splash Pad looks similar to other such amenities. The 3,6000-square-foot play place incorporates an oversized, elevated dump bucket that fills and spills over anyone underneath. There is also a trio of colorful archways designed to create an abstract-looking bug that squirts water all about, as well as a pair of mounted, swiveling water cannons. What sets this splash pad apart from others is its education theme. Hence the official name, elements exist that represent evaporation, condensation, and precipitation so kids can learn about our Earth’s water cycle. Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Director Keith Wiley said that he hopes the rest of the county takes notice of what was accomplished in Hudson.
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“By the community getting together to make this happen, we check off one of the highest unmet needs that was identified in our parks master plan in 2015,” Wiley said. “What I’m hoping is that this community is going to prove to all the other communities what the grassroots, organizational effort can do and what it can produce.” Lifestyles After 50 • July 2021 • 23
