WHAT’S NEW IN THE CHILDREN’S GARDEN? If you’ve visited the Garden recently, you may have wondered what is happening in and around the Children’s Garden. Not surprisingly, this popular spot for families, field classes, and school programs is always one of the busiest of the themed gardens (if not the loudest). With its water features, snake maze, wickiup, and lawn lizards, our youngest guests can find plenty to keep them entertained. But after almost 25 years, some parts of this garden are due for a make-over. Working from the ground up, the first construction project included the “great wall” that runs parallel to the Garden's uppermost paved path and also forms the northwest border of the Children’s Garden. This 100-foot-long, 10-foot-high wall is made of Colorado rose The rattlesnake fountains and splash pad will be under repair most of this summer. sandstone. Over time, the effects of weather and gravity caused the wall to lean too far in the wrong direction. Project Manager Kevin Jensen began making plans to renovate the wall—plans that quickly turned to a full deconstruction project following the 2020 earthquake. Expected to be completed in May, the project involved removing the stacked stones, stabilizing the soil slope, shooting a shotcrete wall, and reinstalling the stones. The new wall is now safe and secure, and expected to endure another 20-plus years. The plantings along the wall will be redesigned and planted throughout the year. Up next is the project to repair what might be the most popular spot in the Children’s Garden—the splash pad and rattlesnake fountains. Flooding and freezing last winter damaged the computer controls that operate the fountains, requiring a full replacement. We’ve ordered the parts and are hopeful we’ll be able to see those snakes spouting by the end of this summer. And finally, the grass up by the lawn lizards will be replaced with an impact-absorbing, bonded rubber playground, providing a safe, waterwise area for our energetic guests to play. We’re looking forwarding to seeing our guests enjoy these updates—and we can’t wait for our youngest members to test out the splash pad and new play area. Jayne Anderson has been with the Garden for three years. She has a BS in organizational communication and an MBA from the University of Utah.
Project Manager Kevin Jensen joined the Garden in 2015. He has degrees in landscape architecture from Utah State University and Penn State University.
SUNDANCE INSTITUTE COMMUNITY FILM SERIES Save the dates! July 14 & 21 The Sundance Institute returns to the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre this summer with free Local Lens screenings featuring films from the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
Visit sundance.org/sundancelocals for more details redbuttegarden.org
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