Brookwood Forest Opens New Playground

MOUNTAIN BROOK, AL - Students and parents arrived at Brookwood Forest Elementary School Sunday to watch the long-awaited opening of the new playground at the school, a project that was completed just in time for the new school year.

Spearheaded by the Brookwood Forest PTO, the project, dubbed Ranger Park, was built within the existing playground's footprint, adjacent to the nearby community soccer fields, and includes expanded sports courts, sensory and music play, a rain garden, a multipurpose pavilion and climbing structures, among other features. The estimated total cost of the project was $350,000.

(For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Patch morning newsletter.)

"We have been waiting on this moment a really long time," said BWF principal Nathan Pitner. "This is a great reminder of what we can all accomplish together."

Pitner said the plans for the playground were the result of consultation and teamwork with parents, teachers and members of the community to arrive at a concept that remained consistent with the beliefs held by the school.

"It is important to me that they see themselves in the park," Pitner said. "The Rangers designed this park themselves by giving feedback about what they wanted to see and play on."

Photos by Michael Seale/Patch