Bel Air Seeks Volunteers To Clean Up Rockfield Playground

From American Water Charitable Foundation: The public is invited to participate in a volunteer day for Rockfield Creative Playground on Saturday, May 11, 2019 from 8 am – 12 pm ET. The cleanup is taking place in preparation for summer and the groundbreaking of Chesapeake Sensory Plaza. The plaza is a new nature-based play area located adjacent to Rockfield Creative Playground in Bel Air, which was made possible through a $150,000 Building Better Communities grant from the American Water Charitable Foundation and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

Volunteers 13 years and older will help clean up the playground, assist with simple repairs, paint and distribute mulch. There is no need to pre-register for this event and volunteers are encouraged to bring their own equipment (i.e. wheel barrow, shovel, rake, gloves, etc.) “Rockfield Creative Playground has been a popular and important part of our community since 1996 and we’re looking forward to introducing our next phase of development – Chesapeake Sensory Plaza – to the park. Spring Cleanup Day is a great opportunity for our residents to enhance this much-loved space and prepare the site in advance of our groundbreaking,” said Kevin Small, Director of Planning for the Town of Bel Air.

Chesapeake Sensory Plaza is the result of collaboration between the American Water Charitable Foundation, NRPA, the Town of Bel Air, and Maryland American Water, Bel Air’s drinking water provider. The plaza is a unique 5,000 square foot play space designed to represent the Chesapeake Bay watershed area. Water will originate through a hand water pump and flow through several interactive channels with gates, wheels and locks. This highly interactive water feature will engage children in a water experience as well as educate families on the importance of water stewardship practices. The Town of Bel Air received grant funding for Chesapeake Sensory Plaza in early 2019 and the project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

“Providing a space for members of the Bel Air community to be hands-on and learn about the environment – especially our watersheds – is a valuable part of this project,” said Barry Suits, Maryland American Water president. “Chesapeake Sensory Plaza, through a American Water Charitable Foundation grant, will benefit the children and families in this community while encouraging the continued viability and protection of our water resources." Community parks like Chesapeake Sensory Plaza are vital for connecting children to nature. Nature-based play areas foster an appreciation for environmental stewardship, while providing opportunities for physical activity.

For information about the Building Better Communities program, visit https://amwater.com/corp/customers-and- communities/american-water-charitable-foundation/signature-program.