Windsor's natural playground depicts life of butterfly

Paying tribute to the monarch butterfly, Windsor will soon open an all-natural playground at Mitchell Park.

From the large wooden eggs on the caterpillar climber to the pathways on the perimeter that look like butterfly wings, the park depicts the life cycle of the monarch butterfly.

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All of the equipment is made almost entirely of wood and rock.

According to the company that makes these custom-designed playgrounds, the installmentsare gaining popularity across North America.

"The biggest thing is to get away from the overly safe and overly prescribed play of the traditional playgrounds," said Alex Waffle at Earthscape Play. "They're becoming almost a little sterilized in their approach, so people see the benefit of these natural playgrounds."

The playground here at Mitchell Park, located at Giles Boulevard and Church Street, will be ready to use in about two weeks.

Students in the Greater Essex County District School Board have been using natural playgrounds for about 12 years, say officials.

The district started using them when they couldn't afford to maintain older equipment.