www.bevireo.com
We thank and acknowledge the work put forth
in this guide by Vireo. They were instrumental
in the development of the design figures
and understanding of how to build natural
playscapes in Nebraska.
Any program that receives federal funding from the National Park Service, or the United States Fish and Wildlife Service prohibits unlawful
discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, marital status, national origin, disability or political affiliation. Any person who
believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, facility, or service, should contact the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission, Lincoln, NE 402-471-0641, the Equal Opportunity Commission, Lincoln, NE 402-471-2024, TTY/TDD 402-471-4693; United States
Fish Wildlife Service, Civil Rights Coordinator, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203; Director, Equal Opportunity Program, U.S. Department
of Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW, Mail Code 0008, Washington, D.C. 20240-0001. 2018-79293-MS-5/19
SPECIAL THANKS
The Planning and Programming Division thanks Monica Macoubrie, one of our Wildlife Educators, for her
assistance writing the section about how children play and outdoor learning. We appreciate our Nebraska
Attorney General Office liaison, Charles Chamberlin, for providing input on the risk and liability portions of
the text. We also thank the Parks Division for their insights and participation in the two case study areas
presented in this guide. Special thanks to Parks Division staff: Jim Swenson, Bob Bergholz, Bob Hanover,
Kevin Holliday, Tommie Hicks, Jeff Fields, Tyler Wulf, Amanda Dague, Jason Groff, Brock Burney, Mike
Carrick, Kirk Pawloski, Adam Jones, and Jake Rodiek. And a big thank you to Mel Severin of our team for her
phenomenal work on the layout of this document. Her dedication to this guide and creativity with design has
made this document what it is.
PHOTO CREDITS
The majority of photos provided by Nebraskaland Magazine and Getty Images.
1. James River Discovery Area 2013 (9095351686) https://www.flickr.com/photos/vastateparksstaff/9095351686/
by AlbertHerring is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Page 14.
2. U.S. Air Force photo/Jessica Donnelly. Page 14.
3. Prescott Elementary School Outdoor Classroom/Mel Severin. Page 26.
4. Ramp Wave Slide Playground Slide Climbing Rope-3391112 https://www.maxpixel.net/Ramp-Wave-Slide-
Playground-Slide-Climbing-Rope-3391112 is licensed under CC0 BY 1.0. Page 77.
5. A gun (0_b7a02_e7844e04_orig) http://xn--80aabn8b.org/installyacii-iz-staryx-shin.html is licensed under CC
BY-NC-ND 4.0. Page 84.
Team members:
Michelle Stryker – Planning & Programming
Division Administrator, NGPC
Schuyler Sampson – Recreation Planner, NGPC
Hannah Jones – Recreation Planner, NGPC
Mel Severin – Graphic Designer, NGPC
Tom Bentley – Landscape Architect, Vireo
Mike Henrichs – Designer, Vireo
Dan Kreitman, District 1
Dick Bell, District 2
Jim Ernst , District 3
John Hoggatt , District 4
Robert Allen , District 5
Pat Berggren , District 6
Doug Zingula , District 7
Rick Brandt , District 8
Scott Cassels , At Large
Board of Commissioners:
90
