Construction began last month for the 12,000 square foot playspace at Heron's Head Park (32 Jennings Street), a collaboration between the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and its partners: The Port of San Francisco; Kaiser Permanente Thrive, San Francisco Children and Nature, Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds, and KABOOM!. The playground, called a Nature Exploration Area (NEA), will be the largest of its kind in San Francisco.

The natural space, designed by the community, will allow children to jump, climb and balance on boulders and locally sourced trees. Winding, accessible pathways mix with playful shortcuts, including a kid-sized tunnel made from a large, hollow tree. Repurposed logs form a gathering space or outdoor classroom. Surrounded by native vegetation, the playspace also offers perches for spying birds and other wildlife. See construction progress we've made so far here.

With this exciting natural play space coming to the southeast, volunteers are needed from Wednesday, October 6 to Saturday, October 9 to sand, stain, mulch, plant and put the finishing touches on this project. Volunteer for one or multiple 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m. shifts over these four days and help bring to life this wonderful park feature for the community and its youth. For more information and to sign up, click here.