Letter from the Past President
LETTERS
/ BSLA
Letter from the Past President
TIM NICKERSON , ASLA
FAVORITE PARK CHARLES RIVER BASIN
WHY SKYLINES
PEOPLE-WATCHING KAYAKING
WANDERING BREEZES VARIED
A few years back , my nieces and nephews visited a small park nestled into my then-neighborhood In Somerville . On that hot summer day , they enjoyed running through the splash pad , climbing on the play structure , sliding down the slides , among other activities .
Despite the intense heat of the day , we were some of the few visitors to the park . We had nearly exclusive use of the entire site . Given its relatively small size ( less than an acre , and a good amount of that a sports court ), the nieces and nephew did not need to compete with other children for any specific amenity . They had the option of running from the splash pad to the play structure and back and forth and back and forth like only young elementary school kids can .
At one point , while hanging from the monkey bars , one of my five-yearold nieces exclaimed out loud as a young child can “ This is the time of my life !” Surely , five-year-olds ( and some presidential candidates ) speak in hyperbole often . However , it is clear to me that she was enjoying herself . Several years later , her declaration has stuck with me and I often reflect on why that is .
Having been a preschool teacher ( prior to going back to school for landscape architecture ), I can attest that young children are remarkably resilient . I recall the multitude of times after which a child has fallen and his / her initial learned reaction is to cry . However , I and my colleagues would typically approach the situation with an initial sense of concern , but not dwell on it . We struck a balance between coddling and concern with letting the child be overwhelmed with fear . This allowed them to push themselves , to continue to grow and develop , to learn that it is okay to take risks and make mistakes , even if it is painful mistake . The environment we fostered was one where the risks they were allowed to take never put them in serious peril , but allowed them to grow .
That is what I think this park did for my niece . She was stretched beyond that of her abilities , yet she felt a sense of accomplishment — not one of failure . While she did not have the upper body strength to carry herself across the entire set of bars , she was proud of how far she went . She was proud of how far she should push herself .
It was not until just recently that I realized that the park , Albion Park , was designed by Weston & Sampson and received a BSLA Honor Award in 2013 . Surely , my niece concurs that this is a park worthy of such recognition .
Boston Society of Landscape Architects Fieldbook
45