Written by Post Public Information Representative, Dec 15, 2024, 0 Comments
Courtesy Xochitl Mora,
(McAllen, Texas)-The McAllen Nature Center (MNC) is a 33-acre nature park located in the City of McAllen. The Nature Center’s winding trails, shaded seating areas, and thoughtfully designed amenities invite visitors to immerse themselves in the sights, sounds, and tranquility of nature. It also features benches, a picnic area, a cactus garden, and restroom facilities. The McAllen Parks & Recreation Department’s goal is to get children and adults outside, with a growing understanding of the importance of providing people with contact with nature and outdoors.
The McAllen Nature Center has become a serene haven where visitors can meditate, exercise beneath majestic oaks, and explore five trails alive with diverse trees and wildlife. Thanks to Driscoll Health System, the Outdoor Learning Environment (OLE) at the McAllen Nature Center incorporates natural and fabricated materials to create multiple play areas for youth of all ages. The play structures foster imagination, enhance sensory experiences, and promote joy and productivity, all of which are vital to a child’s well-being.
The OLE amenities, built by the McAllen Float Studio and the McAllen Parks & Recreation Department feature a stump playscape, sensory path, gazebo, spare parts and other features, which will allow children an opportunity to connect with the natural world by engaging in the outdoor play area.
The Driscoll Health System, which includes Driscoll Children’s Hospital in the Rio Grande Valley and Driscoll Health Plan, is committed to initiatives like the Outdoor Learning Environment because it aligns with its mission to improve the lives of South Texas families. With over seven decades of dedication to the health and well-being of children and their families, Driscoll Health System understands that healing extends beyond the walls of their hospitals, clinics and health plan services. Access to safe, engaging outdoor spaces supports physical activity and emotional resilience. It also fosters a sense of community and belonging for children and families across the region.
By supporting the MNC Outdoor Learning Environment, Driscoll furthers its commitment to holistic health, ensuring children and their families throughout South Texas and Rio Grande Valley have opportunities to thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally in a nurturing and inclusive environment.
The unveiling of the Driscoll Health System Outdoor Learning Environment will take place on Wednesday December 18th at 10:oo am. at The McAllen Nature Center located at 4101 W Business 83.
