Sensory garden an educational, peaceful place
CRANBERRY TWP — Two years ago, Julia Konitzky had an idea to help give back to students with special needs.
On Monday morning, the mother of three saw her dream take a major step forward as volunteers from organizations around the region arrived at the Heart Prints Sensory Garden and Certified Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom at the Regional Learning Alliance in Cranberry Township to begin planting.
The garden is the product of years of planning and fundraising. Its aim is to provide a peaceful and educational space for the public and students with special needs.
“It's going to provide a space in Cranberry Township where people can get back into nature, stop and smell the roses a little bit,” Konitzky said.
She began working on the garden in 2017 in conjunction with Heart Prints Center for Early Education, which operates the space.
Each of Konitzky's three children has attended Heart Prints — including two with special needs. Over the years, she has become active in volunteering and generating support for Heart Prints. She pitched the garden idea to school officials, who were immediately on board.
The garden features flowers, plants and trails, most of which were installed by the volunteers Monday. Konitzky said the garden will be an educational space for students. It will feature stream and woodland education stations, an edible garden and classrooms.
“(Students) can go down to the stream and can learn, get their hands dirty and be in nature,” she said.
As a part of the design process, she and other organizers coordinated with behavioral specialists, speech pathologists and other experts to understand how the garden could best support its students.
While the garden and its classrooms will be operated by Heart Prints, Konitzky said other area schools will be able to reach out to schedule times to use the space.
Konitzky said anyone can access the garden through the trail network connecting the properties in and around Cranberry Woods.
More than a dozen volunteers arrived at the garden Monday to begin the planting, carrying shovels, rakes and potted plants of all shapes and sizes.
Volunteers hope to have planting completed by the fall, although work will be continuously ongoing to prepare and improve the space for the public and the students it aims to serve.
“A garden is never done,” Konitzky said. “Hoping that by the fall the majority of the planting will be done.”
