With a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 4, Buttonwood Nature Center, home of The Institute, celebrated its long-awaited new bridge.
Buttonwood purchased their 40-acre rural property near Waynesboro in 2021. Work is actively underway to transform the property into a community nature center and living classroom, providing a hub from which it will serve the community.
Small-scale activities are already underway at the property. The nature center will be fully open to the public later this spring after work on signage and parking is complete.
“The bridge is a key component in the creation of our nature center,” said Tracy Holliday, Buttonwood’s executive director. “It quite literally connects us to our community and we are thrilled to formally celebrate that connection.”
“The success of this project was realized by having a comprehensive design and construction package, and a seasoned contractor with the manpower, equipment and capacity to execute it,” offered Bill Hofmann, Buttonwood finance committee chair.
The bridge was engineered by Logan Swartz of C.S. Davidson Engineering, headquartered in York with offices in Gettysburg, and built by Kinsley Construction, also headquartered in York, with offices in Hagerstown.
“Speciality Granules Inc. of Blue Ridge Summit made a significant contribution of donated stone and Triad Engineering of Hagerstown provided geo-technical support with a partial discount,” Holliday said. R. Lee Royer & Associates of Waynesboro performed civil engineering and DEP permit applications.
“Successful completion of this project comes from not only the vision of the staff and board of directors at Buttonwood but also from the support of our community,” noted Debbie Pflager, Buttonwood board president. “The people of Waynesboro and the surrounding region really want this space to be a place for learning and recreation.”
Construction of the bridge was made possible with funds raised during a $3 million capital campaign.
“We are grateful for the support of our community, which helped us meet and exceed our $3 million dollar goal,” said Holliday. “The bridge allows large vehicles access to the property so that additional infrastructure work can be done, including lighting, parking, and accessible outdoor restroom facilities, all incorporating environmental sustainability features.”
The property features a large pond, rolling meadows, shaded creeks, wetlands and woodland trails. The park-like setting will become a community resource—a place to enjoy outdoor recreation, nature, and the arts.
“Bridges are powerful structures and powerful symbols representing connections,” Holliday said. “This bridge is so much more than concrete and steel. It replaced a smaller-scale structure of concrete and steel, resourcefully built by an earlier generation, connecting the Fitz family farms to the community. Our new bridge builds upon those early connections, bringing the community together at Buttonwood, where we will continue to inspire stewardship of our natural and cultural worlds for generations to come.”
For more information about Buttonwood, visit buttonwoodnaturecenter.org, call 717-762-0373 or via email: info@buttonwoodnaturecenter.
