Completion of the bridge at Buttonwood Nature Center in Washington Township literally paves the way for the next phase of development, according to executive director Tracy Holliday.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the milestone was observed March 4 by staff, board members, supporters, construction professionals and community officials, who broke ground to kick off the project last April. The event also featured walking tours. “Large construction vehicles and school buses will now be allowed to access the property,” added Holliday.
“The vision of Buttonwood – a nature center by and for our regional community – is now coming to life,” she noted. Buttonwood is a folk name for the American Sycamore tree, and there are more than 40 on the property. During the construction, crew members pressed damp leaves from a tree into the bridge to create a permanent imprint.
Buttonwood, home of The Institute, purchased the 40-acre property off Amsterdam Road in 2021. “Work is actively underway to transform this ‘magical’ property, with its large pond, rolling meadows, shaded creeks, wetlands and woodland trails, into a community nature center and living classroom,” Holliday said.
“Pending completion of additional infrastructure projects such as parking and restrooms, we look forward to being fully open to the public later this spring,” she added. Upcoming summer and fall projects include pond restoration, construction of a timber frame pavilion, and nature playscape. “Also ahead are modifications to our Welcome/Admin Center (currently closed to the public) to improve operational sustainability and compliance with ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) regulations,” noted Holliday.
Other projects include construction of a building to house educational supplies and stream water science lab, and a maintenance building. Future projects include a state-of-the-art nature center education building and amphitheater for live arts performances, for which additional funding will be required. “Along the way we’ll add native plantings and expand our existing trail network,” she added.
Holliday thanked the capital campaign committee “whose efforts helped us reach and exceed our ambitious $3 million goal through gifts and future pledges, including a cornerstone gift from the Nora Roberts Foundation. The initial funding will help complete the first phase projects, including the bridge. We’re committed to matching our projects to our resources.”
For the last three years, sixth- graders have participated in Buttonwood’s wetlands program at the property. “We’ve also had student interns, and our after-school watershed study group engaged in educational activities since 2021. The last two years we’ve hosted bird walks at Buttonwood the first and third Saturdays in October,” noted Holliday.
The bridge was engineered by Logan Swartz of C.S. Davidson Engineering, headquartered in York with offices in Gettysburg, and built by Kinsley Construction, headquartered in York, with offices in Hagerstown. SGI (Speciality Granules Inc.) of Blue Ridge Summit “made a significant contribution of donated stone and Triad Engineering, Hagerstown, provided geo-technical support with a partial discount,” according to Holliday. R. Lee Royer & Associates of Waynesboro performed civil engineering and Department of Environmental Protection permit applications.
“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 success 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.”
“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 hand 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.”
