Bucks County sensory trail makes nature more accessible [photos]

Bucks County has put finishing touches on a new trail in Doylestown’s Central Park, dedicated to developing sensory experiences for children with special needs.

Believed to be the first of its kind in Pennsylvania, the sensory trail features five wheelchair accessible learning pods to help kids explore nature. Drums, animal sounds, visually stimulating puzzles and games, come from equipment that’s designed for a wide- range of needs.

Local organizations like the Doylestown Lions Club, and Foundations Community Partnership, and the Village Improvement Association, contributed to the parks design and fundraising.

John Bray, chairman of Doylestown’s Parks and Recreation board, hopes that with better accessibility more kids will get out and enjoy their park.

“I think a lot of children are sort of shut in because the services that they receive are primarily indoor experiences- so we thought it was a good idea to make some outdoor experiences,” he said.

The trail is the park’s latest improvement and its location was chosen to highlight the park’s assets while fostering a new generation of stewards.

“This is an old growth Beech forest and it’s one of the few left in the area that we’ve preserved. So it seemed like a logical place to put a trail that’s dedicated to our senses and those that maybe not everyone has,” he said.

Doylestown’s Parks and Recreation says it is looking to keep expanding exhibits along the trail through donations. “Because all kids get bored,” said Bray.