CLIENT: Buttonwood Park Zoo
LOCATION: New Bedford, MA
AGE GROUP: All Ages
DATE COMPLETED: 2018; refreshed 2025
In 2017, Buttonwood Park Zoo partnered with Charlie’s Children’s Charities and the Zoological Society to create a dedicated nature play space designed by the Nature Explore team to honor Charles E. “Charlie” Winterhalter, a local philanthropist whose legacy continues to inspire opportunities for children and families on the Southcoast.
“Charlie’s Nature Play” was envisioned as a vibrant, hands-on environment that invites unstructured exploration, creativity, and discovery. Encouraging children to splash, create, build, invent, climb, dig, imagine, and grow, the space offers multi-sensory activities that spark curiosity while strengthening connections between children, families, and the natural world.
In 2024, after the Zoo had undergone a series of improvements, our team was invited back to revisit the design to respond to these improvements and to introduce new elements and creative solutions. The reimagined design brought renewed energy and additional features that further celebrate child-led exploration. On September 1, 2025, Buttonwood Park Zoo officially cut the ribbon on the updated Charlie’s Nature Play, ensuring that this beloved community space will continue to nurture wonder, creativity, and joy for years to come.
