Volunteerism, Community Support Results in New Playground

There will soon be a new playground at Putnamville Park that will be built on the backs of volunteers and funded by multiple organizations that are donating to the effort.

The Rotary Club of Danvers donated $10,000 to the project and 15 employees from The Timerland Corporation will volunteer their time on Thursday to construct the playground. The Stratham, NH-based company will also donate $4,000 for materials.

Timerland chose five volunteer projects out of 15 to 20 applications, including the Putnamville project, as part of an Earth Day volunteerism program, said Kate Day, Danvers senior planner. 

On Thursday, 50 volunteers will start at 8:30 a.m. and spend the day volunteering in the park. Day described the volunteers as “very hard workers and very skilled.”

In addition to the Rotary Club donation and the Timberland volunteers, others are donating to the park, including landscaping by Corliss Brothers in Ipswich and lumber for a wetlands crossing bridge from Moynihan Lumber. Day said the slightly arched bridge will be inspired by a Monet bridge.

The playground project is part of a larger Putnamville Park project. The Danvers Rail Trail has been working with the Recreation Committee to make the park an area for trail users to picnic and relax. 

In March, Danvers Rail Trail volunteers installed silt socks to protect the wetlands from erosion during construction. E.J. Prescott Company of Middleton provided the silt socks, the Danvers Department of Public Works transported them and Agway stored them.

Learn more about the Danvers Rail Trail.