Plans underway for new Wildcat Wonderland in 2022
Wildcat Wonderland is used by young people throughout the year, winter, spring, summer and fall. It has been utilized for the past 31 years. Humboldt Independent photo.
By KENT THOMPSON
Just as the original Wildcat Wonderland Playground took a lot of thought and planning, so too is the new Wildcat Wonderland.
If plans can be finalized this fall and final pieces of the funding puzzle put together, a new Wildcat Wonderland in Taft Park, could be realized by the summer of 2022.
Wildcat Wonderland has served a tremendous need for children and their families, but its 25-year lifespan has ended, and a new structure is needed.
Humboldt Parks Director Clayton Vorland and Taft Elementary Principal Ryan Fedders both agree that a new Wildcat Wonderland will be incorporating a lot of things that make the current playground unique and special, while adding more modern and safer play structures and landscapes.
Surveys have been conducted, a study committee has reviewed materials and outreach has been made to playground companies for the right structure for Humboldt. It could look a lot like the present structure.
“We took the feedback we got and deciphered it and compiled it out. A big theme that came across is that the community wanted to see something similar to the current Wildcat Wonderland with the castle-like structure and the longevity of it. They didn’t want to lose that feel. It’s a unique feature of the community and we wanted to keep that,” Fedders said.
Read more about how volunteers got to the present point and the steps needed to finalize a new playground in this week's Humboldt Independent, your trusted source for local news and sports.
