Miami-Dade Parks connects kids to nature through play with a new nature-based playground at Sgt. Joseph Delancy Park

On Friday, September 8, 2023, at 10 a.m., Miami-Dade County District 9 Commissioner Kionne McGhee and Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department Director Maria I. Nardi, will gather with residents to dedicate the newly renovated nature-based playground at Sgt. Joseph Delancy Park,14450 Boggs Dr, Miami, FL 33176.

"It gives me great joy to see Sgt. Joseph Delancy Park be home to a nature-based playground," said Miami-Dade County District 9 Commissioner Kionne McGhee. "These new recreational features enhance the park's appeal and will improve the quality of life for residents and children in this neighborhood."

 The playground is designed to encourage children to spend more time outside and develop an appreciation of nature through play. This new play area contains natural elements such as limestone coral rock boulders, coral rock steps to access the slides, Australian Pine tree stumps, balance beams, a new flexible surface pathway, benches, and landscaping. The playground’s natural setting brings nature to an urban environment. Additional playground elements include a climbing sphere, dual slides, multi-spinner carousel, and a two-bay portal swing with bird nest rope seat.

Parks Director Maria I. Nardi added, “We are excited to celebrate these improvements at Sgt. Joseph Delancy Park. Playgrounds are an integral part of kids’ lives. This nature-based playground provides children with the opportunity to reconnect to nature through play. It is a dynamic play space and another great example of improving the quality of life for the community, while building the next generation of parks stewards.”

The project is aimed at improving park accessibility, encouraging physical activity, spending time outdoors, providing an aesthetically pleasing landscape and more native plantings, and fostering a sense of place and community. These park enhancements advance the implementation of the Miami-Dade County Parks and Open Spaces Master Plan, a community-inspired vision to create a seamless, sustainable system of parks, recreation and open spaces for this and future generations.

Sgt. Joseph Delancy Park is a 10.3-acre local community park located in the Richmond Heights neighborhood. The park offers an aquatic center, tennis courts, basketball courts, and enhanced landscaping. It is named for Sargeant Joseph Delancy, a law enforcement officer who set up a “relief center” in South Dade after the devastation of Hurricane Andrew and spearheaded efforts to provide temporary housing to senior citizens affected by the storm. The park is under a Joint Use Agreement with the Miami-Dade Public School System at Frank C. Martin K-8 Center.

About Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces:
Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 287 parks and 40,000+ acres of parks and natural areas, comprised of active, passive parklands and nature preserves. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world and focused on placemaking, health and fitness, and conservation and stewardship. Miami-Dade Parks is a recipient of numerous awards, both as an agency as a whole and for the accomplishments of its individual facilities and programs. It is one of only 199 park and recreation agencies to be CAPRA-accredited. It is also a two-time recipient of the Governor’s Sterling Award and the National Recreation and Park Association Gold Medal Award for demonstrated excellence in long-range planning, resource management and agency recognition, among other accolades.

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