Barker Woods Trailhead Update

If you’ve visited the Barker Woods Nature Preserve recently, you may have noticed something looks a little different. The dense overgrown brush next to the trailhead is gone!

So… what happened?

We’re excited to share that this area is being transformed into a welcoming outdoor learning and nature playspace where students, families, and community members can connect with nature while learning about the region’s unique ecology.

This project began with conversations between Save the Dunes and Barker Middle School, where the school shared a vision of an outdoor classroom to support the many school trips to Barker Woods each year. Their ideas helped shape the design, which was later incorporated into the Barker House Master Plan, finalized in June 2025.

Thanks to the incredible work of Duneland Landscape, site preparation is now complete, and the transformation is well underway.

Over the coming months, we’ll be hosting volunteer workdays alongside our project partners to install native landscaping, nature play features, and other education elements that will bring this space to life.

If you’re visiting Barker House or Barker Woods Nature Preserve, be sure to stop by and check out the progress. We can’t wait to share what’s next!

Before invasive species removal

After land leveling & mulching

Trailhead Volunteer Day Recap

The Trailhead project at Barker House continues to take shape! This month, we held our first volunteer workday to help transform the Barker Woods trailhead and future nature playspace into a more welcoming and engaging space for the community. With the help of some incredible volunteers, we made significant progress on the project and moved one step closer to bringing this vision to life.

A special shout-out to the Plath family and Katie Plath’s Scout troop for their hard work and enthusiasm in helping make the day a success!

Over the course of the volunteer day, we tackled a variety of projects to help bring the space to life. The fence and trailhead sign received a fresh coat of paint, giving them a vibrant new look. Weeds and stubborn roots were removed throughout the playspace, designated garden space, and along the fence line to prepare the site for native plant installation this fall.

One of the biggest milestones of the day was the installation of the first nature playspace items. We installed a set of balance beam logs, giving visitors an early glimpse of the interactive features that will soon be part of the completed project!

We’re excited to continue sharing our progress and can’t wait to show you the finished trailhead space. Thank you to everyone who came out and helped make this day such a success!

Massasauga Fundraiser Concert Success!

On Sunday, August 16, Massasauga took the stage at Burn ‘Em Brewing for a fundraiser supporting Katie Plath’s Girl Scout Gold Award project. Katie’s project is helping bring a new Nature Playspace to the Barker Woods Trailhead, creating a space for children and families to play, explore, learn, and connect with nature. Massasauga, made up of Katie and her brothers Eric and Matt Plath, raised over $2,000 to support the project.

Despite many in the community still dealing with the impacts of recent storms and power outages, the event had an incredible turnout. A huge thank you to Massasauga and the Plath family for organizing the fundraiser, Burn ‘Em Brewing for hosting, and everyone who came out or donated to support this amazing project!