As the Dallas metro area continues to expand, many of its residents, especially children, have become detached from the endemic landscape and native habitats of the North Texas prairie. ill 2003, Collin County and the Greater Dallas YMCA partnered with local environmentalists and the School District to provide an overnight camp for the youth of the area. The Collin County Adventure Camp provides a paramount opportunity for children to recapture what they may have otherwise lost: an opportunity to interact with and experience nature.

 

The 496-acre property is located just 50 miles north of downtown Dallas and is within a 1.5 hour drive of the entire Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex region. Primarily, however, the facility is geared to serve the youth of Collin County, one of the most rapidly growing areas in the country. The landscape architect was directly responsible for preparing a master plan for the property while balancing the sometimes divergent interests of the County's mission of nature­based educational recreation and the YMCA's needs for active recreation fields. The program was to accommodate 600 campers and include 22 student cabins, a dining facility, ranger station, staff housing, amphitheaters, boat launches, and various trail & outdoor interpretive elements.

 

The County had assembled a rolling site comprised of two prominent plateaus offering expansive views of high grassland ridges and densely-forested riparian corridors. A history of cattle grazing had reduced the once verdant Blackland Prairie to meadows dominated by invasive species. Overgrazing had resulted in severe erosion and exposed bedrock. Some portions of the site were undisturbed, however, and many opportunities existed for nature based activities. The landscape architect led a multi-disciplinary environmental assessment to guide an ecologically sensitive approach to the camp's development.

A series of layered environmental system studies documented soil types & depths, hydrological patterns, vegetation zones, wildlife habitat, aspect, and topography. These systems were evaluated not only on the basis of their scientific data, but their sensitivity to the development of such a demanding infrastructure. The landscape architect utilized this information to create 'development sensitivity' overlays that identified opportunities for infrastructure development, environmental education, and preservation.

An experiential analysis of the property was conducted that relied upon cognitive perception of the site and its divisions. A vocabulary of districts, zones, edges, paths, and landmarks were utilized to document the form-giving characteristics of the property. The result was an emergence of distinct experience zones, including the "Prairie Ridge" and "Little Lake Wetlands." Due to the emphasis on interpreting the human perception of this natural environment, the form analysis was critical in determining facility placement.

A backpack Global Positioning System was essential in documenting critical field information over rough terrain and dense woodlands. This system allowed the landscape architect to map existing landmarks, paths, and destinations that could easily be transferred to analysis documents and preliminary plans. Elements of the master plan were back-checked in the field with GPS, verified, revised, and documented to ensure that development would be appropriate to existing site conditions.

Understanding the influence that "arrival" has upon perception of place, the landscape architect designed an Arrival/Decompression Sequence for movement into and through the camp. Visitors enter the camp from the south along a park road that meanders approximately a quarter mile to the main gate, allowing for a cognitive adjustment to the camp environment. From the gate, a welcoming view opens to the lake and a restored blackland prairie.

 

Lacking a water body of significance, a portion of the disturbed zone of the property was flooded to create an Activities Lake while minimizing disturbance to natural habitats. A large tree transplanting effort relocated over 200 trees from the disturbed area to improvement zones within the camp. Fishing piers, canoeing, and a sand beach were located along the northern lakeshore. A stone amphitheatre, carved out of the existing slopes, reaches out to the lake's edge and centers around a ceremonial fire pit.

 

Central to the landscape architect's ecological concept is a 32 acre Blackland Prairie Restoration that recaptures the slopes of the prominent north-south ridge. The landscape architect authored a specification for "Compost Seeding" as an economical alternative to planting 1 gallon material over such an acreage while ensuring a healthy coverage. Utilizing seed collected from a local native prairie, this innovative process is only the initial step of an environment and habitat maintenance program for the camp. The entire plant list is comprised of species native to North Texas and serves as an overlay to the camp education program. The blackland prairie association is significant as an educational glimpse of the past as it was these fertile lands that attracted the initial settlers of North Texas.

 

After crossing the edge of the lake, visitors pass through a lush tree-covered valley to see the camp education building claiming the top of the prominent ridge. The primary gateway to the prairie, the educational building is at the north end of the restoration project. A dining hall! infirmary building sits on axis with the education building, forming a south boundary of the Camp Facilities Zone. Student cabins complete the western edge of this zone, with all facilities linked by a one-way loop road. The preservation of a Landmark Pecan Tree gives form and identity to a central meadow and creates a natural trailhead.

 

Vehicular travel terminates at a Drop-Shelter located on the eastern fringe of the camp facilities zone. Views from the shelter terminate at a wooden water tower at the Pool/Bathhouse Facility. The landscape architect utilized subtle grade changes and plateaus to create an imaginative play-inspiring swimming environment. The lower pool with shore entry provides an ample spray/play area as well as room for volleyball and swim lessons. An upper area includes a vortex pool and landing for an elevated water slide. The two pools are connected through a waterfall and otter slide that allows for continual movement between both zones. The slide platform and stair is disguised within the legs of a 35' height Wooden Water Tower whose tank is designed to 'leak' onto the platform below.

 

To the northwest, a Camp Activities Zone incorporates the varied "active" program elements: baseball & soccer fields, archery & pellet gun ranges, ropes course, and restrooms were organized around a circular walk system. This arrangement allowed for large groups to flow through the area with minimal congestion. By focusing elements on the outer perimeter of the walk, the interior meadow functions as a multi-use space for large group activities.

 

A hierarchal trail system was critical in connecting multiple buildings, activity venues, and use zones of the camp in a legible manner. The landscape architect designed the trails with porous materials that complied with LEED Construction Standards. As trails extend out into the less developed areas of the site, widths reduce to enhance the sense of intimacy with nature. Trail loops and associated interpretive stations are organized in Ecological Themes and were named for their characteristics identified in the form and experiential analyses, including the Big Lake Backwater Trail and Flat Ridge Loop.