KELT LOCAL Garden Creative Play Space and Reading Nook
KELT L.O.C.A.L. Garden Creative Play Project
Status: Installed, Open to the Public
Project Scope: The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust LOCAL (Leading Our Community in Agricultural Learning) Garden has been providing agricultural learning opportunities and produce assistance to the Bath Community since 2009. In early 2024, KELT approached Bath at Play on an idea to bring creative play to a small, unused section of the garden. Through a collaborative process, KELT and Bath at Play brought a Hobbit themed reading nook and Little Free Library to the LOCAL Garden in the Fall of 2024. Read more about the KELT LOCAL Garden here: https://www.kennebecestuary.org/local-garden.
KELT and Bath at Play unveiled this project on September 2, 2024 with Elevenses - an end of summer ice cream social. See below for pictures from the well attended event. Thank you to Bath based Legendairy Ice Cream Truck for bringing the frozen treats and helping to make our event so wonderful!
Visiting the Project:
The project is a community space and is open to the public year round and is located at 63 Lamont Street, Bath, ME 04530. KELT does ask that visitors to the LOCAL Garden and the Hobbit Hole Reading Nook please not pick or take any produce from the garden beds. This produce is donated to the local community through their Sharing Table Program and is vital to help food insecure households in the area.
The Hobbit Hole Reading Nook
A Wooden Wonders Hobbit Hole™ Big Merry Playhouse was constructed in August of 2024. This made-in-Maine structure was graciously funded through a grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation. It will provide a wonderful creative play enhancement and reading space to the Garden.
The Free Little Library
A Little Free Hobbit Library was designed, constructed, and donated by Bath at Play president and founder John. It’s design allows for the housing of books in the front and a ‘secret’ seed drawer at the rear. Books have been graciously donated by local authors including Wendy Ulmer and by the Mockingbird Bookshop in Bath. Like any Little Free Library, books are free to take and we encourage you to return them when you are done enjoying them!
Where We Are and Next Steps:
Bath at Play and KELT are working on further smaller enhancements to the space on an evolving basis. Updates will be announced as they happen.
How Can You Help?
While this project is funded, we encourage you to support Bath at Play and KELT’s efforts through a contribution. If you are interested in supporting this project, please visit our donate page for donation options. Additionally, if you have gently used books that you would like to include in the Little Free Library, we ask that you reach out to us at info@bathatplay.org. Thank you for your support and Stay Playful!
