Stephanie’s Garden and Nature Education Spaces

Academic, Playgrounds

Stephanie’s Garden and Nature Education Spaces

Upland Design partnered with the Kendall County Forest Preserve District and its volunteer leadership to transform a community vision into Stephanie’s Garden, a one-of-a-kind outdoor education and play environment designed to inspire curiosity, learning, and connection with nature for children across Kendall County.

From the outset, Upland Design led a collaborative planning process that brought volunteers, educators, and Forest Preserve staff together through a series of engaging focus group workshops. These interactive sessions helped align ideas, refine goals, and establish a clear vision for a space where play and learning are seamlessly integrated.

Building on this shared vision, our team developed compelling plans and visuals that supported grant applications, donor outreach, and community fundraising efforts.

The Forest Preserve District adopted the plan, and implementation quickly followed. To date, Stephanie’s Garden features a fully accessible mud kitchen, butterfly house, and butterfly garden, with additional learning and play zones planned for future phases. Each element is intentionally designed to support hands-on exploration, environmental education, and inclusive play, demonstrating how thoughtful landscape design can amplify community impact and fundraising success.