(by T. Parker Schuerman)
After building the first phase of an all-access trail around the pollinator meadow in the Summer of 2022 at the Silk Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Concord, NH, the NH Audubon staff quickly saw that something was missing. We had no picnic tables onsite which provided comfortable access for people using mobility devices. Stewardship staff saw that there were no online designs available for picnic tables which provided inclusion in the center of the group. Most, if not all designs positioned the accessibility location “way out” on the end of the table.
Download picnic table instructions and details here.
Approached by the Timberland Company early in January of 2023, NH Audubon staff needed to produce a design-build idea for a multi-day assembly project to complete in three phases with three different national volunteer groups who were traveling to Timberland HQ for training. Since there was a real need, plans came together for a simple center-access picnic table design that used basic dimensional lumber and could be put together with minimal cuts and skill, with a 6-foot width and 10-foot length and two comfortable 3-foot-wide center-access areas. This was the inspiration for the kit, cut list, and assembly plan attached to this web page.
To complete the story, three teams of Timberland volunteers, during three different June afternoons, and wearing shirts that read “Built for the Bold,” first assembled the cut kits on one workday. Then assembled 15 tabletops on another. And finally, put the legs and seats on the picnic tables on the third workday.
Timberland team members boldly donated the time, labor, and materials to cut and assemble 15, ADA-accessible picnic tables, at their HQ in Stratham, NH. Each workday component was completed in about 4 hours. Every effort had close to thirty-plus Timberland employees participate from across the country. These picnic tables are distributed and in use at our centers and at many of our wildlife sanctuaries. The tables complement our all-persons trails and wildlife areas and provide inclusive space near trailheads to foster an environment of easier accessibility.
Again, a big shout out to Atlanta McIlwraith and volunteers of the Timberland Corporation for the huge effort in helping NH Audubon cut, finance, and assemble these center-access picnic tables. The picnic tables are easy to build, and the assembly plan attached has the materials needed and an easy step-by-step process to build. Please use and share with others.