Green Street Challenge kicks off

STROUDSBURG, Pa. – A park appeared overnight in downtown Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, covering what was usually a busy street. Volunteers from Strauser Nature’s Helpers and Coombs Sod Farm of Elmer, New Jersey, began laying sod in the early hours of May 27 to create the first Green Street Challenge in the United States, turning a street into a park for the day. The event, organized by Come Alive Outside in partnership with Strauser Nature’s Helpers and Coombs Sod Farm, encourages people to get back outside with an emphasis on playing unplugged, enjoying nature, and living a healthier lifestyle.

The Green Street Challenge boasted of 5,000 square feet of donated bluegrass sod covering the street, with various activities provided throughout the space to encourage unstructured play. According to the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, children spend half the amount of time outdoors as they did in 1980. This, combined with an exponential increase in time spent in front of screens, has resulted in higher levels of obesity and mental illness among children and adults.

"We really want to inspire people to become more active outdoors," said Zech Strauser, president of Strauser Nature’s Helpers. "This event highlights the importance of green space, which is a huge benefit to our profession. There’s such an obvious connection between outdoor activity and healthy living. The landscape industry needs to be at the forefront of this movement, ushering in a renewed outlook on physical activity – we need less time in front of screens and more time seeing green."

Founded in 1997, Strauser Nature’s Helpers is a full service landscape and snow management company based in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, serving the Poconos, Lehigh Valley and Lancaster areas. Strauser Nature’s Helpers is a member and supporter of Come Alive Outside.