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New Organic Grass Field Is Complete at Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreation Center

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The organic grass field at the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreation Center was a collaborative effort between several different landscapers and stakeholders in the community, committed to environmentally friendly and sustainable practices.

The organic grass field at the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreation Center was a collaborative effort between several different landscapers and stakeholders in the community, committed to environmentally friendly and sustainable practices.

authorCailin Riley on Dec 7, 2022

A collaborative community effort for good came to full fruition recently.

The new organic, natural grass playing field at the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreation Center is complete, giving the children at the center a pristine new surface perfect for a variety of recreational uses, from hosting kickball games, baseball, soccer, softball and more.

In recent years, it had become clear that the field and surrounding outdoor area was in need of some TLC. The field is not only used by the children at the center, but is also a popular place to host community events as well.

Carl Johnson, a former teacher at Bridgehampton School and former longtime boys varsity basketball coach, reached out to landscape architect Edwina von Gal to enlist her help, and she threw herself enthusiastically into the project, calling on her expertise in the realm of organic and sustainable landscape practices in particular to make the project a success. Von Gal has owned her own landscaping business, Edwina von Gal and Company, since 1984, and in 2013, she established a nonprofit called Perfect Earth Project, which promotes toxin-free lawns and landscapes, encouraging people to take an organic approach to landscaping.

Several other local business owners contributed their expertise and services to the project, which got underway in the fall, including Paul Wagner of Greener Pastures Organic and Tony Piazza of Piazza Horticultural Services.

The renovation of the field was the first step in a larger overall project to give a facelift to the outdoor space at the Center. Adding native plants and an irrigation system will be part of the process as well, and children at the center will also be engaged in learning about earth care and landscaping practices necessary to keep the field in top notch condition.

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