Welcome to the George Watts Playground!

The George Watts Playground is a beloved resource for the school, neighborhood, and larger community. In 2016, the PTA, with the help of many partners, completed a major overhaul of this important space. Read about the project below, including the history and ways you can help maintain it.

The Leo Bortiri Memorial Playground Project began in December 2013 following the tragic death of George Watts 2nd grader and Trinity Park resident, Leo Bortiri, and his parents’ designation of the PTA as the recipient of his memorial fund.  After several conversations between Leo’s parents and the PTA board, the PTA decided to use the funds for something on the playground that aligned with the wishes of the PTA, school, and Leo’s parents. A playground committee was formed to explore costs and options, and ultimately the membership decided to pursue a renovated soccer field.

The committee’s work led to several grant opportunities to leverage the PTA’s funds into even more renovations, and along with Durham Public Schools and many other partners, the project scope grew to include:

• A renovated play field

• A half-court basketball court

• A pirate-themed digging and play area

• An embankment slide

• Bridges and stepping stones

• A paved path encircling the playground

• Several rain gardens. These rain gardens perform several important functions, including reducing nutrient and sediment runoff into neighboring streets and Ellerbe Creek; mitigating the detrimental effects of erosion on the playground; meeting the city’s stormwater regulations triggered by the project; and providing a valuable learning opportunity about water stewardship for the students at George Watts.

Timeline of Events

• Early 2014: GW PTA began exploring ideas for improving the playground

• 2015: GW PTA hired landscape architect Katherine Gill, of Tributary Land Design and Build, to create a master plan.  

• 2016: Durham Public Schools (DPS) partnered with Tributary and GW PTA, bringing funds from a past capital campaign, and project management.

• August 2016: Construction began, playground closed to students.

• August 2016: Plant Drive raised over $7,000 from alumni, neighbors, and parents, plus a generous donation of grasses from a local nursery. Funds were used for extensive plantings along the back of the playground, a city-required buffer between the school and neighboring houses.

• September 18, 2016: Big rainfall followed by two rainy weeks delayed construction

• Early October 2016: City of Durham approved grant request for $10,000 (covered required piping and stormwater permit)

• October 8, 2016: Hurricane Matthew caused damage to some of the newly constructed rain gardens, but most of the gardens held up remarkably well and we were able to repair the damage relatively quickly. ECWA captured the rain gardens during this event on video.

• October 26, 2016: Playground re-opened to students

• March 2017: Installation of a pirate-themed fossil dig area, conceived as a way to remember pirate-loving Leo and provide a play space particularly amenable to younger children. The three nautical flags at the top of the mast are symbols of his name, L-E-O.  The fossil dirt came from a mine in Aurora, NC. This is the same dirt that is in the fossil digging area at the Museum of Life and Science. 

• April 2017: Installed beautiful new play bridges and paths in the rain gardens, thanks to Tributary Land Design + Build and another grant from Durham Open Spaces and Trails.

• November 2017: Embankment slide installed

• August 2018: Gaga Ball pit installed

• June 2019: Field re-sprigged, courtesy of Duke University (to replenish grass after an unusually long cold spell in the winter of 2017-18 that damaged the field. This winterkill event happened all around N.C.).

• December 2019: Planted 27 trees around the whole George Watts campus, including the playground, with help from Trees Durham.

Funders and Contributors

Together with matching funds from the PTA, we raised over $100,000 for this project. We are so grateful to our generous funders!

• GW PTA: As of August 2016, the PTA contributed $21,317 (which came from the initial memorial fund, additional playground donations, and money from the PTA grounds and special projects/new initiatives budgets). Since then, the PTA received another $5000 anonymous donation dedicated to the playground, and has spent around $3000 each year from the general fund for grounds maintenance.

• Durham Public Schools: $50,000 (left over from its 2007 capital campaign, earmarked for walkways, drainage, and fencing at George Watts), plus annual maintenance.

• Durham County’s Open Spaces and Trails Commission (DOST): 3 grants totaling $37,527

• Durham County’s Soil and Water Conservation District: $5000 grant through its Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP) 

• Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association (ECWA): A federal 319 program grant totaling $25,470; an interpretive sign at the playground entrance; and several volunteer workdays.

• City of Durham: $10,000 grant from the Department of Public Works

• Trinity Park Neighborhood Association: $2750 as part of the initial memorial fund (included above)

• and many, many parents, neighbors, alumni and friends!

Additional Partners and Contributors

• Tributary Land Design and Build / Katherine Gill (master planning, landscape architecture, project consultant, rain garden maintenance)

• DPS officials Jon Long and Fredrick Davis (construction management)

• Eastern Earthscapes and Construction (construction contractor)

• City of Durham's Stormwater Services Division

• Keep Durham Beautiful (trees, planting and weeding)

• Duke Office of Durham & Regional Affairs and Duke Facilities Management (project support and consultation; turf maintenance)

• The Durham Bulls (turf maintenance and consultation)

• Hoffman Nursery (plant donations)

• Sunbelt Rentals (discounts on equipment rentals)

• Durham County BETC Program (Bionomic Educational Training Center) (planting, weeding and other rain garden maintenance)

• Trees Durham (tree plantings)

Special Thanks

• Principal Crum for her leadership and support

• All the teachers and staff for their support and patience, and Mrs. Carinder's Upper El class for their composting efforts

• GW PTA Board Members since 2013 for their guidance and support

• All of the parents who have contributed countless hours of volunteer labor

Very special thank-you notes from our Primary classrooms:

Playground Guidelines

The stormwater elements of the playground (field and rain gardens) are subject to inspection by the City of Durham, every year in October. To help the playground look its best, stay safe, manage stormwater properly, and pass inspection, we ask everyone who uses the playground to follow these guidelines. Thank you for your support!

• Please be respectful of the grass, plants, and trees. The plants play an important role in filtering and controlling stormwater. Please don’t pull out grasses, stomp on plants, climb trees, or pull on or break off branches.

• Please don’t ride bikes or wear cleats on the field, or play on the field after heavy rains. These activities can damage the turf. The soccer goals are rotated periodically so that the field gets used evenly. Please do not move the goals without permission.

• Please respect the ropes. These areas are roped off to protect both children and landscaping. Please don’t play with the ropes or inside the roped-off areas.

• Digging is only allowed in the fossil area. No digging in the field, on the hill, or in the rain gardens.

• Please return any fossils you find in the digging area for others to discover and enjoy.

• Please pick up your trash! There’s a trash can near the playground entrance, and trash and recycling dumpsters in the parking lot. Please help us keep the grounds clean by reminding children to throw away/recycle snack wrappers, juice boxes, etc.

• The grey rocks help direct, slow down, and filter stormwater. Please don’t move them or play with them.

• If you stay and play after school, please be prepared to leave the playground promptly when the After School Program arrives. After School staff also request that children who are under parent care during this time be accompanied to the bathroom by an adult.

• The playground closes at dusk and is a smoke-free zone.

Maintenance and How You Can Help

• We always need volunteers! The PTA holds a few workdays throughout the year to weed, pick up litter and debris, spread mulch, and whatever other maintenance is needed to keep the grounds looking their best and in good functional order. Please watch the PTA listserv for announcements about work days and other volunteer needs.

• Please consider joining the Playground Committee to help manage the ongoing maintenance needs and budget. We also welcome ideas for future projects!

• Please consider a tax-deductible donation! Your donation provides much needed funds to cover ongoing maintenance of the playground (mulch, plants, professional labor, etc.). Write a check to the George Watts PTA and deliver via your student’s folder or mail to GW PTA, 700 Watts Street, Durham, 27701. Or donate online:

• If you would like more information about this project or ways to help, please contact the current PTA Grounds Committee Chair.

Photos & Videos

“After” Photos

Thanks to parent Maria Brubeck for these amazing photos of the newly completed playground, October 2016:

Newly installed rain gardens and sod, October 2016:

Play bridges and rain garden paths, April 2017:

Playground Dedication Ceremony, June 7, 2017:

Embankment slide (November 2017):

Gaga Ball Pit, August 2018:

Field, September 2020:

Rock swale, October 2020:

Construction Photos (late August and early September, 2016):

“Before” Photos:

Photos of the playground after a rain in December 2015 show our muddy field and poor drainage:

Compacted dirt (shown here on the soccer field and lowermost, southeast corner of the playground) led to massive erosion and runoff onto local streets and ultimately into Ellerbe Creek — not to mention many scraped up knees:

And More!

Additional Playground Features

Leo Project aside, the playground has lots of other fun and educational features:

• Several play structures, two swing sets, and a stage

• An edible garden, maintained by the PTA with support from teachers and students

• A mural and garden shed painted by students

• A weather station

• and lots of space for free play!

A Note About Tree Loss

In late summer 2016, we learned that in order to install the rain gardens appropriately, approximately 7-8 trees (mostly sweet gums and one persimmon) would need to be removed. This was more than the PTA had anticipated, but we knew that their removal had been carefully considered given that the excavation of the rain gardens would harm the trees’ root systems. The trees that were selected for removal were only those that were necessary for the required stormwater and rain garden work. Since the time of removal, we planted many maples, lindens and birches (donated by Keep Durham Beautiful), 27 trees (a variety) thanks to Trees Durham, and more than 100 other shrubs and flowering plants in and around the rain gardens. We deeply regret the loss of these trees. We hope that their removal has been offset by the greater good of the new play field, effective rain gardens that minimize runoff, erosion, and pollution, and the installation of many diverse new plantings in the rain gardens and throughout the playground.

Site plan Click here to see a color copy of the site plan