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Great Bay Stewards (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Accessibility of amenities
└ Accessibility of amenities
The Great Bay Discovery Center serves to support land protection and research, as well as provide a space for learning about the Great Bay estuarine ecosystem. To make the space more welcoming, the Great Bay Stewards expanded the Center's accessible garden, adding a new sensory garden and an accessible swing. The Estuary Inclusion Garden now features a space where people with intellectual disabilities can experience the area through sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. The centerpiece of the garden is a blue heron sculpture created by a local artist and surrounded by grasses, flowers and herbs.
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See More Projects Like This One
Danforth, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: In rural Danforth, older adults often skipped concerts and farmers markets because seating was scarce and accessibility poor, leaving many isolated or watching from cars. The project added convertible bench-to-table units and an outdoor sound system at the new downtown pavilion, creating flexible seating and clear audio for events. Volunteers installed the equipment, making gatherings more inclusive. Attendance has grown, and stories of widowed residents meeting for "date nights" and dancing show how these upgrades turned older adults into active participants, reducing isolation and sparking new friendships.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Londonderry, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: To increase accessibility in its public spaces, the Town of Londonderry installed ten park benches in the Town Common and adjacent Kent Allen Town Forest. This accessibility upgrade sparked additional work there, including drainage improvements and the addition of native plants to the forest. In addition, the local Girl Scout troop installed a story book trail at the site. Since adding the benches, the town has also seen increased trail usage.
Deerfield, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: An automatic door opener will be added to a municipal building to support multigenerational programs for older adults. This upgrade will make entry easier and safer and help people of all ages access activities independently.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Portsmouth, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: A homeless shelter will add supportive seating, safety equipment and basic accessibility features in shared spaces. The changes will help older adults and people with disabilities move safely, rest comfortably and use common areas during the day.
Portsmouth, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Residents of Atlantic Heights Senior Housing faced barriers to fresh food and outdoor activity, leaving many isolated. Gather partnered with the housing authority to build four raised garden beds, install a watering system and provide seasonal plants. Twenty residents helped plan, plant and maintain vegetables, herbs and flowers. The gardens now offer a sustainable source of produce, improve nutrition and foster social connection while removing mobility barriers. Success has inspired plans for gardening workshops and expansion to other housing sites.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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