When you go to a playground, you often expect to see man-made material such as slides, swing sets and jungle gyms, but one citizen-driven organization is looking to give Youngstown more natural equipment.

21 News caught up with Mary Danus, a board member with the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC), who tells us a climbing tree will soon be making itself at home in a pocket park in the city's sixth ward.

Youngstown City Council is set to vote Monday to provide YNDC $21,000 in ARP funds to purchase a sideways climbing tree for a pocket park on the 200 block of Clarencedale Avenue.

That may sound expensive for a tree, but Danus explains this isn't just any old tree. According to Danus, the "highly engineered" tree is coming from a Canadian company known as Bienenstock, which specializes in natural playground equipment.

Danus tells us three cement footers are placed into the ground with metal cleats on each one that rises to the ground attached to the tree, which is above ground laying on its side. Additional costs will come from importing the tree and labor conducted during the installation process.

According to Danus, this is all part of the Boulevard Park Block Watch, a neighborhood grassroots group made up of about 350 homeowners in the neighborhood.

Danus says there are very few parks in Youngstown's sixth ward, so the group is taking action by turning vacant lots and empty space into pocket parks with this tree being part of one on Clarencedale. 

This park is the first of it's kind in the city, but Danus says it's not just about beautifying the neighborhood, but also bringing peace to it.

"One of the major answers to violence in our city is bringing people together and communicating with each other," Danus said.

Danus hopes this park won't be a stand-alone and that it will inspire other neighborhoods to do the same thing.

A ribbon cutting will be held at 207 Clarencedale Avenue on Tuesday, August 1.

As of now, there's no official date set for when the tree will arrive, but Danus says she hopes to have it by Fall of 2023 or Spring of 2024 at the latest.