It Was Hot

a long dash skipper

a place of nourishment

ninebark’s offering

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It was hot. And still I walked. Looking for butterflies. Smelling the sweet fragrances of summer. Listening to birdsong. Exercising—for walking is now my preferred form of exercise. JB McCombs, co-leader for A Bench and a Tree, says we are the “post-pickleball seniors.” 

Between 2005 and 2025, Michigan’s population of people over 65 grew 64%. It represents almost 20% of the state’s population. Many of us want to age in place—in this state with so much natural beauty. But as the summer days get hotter, shaded senior-friendly benches in our township, city, and county parks become more critical. And there are few. 

The good news is we are in discussion with people willing to listen, to work with us to ADD senior-friendly benches and spaces to our public places. 

The following criteria is based on five years of listening to readers and audiences throughout Michigan and walking with my mother. It includes secondary research. This is the criteria we will use in our discussions. Please take a minute to review the Must-Haves. Do you agree? Of the Nice-to-Haves, what are your top 3? 

Senior Friendly Bench Criteria

Must-Have

1. Shade from the afternoon sun
2. Arm rests to assist with transitions from sitting to standing
3. Comfortable, to include back support with a seat 16-17” from the ground
4. Alongside smooth paths to prevent falls
5. Parking lots nearby with accessible spaces 

Nice-to-Have

1. Bathrooms nearby 
2. Slope of path 2%-5% to make it easier for pushing walkers & wheelchairs 
3. No bicycling or skateboarding on senior-friendly paths
4. Shorter distance between benches: Secondary research says 25% of a mile. For my mother in her mid-nineties, it was 258 steps or 14% of a mile. 
5. Senior-living facility or community bus stop nearby
6. Ample signage to minimize chance of getting lost
7. On a loop path 
8. Interpretive signs to facilitate relationship with nature 
9. Well-lit parking lot, bathrooms, paths

Thank you for walking with us on this journey to provide shaded benches for seniors in Michigan communities—and noticing the butterflies, blossoms and benches along the way.

The unfolding of a ninebark blossom