Design
The fully tailored experience you get with Bonsai starts with a comprehensive assessment of your site and the needs of the program. Seeing first-hand what’s on the ground helps us design a course with the best possible architecture, while leaving the smallest footprint on the land. If your site has existing resources such as logs, timber or reclaimed lumber from old structures, we will use them in creative ways. Our recommendations balance the cost of installation, the aesthetics of the design, and the impact on the land with your unique goals. Here are some of the factors we will be considering:
Trees
Our unsurpassed arboreal experience makes tree courses our speciality. Tree courses offer the best opportunity to connect with nature, but are restricted by the number of trees on your site, and the spans between them. They require annual inspection by an arborist, and equipment must be adjusted to compensate for growth. If a tree course does not fit the project, poles will be used. While pole courses require less maintenance, they do cost more initially.
High or low
High courses such as canopy zip lines, high ropes courses, and climbing towers are great for building individual self-confidence. Low ropes courses, which can include customized obstacles, are best for team building experiences. We’ll make recommendations based on your participants’ needs, ages and skill levels.
Staffing
To ensure your participants’ safety, Bonsai Design provides comprehensive training for your staff. The number of personnel you’ll need will depend upon the course design and layout, as well as the skill level of the participants. In general, you can plan on a minimum of one trained staff person for every four participants.
Program size
Your adventure course will be busy, and our designs aim to avoid congestion. We space elements and features according to your program size to ensure all participants receive the best possible experience by avoiding the distraction of other groups.