DAVENPORT, Iowa — The Nahant Marsh Education Center is gearing up for a full year of nature walks, animal courses, crafting sessions and more.
The marsh is a 382-acre preserve in southwest Davenport. It's part of a larger, 513-acre wetland complex near the Mississippi River. Nahant Marsh has several walking trails that are open to the public every day from sunrise to sunset.
It was once the site of the Quad Cities Trap and Skeet Gun Club, which left large doses of lead in the marsh's mud. Those lead pellets are extremely harmful, and often fatal, to many native birds. This led to the EPA designating Nahant Marsh as a Superfund site in need of cleanup that now stands as a "rallying point for the Eastern Iowa community."
The Nahant Marsh Education Center offers a variety of environmental programming for all ages through Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. The center focuses on Midwest ecosystems, conservation and stewardship.
"I try to keep things diverse. There's just a lot of things to learn out there," Amy Loving, the center's director of education, said. "And it doesn't necessarily have to be all science-based! But outdoor recreation is a great way to get people outdoors and just learning about nature."
Those programs include everything from a chainsaw safety class to a backcountry cooking adventure. There are bird hikes, woodworking shops, classes on edible plants and conservationist programs, just to name a few. Many are taught by guest instructors, Loving says.
"I love bringing in guests to help teach people because sometimes as a hobbyist, you're learning more and you are gaining that firsthand knowledge that you can then share with other people," Loving said.
Two upcoming classes that will be run by guests include a course on how to raise Monarch butterflies and one on how to forage for mushrooms here locally.
"And also check out Eastern Iowa Community College's continuing education class list, because we do offer courses through EICC as well," Loving said.
The center's building is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, with those hours extended to 3 p.m. from April to October.
Loving joined The Current on News 8 to discuss Nahant Marsh's programming and what's available this spring and summer. You can watch the full interview in the above video.
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