The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Des Moines plans to continue environmental education and renovate its visitor center that’s been closed for nearly two years.
Educational programs at the refuge were halted when storm damage forced The Prairie Learning Center to shut down in 2024.
During a public open house, refuge manager Scott Gilge said the staff is reevaluating what educational programs to offer while they plan for renovations.
Gilge says, “As part of our process we’ll have to go back and look at your guys’ comments and say, ‘Okay, is that something that’s compatible with the refuge?'”
He says they plan to cut the size of the learning center in half to keep costs down, but they plan to offer some programs outside of the center to encourage learning opportunities on the grounds. Gilge says they’ll consider how to make the space compatible with operational costs and staffing shortages.
“Over the last 20 years, our funding has been steadily decreasing, if not just staying the same,” Gilge says, “so we’re looking at, okay, what can we feasibly do?”
The public can offer input on the future of educational programs at the refuge through early April.
(By Maura Curran, Iowa Public Radio)