Parks in southeast Iowa now have more features to offer children who visit them.
New playground equipment has been added this summer at both Wilson Lake Park in Donnellson and Chatfield Park in Keokuk.
Playground equipment was also built at Pohmiller Park in West Point in 2021.
That completes an initiative that Lee County Conservation started three years ago to help attract more families to the county’s parks.
Along with the conservation group’s foundation, Three Rivers Conservation Foundation, Lee County Conservation raised money, provided sponsorships and earned grants to build the new playgrounds, including $65,000 to build the new playground that open in July at Chatfield Park.
Caroline Veihl, Lee County Conservation Administrative and Outreach Coordinator, said the initiative has drawn more people to the county’s park spaces.
“We've seen a huge increase just in our camping numbers alone and just seeing people out in our parks,” Veihl said.
“The more money we're investing into our parks, the more we see people out enjoying nature. So it's really nice to see the success of our work.”
Veihl said the conservation group’s next project is underway. They are building an outdoor classroom in Ft. Madison to promote conservation and help further educate the public about the natural habitat along the Mississippi River.
“We've started a new initiative to raise funds for an outdoor classroom here, at Heron Bend Conservation Area, and that's where our conservation center is,” Veihl said. “They're actually already halfway to fundraising that goal.”
The Lee County Conservation Board meets on the second Tuesday of each month in Montrose, Iowa. The board promotes conservation of local natural resources through parks, recreation, and education available to the public throughout the county.
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