Get in touch with nature

Six miles east of Washington, just outside the town of Ainsworth, you'll find Marr Park, a 125-acre park and recreation area. A centerpiece of the park is the Washington County Conservation Education Center, which opened in 2003.

According to Steve Anderson, director of the County Conservation Board, the center “is the best of both worlds. We host a lot of meetings, from family meetings to business meetings, and we also have an excellent drop-in conservation education center.”

The center features a 180-gallon aquarium with native fish. “The fish tank is really popular to look at, but we have a lot of interactive things, too,” Anderson says. “We have a nice computer kiosk where kids can play video games that have a little hidden learning attached,” Anderson jokes.

Although they regularly host student groups, families are welcome to drop in any time that the center is open to participate in family activities that will help their kids learn more about nature. “We have a whole lab full of activities for little kids,” Anderson says.

In addition, the Conservation Education Center has an in-house library, for people who want to to look up environmental information. The building also includes a wonderful prairie mural and a spotting scope. Anderson and his staff estimate that they draw close to 10,000 visitors a year.

Outside the center, Marr Park offers a wealth of fishing, hiking and camping. You can walk on several scenic trails, including a handicapped accessible trail that goes around the small lake. Wildlife is abundant in the park's wetlands and groves.

FISHING

If you're looking for fishing hot spots, you should be able to catch your limit in Washington County. “We've got two rivers, the Iowa River and the Skunk River,” says Steve Anderson, director of the County Conservation Board. “The Skunk actually has a couple of boat ramps within our county.”

He adds, “Southeast Iowa is famous for its farm ponds in Washington County. There are lots of private ones, as well as six to eight that we operate, and all of those are excellent fishing spots.”

So, what can you expect to hook? “Of course, on the river it's catfish,” Anderson says. “As you get into the ponds, big bass is the trophy fish, and then the actual eating fish are catfish and bluegills and crappies.”

If you want some help figuring out where to drop in a line, stop by or call the Conservation Education Center at Marr Park, where you can also fish at the park's two man-made ponds. Both the smaller 1.2-acre north pond and the 5.7-acre south mini-lake provide the opportunity to catch bluegill, largemouth bass and channel catfish.

CAMPING

The modern campground at Marr Park is the only public campground in the county and features 26 sites with full hookups and a nearby shower house. Anderson notes that the campground at Lake Darling State Park near Brighton is currently closed for renovations.

NATURE TRAILS

In the town of Washington, you'll find a fantastic trail that travels 14 miles west to the town of Keota. The Kewash Nature Trail is a former railroad right of way. The trailhead and a parking lot are located in Sesquicentennial Park, west of downtown.

“There is an informational board there that talks about the diversity of the animals and plants you may see on the trail, and it mentions the distances along the trail,” says Tim Widmer, Washington's parks superintendent. Widmer encourages people to take note of the tallgrass prairie that is next to the parking lot.

The trail is paved with asphalt in town, and then transitions to limestone and gypsum out in the country. Parking, restrooms, and water are available midway along the Kewash Nature Trail in the town of West Chester and at the trail's west end in Keota.

“The piece coming out of Washington is extremely popular,” says Anderson. He notes that lots of bicyclists use the trails. “We actually have clubs that run on it, too.”

Closer to Marr Park, the county is building a paved trail from Ainsworth to Marr Park. “We're celebrating its grand opening on June 30,” Anderson says.

Marr Park Conservation Education Center

Located on Hwy. 92 one mile west of Ainsworth

and six miles east of Washington

Mon & Thur: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Fri & Sat: 12:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Sun: 1 to 5 p.m.

(After Sept. 30, the hours are slightly reduced.)

(319) 657-2400

http://co.washington.ia.us/departments/

conservation/default.htm