New outdoor classroom opens at Falls of the Ohio State Park
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Students in southern Indiana will have a new opportunity to explore nature up close after officials cut the ribbon last week on an outdoor classroom at the Falls of the Ohio State Park.
The outdoor classroom will be available to visitors and school groups looking to learn more about the Falls’ history, including Devonian-era fossil beds and the animals, like mammoth and bison, that once traversed the area during migration. Guests can also learn about the indigenous people who settled near the park in Clarksville, its connection to the Underground Railroad and the start of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
“There is no other place in the world like the Falls of the Ohio — that holds this much natural, cultural, and historical significance — and it is right here in our community,” The Falls of the Ohio Foundation Executive Director Kenton Wooden said in a news release. “This new outdoor classroom will help connect the Falls’ rich history, and the stories of our past, to the thousands of visitors that come here to learn and experience this special landscape.”
The outdoor classroom connects to the existing Woodland Loop Trail and is designed with natural elements. The space is covered by tree canopy and uses driftwood logs sourced from the Falls for seating. A limestone boulder arrangement also allows study of fossils.
The park is supported by the Duke Energy Foundation; Mark Wood; Irving Materials, Inc.; the Falls of the Ohio Foundation; the Indiana Department of Natural Resources; and Fall of the Ohio State Park.
“This unique outdoor classroom allows visitors to connect with the history of the Falls and native people that called this place home,” said Lisa Huber, government and community relations manager for Duke Energy in southern Indiana, in a news release. “The outdoor learning experience also provides an opportunity for lessons about the important role that conservation plays in the environment.”
More information about the park can be found by visiting its website at fallsoftheohio.org.