By Sam Parsons

Mahaska County Conservation hosted the groundbreaking ceremony for their all-inclusive nature playscape and community area on Friday afternoon.

Local officials and Mahaska County Conservation board members lined up with their shovels to break ground on the project, which will bring local and surrounding communities an outdoor imaginative experience that has natural climbing features, a mammoth play sculpture, a log traverse, staggered trails, and various other outdoor adventures. The playscape is anticipated to be roughly one acre in size, and its price tag of approximately $500,000 will be paid for primarily in grants obtained through fundraising efforts by Friends of Mahaska County Conservation.

Construction for the project is expected to be completed by fall 2025.