Matt Cosgrove River's Edge

Matt Cosgrove Connectingkidsandnature RIVER’S EDGE DISCOVERY CENTER

Andy Stanberg, Vegetation Specialist

Tasha West, Trail Technician II

Adam Moeding, Natural Resource Technician

Brody Bertram, Park/Natural Resource Technician

the product of a multi-year, multi-faceted planning

discovering our responsibilities to protect it for the future.

Cosgrove River’s

The Underground area explores where water goes when it seeps into the soil. Visitors can walk into a giant spiral ground form that makes them feel like they are gradually moving deeper and deeper underground.

The underground spiral has two exits to ensure visitors can move around the space with ease. Visitors can emerge through a crawl through themed to look like a drainage tile, or through an open doorway cut out of the spiral.

The pollinator mural in the classroom features butterflies and native plant. The mural is the work of Fort Dodge Senior High and Iowa Central Community College art students.

The lobby features a 500 gallon aquarium that features a variety of Iowa’s river species.

The constant motion of water is evident from the first moment a visitor walks into the exhibit space. A huge water droplet is falling from the ceiling, crashing into the floor, and creating a splash that introduces visitors to the space. Mounted to the contours of the splash, graphic panels, and a button-operated video monitor with a kid-friendly animation give an overview of the water cycle.

Permanent Panels:

Changeable Panels:

Permanent graphic panels on the farthest right and left sides of the exhibit bookend the changeable content. They discuss the Indigenous People who were the earliest residents of this land and the development of the discovery center site into what it is today.

The majority of the graphic panels here will be easily changeable by discovery center staff so that content can be refreshed for repeat visitors. The first changeable set covers the clay and gypsum industries that shaped Fort Dodge. Other changeable sets include the origin of the city as a military fort and the historical development of water sanitation in response to the profound impact of waterborne disease.

AR (Augmented Reality)

Sandbox - Explore virtual worlds without the need to create them. With augmented reality (AR), you can have interactive experiences that blend the digital and real world, allowing you to learn about nature in a hands-on way. Try it by moving the sand or your hand on the table!

Toddler Play Space:

The youngest visitors to the nature center have room to play in the space within the cloud wall structure. The space will have a padded floor and a variety of structures and toys to keep toddlers engaged. It includes a soft, climbable trumpeter swan with wings outstretched in mid-flight, accordion-style stools with a slight bounce, and stackable rainbow arches. Playing with these elements helps toddlers develop gross motor skills and pattern recognition— crucial building blocks for early literacy. Adults can sit and supervise from a curved bench placed along the wall.

The Discovery Center is filled with interpretive panels that educate the visitors on a variety of water-related topics from climate, clouds, watersheds, water quality, wetlands, glaciers and so much more.

Crawl through the underground exhibit to explore trees and prairie plant roots among a variety of forest animals.