Discovery center project moving forward

Friday afternoon, the Big Horn Basin Nature and Discovery Center Joint Powers Board hosted a public forum regarding the Children’s Nature Discovery Area of the center. The meeting was designed to bring together interested parties to discuss the project’s future.

Toddi Darlington said the forum had 12 people attending, but those people represented the Children’s Resources Center, Chamber of Commerce, Hot Springs County Commission, Smoking Waters Art Guild and, of course, the Joint Powers Board.

During the meeting, Darlington presented the benefits of the discovery center, including building upon who we are and where we live to create a hub for regional growth, strengthening arts and crafts, providing educational opportunities and adding to our tourism opportunities.

Darlington said those attending were asked what they would want in the discovery area — dubbed an outdoor learning area, as it is for all ages — and they all agreed it needed strong arts and science components, and that the area needed to represent water. She further explained one of the water features they discussed was possibly something explaining how the terraces are formed. As the area is planned for the parcel of land northeast of the Chamber of Commerce, it also provides a good view of the terraces.

Another water feature, Darlington said, would be the story of a spring turning into Wind River and its collection in Boysen Reservoir. This would lead to teaching kids about how dams work and generate electricity, as well as what happens when the water is released and how those flows support agriculture, wildlife and recreation.

“So then,” Darlington said, “your hands on learning water feature would have a water course that maybe starts out as a real small waterfall and then it moves into a pond where kids can make dams.” They could then create releases in the dams and design pathways that could become later canals. In addition to creating their own paths, Darlington noted they would also learn about the force of water through overflows, breaks in the dam and other events.

Additionally, the board is looking at providing a representation of the Legend Rock petroglyphs in some way. Darlington said they considered using panels on a wall, one to reflect the petroglyphs, another to represent historic graffiti and another to show current graffiti. Other panels would be white dry-erase panels for people to tell their own stories through drawings.

The lesson they would learn, Darlington said, is what is considered graffiti and what is considered art. “It’s truly the area you choose to draw on that dictates that. So, when is it OK to carve your initials into a table and when is it OK to not do that?” Another lesson would be showing how, from early man, we’ve been telling our stories through pictures.

Because we are a strong agricultural community, Darlington said, “We think we know agriculture and growing should be a part of the story.” To that end, the area would have raised flowerbeds.

There were so many cool ideas like this that came from the meeting, and Darlington added they also gained two committee members as well.

There was also discussion as to whether the center should be built as a Certified Classroom, which is a national classroom program, or if it should be built and allow the schools and resource centers to create their own certification program or level of classroom. “We don’t know if it needs to be certified,” Darlington said, “or if the people using it should be certified.”

As to how well the Nature and Discovery Center fits in with the Hot Springs State Park Master Plan, Darlington explained the project was delayed during the park master planning process, but the center is in the plan and shown in plan drawings.

The board can continue to build the center, she said, but they have been charged with interpreting state parks within the state, especially Hot Springs State Park and Legend Rock, and have a visitors center.

Among the questions that kept coming up at the meeting were “Why now?” and “Why the children’s park before the building?” Darlington said there were worries about whether the building for the center should be built before the park, and the general consensus is something needs to be done with the land and the timing is right for the outdoor area.

Among the reasons why the timing is right is WYDOT is planning to resurface the highway along the stretch of land for the center, so the board wants to coordinate entrances onto the property with that project. Additionally, with a planned modified entrance to the state park it would be a good time to develop a trail into the property. The board also has enough money to go after some grants. “There’s a lot of grants out there for children’s education,” Darlington said.

While the outdoor area and the center are still several years away from completion, the project will add to the educational, recreational and tourist opportunities here in Thermopolis.