Eastern Iowa Community College District
IN-3: Innovation 3

Nahant Marsh Eco-Education Center: Nahant Marsh preserve is one of the largest urban wetlands on the Upper Mississippi River. Nahant Marsh was used for skeet and trap shooting from the 1960's to the 1990's. Because of the lead left behind, the marsh was declared an EPA Superfund site and was remediated in 1999. After that time, the site was declared a preserve and educational center. The building and 78 acres of land is owned and managed by the City of Davenport. The remaining landis held by the Nahant Board, a 501c3. Partners in the Educational Center include Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (EICCD) Black Hawk College City of Davenport Davenportm Community School District Eastern Iowa Community College DIstrict River Action Scott County Conservation Department St Ambrose University Western Illinois University Friends of Nahant Marsh Educational programming at the marsh is managed by the Eastern Iowa Community College District. The mission of the Nahant Marsh Education Center is to maintain and enhance the Center's ecological and scenic qualitites while providing compatible low impact educational and recreational opportunities. Nahant Marsh, through the Eastern Iowa Community College District, offers a wide variety of environmental education programming for people of all ages. The Education Center has a fully equipped lab, a classroom/meeting room, a computer room, and a kitchen facility. EICCD believes that managing Eco-Education at Nahant Marsh qualifies for Innovation credit because of the many community partnerships we have created to manage the marsh and because of the huge impact that the Education Center has on teaching students and community members of all ages about sustainability.