The first walls are up on the future environmental education center being built by Jasper County Conservation. Ground was broken in early October for the 7,200 square-foot $2.9 million building on the southeast edge of Newton. Jasper County Conservation Director Keri Van Zante says the project remains on schedule.

“The basement walls are poured. Structural steel will be going up in the next week. After that lumber will start going up. So we will actually see the form of the building by the end of February, weather permitting.”

Jasper County Conservation will relocate their offices to the building when it’s completed. Van Zante expects that move to occur around October. There will also be classrooms for educational programs. More funding is needed to outfit those classrooms, purchase and build educational displays, install signage and cabinetry, finish a basement bathroom and install an elevator. A land stewardship lab and greenhouse is being built at the environmental education center site at the same time. Jasper County Conservation Director Keri Van Zante talks more about this project on today’s Let’s Talk Newton.