93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
Boone County’s presiding commissioner is ecstatic about the Boone County Nature School, which is being built in the Three Creeks Conservation Area just south of Columbia. Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick attended the recent dedication of the nature school’s Council House.
“And the coordination, cooperation with all (six) of the Boone County school districts as well is going to really be a gamechanger in the long term in Boone County,” Mr. Kendrick says.
The Boone County Nature School is a partnership between Columbia Public Schools (CPS), the Missouri Department of Conservation and the community, which includes all six Boone County school districts. CPS has committed $2-million for the nature school’s construction, while the Missouri Department of Conservation has committed $1-million. Commissioner Kendrick notes Boone County has contributed about $400,000, using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. ARPA was signed into law by President Joe Biden.
Mr. Kendrick has been working on the Boone County Nature School issue since he was first elected to the Missouri House in 2014. He helped lead a bipartisan effort in Jefferson City to restore funding for the 111-acre project, which is in Three Creeks. Commissioner Kendrick tells 939 the Eagle that the nature school will provide an excellent educational experience to students.
“And just the experience to get out and have the educational piece kind of come to light in a natural setting enjoying nature, one of the best conservation areas in the state of Missouri (Three Creeks), it really will help connect kids with nature and will make sure that they understand the importance of our natural resources for a lifetime to come,” says Commissioner Kendrick.
He attended the recent dedication on the grounds, when the Columbia Audubon Society made a $30,000 donation for the nature school’s Council House portion. The Boone County Nature School is scheduled to be completed in June 2024.
CPS Superintendent Dr. Brian Yearwood predicts the new nature school will be a model for the state and the nation.
