Visitors of all ages will soon experience an immersive learning adventure alongside the mythical Bigfoot at the Salt Fork State Park Eco-Discovery Center. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) broke ground on the 3,300-square-foot project in October 2023 and anticipates opening the center in fall 2024.
Inside the center, Bigfoot will act as a character guide throughout the building, highlighting fun facts and teaching visitors how, despite having big feet, Bigfoot’s environmental footprint is small. The exhibits will engage visitors in an interactive journey through Salt Fork’s forest ecosystem to discover how everything in nature is connected and ends with visitors learning ways they can practice sustainability to protect these valuable connections and natural resources.
Outdoors, visitors will enjoy a patio with seating, a rain garden, meadow plantings, native trees, and a trail leading through the habitats and to the lake. The center will sit approximately 2.5 miles from the park entrance.
ODNR’s ConServe Ohio sustainability initiative inspired the need for a nature center that interprets the importance of sustainable practices now and in the future. The building will include sustainable elements indoors, such as high-efficiency HVAC equipment and filtration, LED lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, a water bottle refilling station, and an entry-floor system to reduce indoor pollution. Visitors will find a green roof and wall outside of the building, permeable pathways, solar panels, a rainwater harvesting system, and EV charging stations.