Nahant Marsh Education Center

Nahant Marsh Education Center is part of a larger 3500 acre+ ecological area that was formed by the confluence of the Rock and Mississippi Rivers and includes Credit Island and The Milan Bottoms. Today the Nahant Marsh preserve is comprised of 305 acres and growing. Nahant Marsh is the largest urban wetland on the Upper Mississippi River and serves around over 18,000 people annually through educational programming. In 2016 Nahant Marsh received two awards from the Iowa Association of Naturalists. One award was for excellence in Environmental Education Programming. The other award was for working with the US Fish and Wildlife service and local Soil and Water Conservation Districts for planning the QC Pollinator Conference.

Nahant Marsh Education Center focuses on three main areas: conservation and restoration of the preserve, educational programming, and research. Staff works with researchers to guide restoration and preservation efforts. Nahant Marsh is a cooperative effort between Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, the City of Davenport and the non-profit Nahant Marsh Board. Additionally Western Illinois University and St. Ambrose University are actively involved at Nahant Marsh.

Nahant Marsh Education Center was founded in 2000 following an EPA clean-up of a former gun club that was located on site. The site was originally comprised of 88 acres and has now grown to 305 acres. In 2007 Nahant Marsh forged a partnership with Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. Since then attendance at educational programming has increased from 1600 in 2007 to over 18,000 in 2018. Nahant Marsh is home to at least 414 plant species 175 birds 62 mushrooms 41 mammals 14 reptiles and 7 amphibians within the preserve boundaries. The preserve is comprised of bottom forests sedge meadows mesic prairie restorations and a small sand prairie.

The mission of Nahant Marsh Education Center is to protect enhance and restore the Marsh through education research and conservation. The vision of Nahant Marsh is to foster wonder appreciation and stewardship of the natural world.