$80,000 Grant Boosts All-Inclusive Nature Playscape in Mahaska County
Oskaloosa, Iowa — A major boost for outdoor recreation and accessibility is on its way to Mahaska County, thanks to an $80,000 grant from the McWane Foundation. The funding will support construction of the Mahaska County Conservation All-Inclusive Nature Playscape and Community Area, with groundbreaking set for April 2025.
The grant was awarded to Friends of Mahaska County Conservation, a nonprofit group dedicated to supporting environmental education and land stewardship through the Mahaska County Conservation Board. The funding will allow the creation of a nature-based playscape designed to be inclusive for children of all abilities, while offering a wide range of outdoor educational opportunities.
Plans for the new playscape include natural climbing features, a mammoth play sculpture, a log traverse, staggered trails, and other immersive elements intended to foster exploration and learning in an open-air environment. The project will serve not only Oskaloosa but surrounding communities as well.
The McWane Foundation is the philanthropic arm of McWane, Inc., a Birmingham, Alabama-based company known for its vital role in the nation’s waterworks infrastructure. Oskaloosa’s Clow Valve Company, a division of McWane, manufactures essential products like water valves and fire hydrants used in public water systems across the United States.
Clow Valve has been a longtime employer and community partner in Mahaska County. Its affiliation with McWane, Inc. makes local projects like the new nature playscape eligible for support from the national foundation, which focuses its giving on improving quality of life in communities where its facilities operate.
Mahaska County Conservation officials say the playscape will enhance public access to the outdoors, offer inclusive play opportunities for children of all backgrounds and abilities, and strengthen the community’s commitment to nature-based education.
Construction is expected to begin later this month.
