Wetlands project is dedicated

SALEM — A wetlands area that the city and donors turned into an outdoor classroom was dedicated Monday.

The wetlands, which is next to Salem Pond, was an eyesore for years but is now an educational resource for schools and others, Nebo School District spokeswoman Lana Hiskey said in a statement.

Schoolchildren will have a responsibility in taking care of the wetlands, Salem Elementary Principal Ed Schollenberger told the first-graders who attended the dedication. The school, which is nearby, is the host school for the project that will draw students from 33 other schools in the district, Hiskey said.

Mayor Randy Brailsford first envisioned the wetlands in 1999. A year later Nebo School District grant writer Roxanna Johnson pursued the dream and approached the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

• Spanish Fork Mayor Dale Barney donated his time and equipment to renovate the site.

• Alcoa donated more than $5,000 toward the project and sponsored wetlands teacher training for Nebo District teachers.

• The Central Utah Water Conservancy District and H.E. Davis Construction became involved leading to a formal site plan by the engineering firm of Montgomery Watson Harza.

Now completed, the Salem Outdoor Wetlands Classroom has an asphalt walkway that circles the area and crosses a berm built to control water levels. Five signs on the walkway describe types and functions of plant and animal life that live in the wetlands. Drawings by Salem Elementary students enhance the signs, Hiskey said.