New Audubon Center Opens
Donations, grants, the Chevron refinery and a little perseverance all led to today’s opening of the Pascagoula River Audubon Center. The $2.3 million facility has been in the works for a decade but today nature lovers were able to step foot in the finished facility.
The new Pascagoula River Audubon Center, or P.R.A.C., opened its doors for the first time. The 10 acre P.R.A.C. is the brainchild of its director Mark LaSalle. He’s spent the last decade transforming this once unused land to show the role nature can play in a local economy. “We want to be the beacon, an example of how you can use conservation and economic development hand in hand to preserve what’s beautiful around you and how a good quality of life for the people that live here and the people that visit.”
Inside the center, nature lovers are greeted by art made by local artists. You can learn about the nature around you and even see some of the native animals in the area. But the real experience starts when visitors step outside. The center sits on land showcasing native plants, birds and wildlife right on the front door step of Moss Point. Mayor Billy Broomfield said, “It is going to enhance what’s going on in our schools all across the Mississippi Gulf Coast and throughout the state. It will teach our young people about nature.”
The center will also teach the importance of our ecosystem and use our own backyard to draw tourists from all over to the Gulf Coast. Governor Phil Bryant said, “Eco-tourism is going to be a large opportunity for us here in Moss Point. A learning environment that I hope will have hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.”
With the beautiful view and activities around every corner, there’s no doubt the center is the definition of eco-tourism. National Audubon Society’s CEO and President David Yarnold says it’s so much more than just a tourist attraction. “This center is going to change people’s lives. Kids are going to come here and be inspired to be biologists.This is going to become part of the fabric of the community.”
The Audubon Center will have several activities celebrating its opening this week but its biggest will be on Saturday with Family Day from 10 to 2.
The new Pascagoula River Audubon Center, or P.R.A.C., opened its doors for the first time. The 10 acre P.R.A.C. is the brainchild of its director Mark LaSalle. He’s spent the last decade transforming this once unused land to show the role nature can play in a local economy. “We want to be the beacon, an example of how you can use conservation and economic development hand in hand to preserve what’s beautiful around you and how a good quality of life for the people that live here and the people that visit.”
Inside the center, nature lovers are greeted by art made by local artists. You can learn about the nature around you and even see some of the native animals in the area. But the real experience starts when visitors step outside. The center sits on land showcasing native plants, birds and wildlife right on the front door step of Moss Point. Mayor Billy Broomfield said, “It is going to enhance what’s going on in our schools all across the Mississippi Gulf Coast and throughout the state. It will teach our young people about nature.”
The center will also teach the importance of our ecosystem and use our own backyard to draw tourists from all over to the Gulf Coast. Governor Phil Bryant said, “Eco-tourism is going to be a large opportunity for us here in Moss Point. A learning environment that I hope will have hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.”
With the beautiful view and activities around every corner, there’s no doubt the center is the definition of eco-tourism. National Audubon Society’s CEO and President David Yarnold says it’s so much more than just a tourist attraction. “This center is going to change people’s lives. Kids are going to come here and be inspired to be biologists.This is going to become part of the fabric of the community.”
The Audubon Center will have several activities celebrating its opening this week but its biggest will be on Saturday with Family Day from 10 to 2.
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