New restoration and nature study area in Ocean Springs

Local organizations teamed up to turn the remains of a Katrina-slab into a space for learning.
The project took 2.3 acres of land at Weeks Bayou and turned it into a green space for scientific and educational activities. Debris and invasive species were also removed from the area on Sherwater Drive and a small observation deck was built for water quality sampling.
The project aims to create an outdoor classroom setting for all ages. Climb CDC Crew Leader Donna Bell said, “All of our students, we’ve been through a lot of tough things and this land, it experienced a tough hurricane that knocked it down, but even with the students at Climb CDC, we always come up. It’s beautiful. God has a way of just making it beautiful again and that’s what this land has become, beautiful again and natural.”
The restoration project was funded by Southern Company through the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program. Additional funding was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.