The Rockwood School District and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources are celebrating the completion of a series of improvements at the Outdoor Education Center (OEC) at Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park in Wildwood made through the McCarthy Building Companies’ Heart Hats program. These improvements will now make it easier for visitors of all abilities to experience the outdoors. A ceremony to recognize this effort will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 1 at the OEC.
Through the McCarthy Heart Hats outreach program, employees are encouraged to find projects that meet real needs in the community and use their building skills and other talents to assist. At the OEC, volunteers installed an asphalt walkway leading to the pond, replaced a bridge over a creek on the path, and expanded the concrete fishing platform at the pond. All the facilities meet accessibility standards. Other projects included removing several old structures and overgrown vegetation in the area, and completing minor repairs to two shelters. In addition to their volunteer time and material donations, McCarthy worked with several St. Louis area contractors who also donated materials and labor for the project.
"We appreciate the outstanding work McCarthy has done to enhance the experience for all Outdoor Education Center patrons, said Michael Seppi, Rockwood’s Director of Community Education. “These efforts help further our commitment to continue providing unique outdoor and environmental education experiences right here in West County.”
Bill Bryan, Department of Natural Resources director of the state park system, Rockwood superintendent Dr. Craig Larson and Paul Hartwig, senior vice president of operations for McCarthy, are scheduled to attend the ceremony.
Since 2002, the Rockwood School District Community Education Office has partnered with the Department of Natural Resources to operate the 300-acre Outdoor Education Center. Amenities at the OEC include eight heated cabins, a dining hall, a recreation center, conference and meeting rooms, pond and an aquatic recreational feature.
For more information, contact the Outdoor Education Center at 636-458-3048.