ABOUT THE LIBRARY
Library Promotes Environmental Education with New Wetlands Boardwalk
October 15, 2008
IMCPL CEO Laura Bramble and United Water Indianapolis Client Relations Manager Eugene Anderson cut the ribbon at the new Wetlands Boardwalk.
Library patrons can explore a unique one-half acre natural wetlands area in the heart of Indianapolis from a new Wetlands Boardwalk and observation deck at the East Thirty-Eighth Street Branch of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, 5420 E. 38th Street.
The community celebrated the official opening of the Wetlands Boardwalk during ceremonies at the East Thirty-Eighth Street Branch on Wednesday, October 15.
Located on the northwest section of the East Thirty-Eighth Street Branch site, the new area features a gathering circle, 80-foot boardwalk and observation deck. Native plants, interpretive signage and other landscaping increase the capacity for the library to provide community-based environmental education programs. Patrons can also visit the area on their own during a library visit.
The branch's expansive windows will allow the community to also enjoy the wetlands from the inside.
"The new Wetlands Boardwalk is not only a beautiful addition to the library and surrounding neighborhood, but it also gives us the opportunity to protect our small portion of the local environment while educating citizens on the importance of preserving wetlands," stated Laura Bramble, CEO of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library.
During site development for the East Thirty-Eighth Street Branch, which opened in July 2003, the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation obtained a Brownsfield Grant to reclaim soil on the site which had been occupied by a car wash. Soil and plant samples confirmed that the partially wooded site was a wetland.
The IMCPL Foundation worked to secure local funding for the $27,000 Wetlands Boardwalk construction project. Major private support was provided by United Water.
Wetlands, areas where water covers the soil or is present at or near the surface of the soil for all or part of the year, play a critical role in the health of the environment. They not only are a source of fresh water, but they also help mitigate floods and provide a habitat that supports various plant and animal species.
