ASHLAND — The Davy McClure Outdoor Education Center opened to the public in grand fashion Friday, celebrating the completion of a project nearly three years in the making with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The center is located above Tom Kruse Wildlife Conservation Park, along State Route 60.
David “Davy” McClure, the center’s namesake, was a former parks commissioner and beloved Ashland City Schools bus driver. He also worked as a coordinator and teacher with the park district’s outdoor education program. He died at 46 in September 2020, due to complications following a cardiac arrest.
During Davy’s life, family members said he had a passion for the outdoors and for sharing it with younger generations.
His father, Andy, and his sister spoke at Friday’s ceremony. State Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland), Ashland County Parks District commissioner Bob DeSanto, parks district director Eric Schneider and Mary Meixner, a parks district naturalist, also spoke at the event.
“I grew up here in Ashland, and when I was growing up, we didn’t have an outdoor education center, so this is a big day for our community and we’re going to fll a huge gap in our community,” Meixner said.
Meixner began in her position around nine months ago. Since then she has worked with curriculum directors at Ashland City Schools and Hillsdale Local Schools to develop lessons for their students. Over 250 students have visited the center already, and there will be more to come.
Most lessons have been geared at elementary schoolers so far. Meixner hopes to offer lessons that apply to older students as well.
The parks district also has a homeschool program, and students involved in that program have used the center already, too.
“You’re probably aware of the numerous environmental challenges that we’re facing today,” Meixner said. “I often find myself thinking about how we even begin to face these challenges.
“I think one of the ways is by learning more, by getting outside, spending time in nature — time that inspires wonder, understanding and connection with the earth — and by getting our youth outside, our young people.”
How’d the center come to be?
Beginning in July of 2022, the parks district began raising money for the center, which was a dream of McClure’s.
Over $500,000 was raised by the parks district to fund the center’s construction. Last July, the center also received $700,000 in state funding thanks to Ohio’s One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund and the state’s Capital Investments.
Crews broke ground on the center in May 2024.
It cost around $700,000 to build, DeSanto said. DeSanto spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and thanked a long list of donors who made the project possible.
Additional money raised will go towards construction of a paved walking path and a natural playground, DeSanto said. Constructing the walking path will commence this summer.
