At Thursday’s ribbon cutting of the discovery center, Webster County Supervisors Mark Campbell and Niki Conrad honored Cosgrove by surprising him and attendees with the announcement that the environmental education facility would now be named the Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center.

“When considering the impact the River’s Edge Discovery Center will have, and the impact that Matt has already made on this community, the decision to name this center the Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center was simple,” said the Webster County Board of Supervisors in a statement. “By doing so, we not only recognize the power of Iowa’s waters, but also the dedication and positive lasting legacy of Matt Cosgrove.”

Cosgrove, who has served as director of Webster County Conservation for more than 28 years, had no idea that the center would bear his name. According to Campbell and Conrad, a dozen individuals within the community have been helping with the secret naming project while keeping it under wraps for Thursday’s surprise.

“We’d like to recognize how much Matt does for our community and county,” said Campbell. “From all that he’s done at Kennedy Park to the OHV Park to Camp Wanoki and back again to the beautiful new trails at Kennedy, Matt has done so much for Webster County. This has been a dream project for him and we are so honored that it will bear his name.”

-Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News
The ribbon cutting ceremony took place at the Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center in Fort Dodge on Thursday.

According to Cosgrove, the facility along the banks of the Des Moines River was funded through grants and fundraising, and has been nearly three decades in the making as discussions about an educational facility began when he started with the county.

“It’s interesting to see this whole thing come together and really surreal,” said Cosgrove. “I really want to say thank you to everyone who has been a part of this project. If I were to read the names, we’d be here until it got dark because you can imagine with a project of this size and scale, it’s way beyond even the people that you see here today.”

The project moved from idea to reality in 2017 when the conservation department did a parks, facilities, and recreation master plan and looked at aging infrastructure and trends and recognized the need and opportunities ahead.

Cosgrove said the new discovery center will be a hub for conservation, recreation, and education. As the discovery center has taken shape, Cosgrove said he didn’t add to his staff, but instead everyone has excitedly chipped in to help to launch the new facility.

“Our conservation staff is tremendous,” said Cosgrove. “They’re taking care of 30 miles of trail, 60 miles of OHV, 2,000 acres of parks and wildlife, and helping with this. The staff has really done an awesome job.”

-Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News
The Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center in Fort Dodge opens to the public today.

The Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center, which opens to the public today, includes interactive exhibits and interpretive panels that educate visitors on a number of water-related topics including climate, clouds, watersheds, water quality, wetlands, glaciers, and more. An interactive exhibit allows children to visually see and climb around in a display that explains where water goes when it seeps into the soil. A nearby large exhibit teaches the water cycle and rain, and near the entrance to the center is an augmented reality sandbox which explains Iowa’s terrain.

“We spent over two years working on the exhibits and the interpretive plan on what story we’d like to tell,” said Cosgrove. “Obviously since we’re by the river, it makes sense to talk about our water and our water resources, whether it be too high or too low. We’re excited for the community to get in there and flip some switches and push some buttons on our interactive exhibits.”

Also inside the discovery center is a toddler play space, a 500-gallon aquarium featuring a variety of species from Iowa’s rivers, and a live salamander for kids to see.

Murals cover many of the walls, including a pollinator mural in the center’s education classroom which features butterflies and native plants. The mural was designed and painted by art students at Iowa Central Community College and Fort Dodge Senior High School.

“There’s too many people to name who have played a role in this project,” said Cosgrove. “So many people have donated money, donated time, donated items that you will see inside.”

-Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News
Webster County Supervisor Mark Campbell, right, shakes Matt Cosgrove’s hand during a ceremony at the new the Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center in Fort Dodge on Thursday.

The opening of the discovery center is the close of phase 1 of the center’s plan. Phase 2 will begin soon and will include a natural playscape heading toward Soldier Creek and will be wrapped around the trails and include interactive and interpretive signage that provides historical information about Fort Dodge and the region.

The Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center, located at 20 N. First St., will host two open houses for the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

-Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News
Webster County Supervisor Mark Campbell holds up The Messenger’s special Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center publication during a ceremony in Fort Dodge on Thursday.

-Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News
Select art students from Fort Dodge Senior High and Iowa Central Community College worked through June and July to finish the murals for the Grand Opening of River’s Edge Discovery Center. Saiya Noborikawa Miller designed the monarch butterflies with Iowa prairie flowers mural.

-Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News
Tasha West, natural resource and trail technician for Webster County conservation, holds up the design showing Matt Cosgrove’s name attached to the River’s Edge Discovery Center on Thursday in Fort Dodge.

-Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News
The River’s Edge Discovery Center sign, which will bear Webster County Conservation Director Matt Cosgrove’s name, is on display Thursday in Fort Dodge.

-Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News
Tasha West, natural resource and trail technician for Webster County conservation, holds up the design showing Matt Cosgrove’s name attached to the River’s Edge Discovery Center on Thursday in Fort Dodge.

-Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News
A number of interactive displays are set up inside the new Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center in Fort Dodge.

-Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News
An otter display is shown inside the new Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center in Fort Dodge.

-Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News
A display for forest animals is shown inside the Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center on Thursday in Fort Dodge.

-Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News
Webster County Supervisor Mark Campbell, right, shakes Matt Cosgrove’s hand during a ceremony at the new the Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center in Fort Dodge on Thursday.

This letter details the reasons for adding Matt Cosgrove's name to the River's Edge Discovery Center.