Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park receiving improvements

Locals and visitors who have missed the sights and sounds of Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park still have about a year to wait for a raft of improvements to be completed, according to Krystle Beauchamp, the director of communications for Caddo Parish.

“To date, we’ve cleared the property, and activities like dirt work and pouring the concrete foundation are currently underway. The project has a completion timeline of fall 2025. We are on schedule, and barring any unforeseen circumstances or weather delays, our estimated completion of the project is fall 2025.”

Visitors aren’t the only ones missing Walter B. Jacobs. The staff and volunteers also miss the facility and the ability to host their usual menu of onsite programs. Beauchamp said Caddo Parks has been partnering with local organizations to use alternative park sites and host as many regular events as possible.

The park is being rehabilitated on its original site, located three miles west of Blanchard, Louisiana. The park comprises 160 acres of pine, oak and hickory forest connected by five miles of nature trails. The trails are marked with interpretive signage to enhance the visitor experience.

“When we asked the citizens of Caddo Parish to allow us to rehabilitate (Walter B. Jacobs),” Beauchamp explained, “it came from a realization that we had outgrown our current facility.”

She said the plan was to offer an opportunity to offer innovative and engaging programming to the citizenry in a space that could accommodate their growing attendance. “Our previous facility was only 3,400 square feet, and we unfortunately have had to turn attendees away and come up with some pretty creative parking solutions,” Beauchamp admitted.

Groundbreaking for rehabilitating Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park.

“When the new facility is completed, it will boast 24,000 square feet of exhibit and event space that will feature state-of-the-art exhibits, classroom space, a gift shop and nature programming, which will be the first facility of its kind in our region. We’ve also added a 2,500-square-foot aviary, allowing visitors to observe birds native to our area in their habitats. We’re very excited about the potential that these added and enhanced features will have for not only the citizens of Caddo Parish but visitors from out of our area as well.”

The new facility will include 8,000 square feet of event space, which will be available for rental for weddings, receptions, conferences and retreats, Beauchamp said. The space is unique in that it will allow guests to experience their events in a setting that involves nature if they choose. There will be outdoor pavilion spaces, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows in the indoor event space.

“Our aim is to make our facility as interactive as possible, with education as a primary goal. As in our previous facility, we want to encourage our visitors to visualize and, in many cases, touch and hear the elements of nature around them, and to feel as if they have stepped into nature, which they will actually be doing,” Beauchamp said.

According to the park website, the updated facility will be approximately 13,000 square feet, with approximately 6,000 square feet of exterior spaces, pavilions and decks. There will be multiple exhibition spaces, a large multifunctional lecture/meeting/event room, a catering kitchen, several classroom spaces, outdoor learning and event spaces, administration spaces, workrooms for staff, secured dry storage, secured food storage for the park wildlife with proper sanitation facilities, an aviary, outdoor pavilions, decks and outdoor learning areas. All of the renovations have been made with ADA compliance in mind.

The park has an interpretive building, a rentable pavilion with restrooms, a handicapped-accessible trail and several naturalists who provide information and interpretation to park visitors. Natureoriented programs are available on an appointment basis.

“We are in the final stages of testing our live cameras that will be available on the parish’s website (caddo.gov) for citizens to view the construction process in real time,” Beauchamp said. “We also encourage citizens to sign up on our website for updates and follow us on social media for regular updates and segments on our monthly webisode, ‘Pulse of the Parish.’”

The Nature Park will feature improved pavillion space.

The park has gotten some nice online reviews from sites like ArcGIS Story Maps and the Old-Growth Forest Network website. On ArcGIS Story Maps, Jack Henley wrote, “Although the pavilion and visitors center are fantastic, the hiking trails are absolutely breathtaking. Completely remote from any roads or busy areas, walking out in the middle of the woods with the wind blowing through the trees is one of the (most) peaceful experiences around. Observing all the different plants and animals is very entertaining.”

According to the Old-Growth Forest Network, “The Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park is home to a truly exceptional old-growth forest, to stellar environmental educational programs, and is a significant site for the conservation of the natural heritage of the state of Louisiana.”

So, whether you’re an elementary school teacher looking for a field trip that will be different, a couple planning a once-in-a-lifetime marriage or a nature lover determined to explore some of the natural wonder of northwest Louisiana, the newly improved Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park is working to be ready to roll out the welcome mat next fall.

In the meantime, there is still a full calendar of events coming up sponsored by the park, and you can check them out at http://www.caddoparks.org.