The Dillon Nature Center in Hutchinson is planning its first major upgrades since its hands-on indoor exhibits were installed 15 years ago.

The changes will be installed in August, with the complete project expected to be finished by early September. The nature center is conducting a $300,000 capital campaign to fund the projects.

The project will include new exhibits on soils, plants, insects, mammals and reptiles. The center’s leaders are promising the new exhibits will be brighter and more engaging than current exhibits.

Tony Finlay, executive director of the Hutchinson Recreation Commission, which manages the nature center, says the goal is to make the exhibits more attractive to schoolchildren and to attract more visitors. About 20,000 schoolchildren visit the center every year.

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Associated Press Information from: The Hutchinson News