SPANISH FORT — The Alabama Wildlife Federation marked a new chapter along the Gulf Coast with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to reopen the former 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center as the Delta & Bay Conservation Center after a yearlong closure and renovation.

The facility, which closed in August 2025, now features upgraded trails, a new conference center and expanded educational programming focused on conservation and connecting young people to the outdoors. It is located just off U.S. Highway 98 where the Mobile, Spanish, Tensaw, Apalachee and Blakeley rivers flow into Mobile Bay.

AWF Executive Director Tim Gothard said the project reflects a broader mission to re-engage youth at a time when outdoor experiences are competing with modern distractions.

"Our organization has really identified the importance of connecting youth with the outdoors in a very material way," Gothard said. "We realized … there's a lot more competition for their time, and we felt like we were losing that fundamental connection to the outdoors."

The reopening also represents what Gothard called a "physical homecoming" for the organization, which was founded in southwest Alabama in 1935. AWF bought the property in April 2025 with a $500,000 bid in an auction. The sole bid included a 10-year lease agreement with an option to buy the property at any point, according to previous reporting from Gulf Coast Media.

The 70-acre Spanish Fort site is already seeing strong demand, with hundreds of students scheduled for field trips this spring and a growing homeschool program.

Delta & Bay Conservation Center Director Scott Bannon said the facility is designed to provide hands-on learning experiences while managing the behind-the-scenes work needed to support them.

"The director's job is to make sure that that staff gets to stand there with a smile on their face, knowing that they're equipped … to provide the most amazing educational and fun experience that these kids are going to have," Bannon said.

Renovations include more than a mile of improved, accessible trails, classroom upgrades, a new conference space and plans for a future discovery hall featuring exhibits on the Mobile-Tensaw Delta ecosystem. The site will also offer guided tours, boat rides and interactive programs for visitors.

From now through May 2, admission to the center is free. After that, entry will cost $5 per person, with a maximum of $20 per family.

Officials say the updated facility is intended to serve as both an educational hub and a community destination, emphasizing conservation awareness and outdoor engagement for generations to come. 

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaf8yf5n.