A new expansion at Nahant Marsh in Davenport opened Thursday. It’s called Rockingham Bottoms.

Nahant Marsh bought the 39-acre property five years ago. A lot of work went into the property since then.

For the past five years, workers have been cleaning up trash and restoring Rockingham Bottoms in preparation of its official opening, removing 500 tires, hundreds of bag trash and even an ice cream truck.

The new site will offer bike paths, a viewing platform, and a new trail that connects to the Mississippi River Trail.

Visitors can also learn about the property’s unique history from educational signs displayed throughout the property.

Native American artifacts that are hundreds and hundreds of years old were found on the site. Adding to the history is the town of Rockingham that previously was on this parcel of land.

Around 1,000 reported species that have been documented on this site, said Brian Ritter, executive director of Nahant Marsh. The restoration is expected to help those animals continue to thrive.

“We’re just very excited. And it’s been many years in the making,” Ritter said. “I’m very excited that people actually get to enjoy our hard work out here with our new restoration.”

Ritter said about 50,000 visitors use the preserve’s trails annually.

For more about Nahant Marsh, visit here.