The new Indianapolis Airport is an absolutely gorgeous improvement to our city that will help us continue to grow and support the existing expansion that we see in our community. As our downtown develops with more hotels and new convention center, having a world-class airport helps provide the infrastructure needed to support hundreds of thousands of visitors coming to our city every year.

In addition to this, one of the things I love about Indianapolis is that there's a value placed on maintaining and balancing the environment around our city for its wildlife inhabitants and ourselves to enjoy.

In a recent agreement with the Indianapolis Airport Authority, Hendricks County Parks & Recreation and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, a new nature park is going to be created with a variety of attractions and protected areas. The park will include hiking trails, a fishing pier, picnic areas and education programs.

The area is 210 acres of what is part of the 2,000-acre area that was dedicated more than ten years ago as part of the Indianapolis Airport Authority's agreement with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in protecting a native Indiana bat species that is on the federal endangered animal list.