“We were messy little critters.” Environmental education coordinator Bryanna Kuhlman’s memories of her childhood spent outdoors in Menomonie, WI, have shaped her into who she is today. “We had forts in trees; we would catch frogs in retention ponds,” Kuhlman said. “I had my red bucket full of worms.” She and her sister ...
A family boating get-together. A butterfly flitting through the prairie. A walk through wildflowers. Outdoor experiences such as these deeply influence Eagle Grove resident Diane O’Hern’s artwork, which will be evident in her multi-media exhibit featured April-June in the eARTh exhibit area at the Dickinson County Nature Center in Okoboji. O’Hern began ...
While Brian Ellis chatted on the phone, he watched the prairie he had planted outside his home. Grasses blew in the breeze, the soil radiated warmth from the sun and birds were nesting within view. He hopes that when people come to his one-man storytelling production about John James Audubon that they ...
Bring back the bees. Bring back the butterflies. With pollinator populations dropping drastically in recent years, the push to bring them back has spread. But how do we do that? One of the best ways is to plant native flowers and grasses in our landscaping, providing pollinator habitat and food sources. Native plantings ...
While the winter wind whips and the snow keeps falling it is hard to imagine spring but March brings a glimmer of hope. March is when Iowa’s dedicated frog and toad survey volunteers start listening to their call CD and sharpening their pencils in preparation for the first warm(ish) night in ...
The smell of grilled salmon wafted through the trees off West Lake Okoboji. Small black noses twitched and mouths watered as four small raccoons peered over the limbs of a tree to see who was cooking such deliciousness. It was at that exact moment that David Curry, 61 of Dakota Dunes, SD, ...
Water quality is a murky issue. Clear it up by participating in the Master River Stewards Program April-May in the Iowa Great Lakes area. “It’s going to be an in-depth program with conservation professionals going over most aspects of water quality,” said Charles Vigdal of the Dickinson County Conservation Board. “Water quality ...
Sunshine and summertime — admit it; it’s what’s on your mind. Plan ahead for how much fun your kids can have this summer at the Dickinson County Nature Center in Okoboji as registration for summer camps opens March 1 online. Ages 4-18 have the opportunity to get outside with a variety of ...
“Bugs just freak people out.” Entomologist Emily Fontenot has seen this happen time and time again, people shuddering at the thought of insects, but that reaction is usually not warranted. And the way people deal with bugs is not always the best either. Instead of a spray-first mentality, Fontenot will give alternative ...
A flock of small gray birds appears in your yard, hopping around in the snow eating some seed that has spilled from your backyard bird feeders. Another red-headed bird sits on the feeder, pecking at the sunflower seeds inside. But do you know the names of the species that you see? Local birder ...
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