We celebrated the season with some Christmas bingo, fun prizes and red and green sprinkled donuts during the December Volunteer Appreciation Day.

Also reminiscent of the season, remember to stop at the Nature Store for holiday shopping! From adorable stuffed animals to tasty honeysticks to aromatic goat’s milk soaps to colorful disc golf discs — we have something for everyone on your shopping list.

The Dickinson County Nature Center will be closed to celebrate the holidays Dec. 24-25 and Jan. 1, 2019.

We also discussed what’s new:

1. The Horseshoe Bend Winter Sports Area website will be updated weekly through the beginning of March to address weather-related openings and closures. Check each Friday for that weekend’s status. Click here to see the tubing hill website.
2. A Winter Wonderland Walk will be held 3 p.m. Dec. 27 in Kenue Park. All ages are welcome to attend this approximately one-hour hike that will celebrate the season.
3. Several exhibits will be changed and added this winter, so keep checking back to see all the new fun and learning that is to be had.
4. The nature center is participating in the Great Lakes Mall Festival of Trees. This year, each tree has a food pantry theme, and the winning tree is selected by how many food pantry items are underneath it on Dec. 24. Bring canned goods, pasta, cereal and more to the Spirit Lake mall and put the items underneath the nature center tree.

We also learned about trumpeter swans and how our rehabilitated trumpeter swans in Kenue Park don’t freeze during the winter. Check out the video here!

If you are a snow bird, please let Kiley know when you will be gone.

The next Volunteer Appreciation Day is 10 a.m. Jan. 7, 2019. Thank you all so much for a wonderful year, and we look forward to a great 2019 with you!