Join us as we shine a light on Pottawattamie Conservation volunteers to thank them for their time and talents and recognize the difference they make in our community. Our volunteers ROCK!
4/12/2023
Dana Kruse, Volunteer & Facilities Coordinator
Conservation, Land Management, Loess Hills, Volunteering
Pottawattamie County is excited to announce the newly acquired Mt. Crescent Ski Area will be operational for the upcoming ski season with special benefits for county residents.
9/6/2022
Kylie Jacott, Promotions & Outreach Coordinator
Loess Hills, Mt. Crescent Ski Area, News
Sometimes burning bridges is just what the land doctor ordered! Learn about the benefits that growing season prescribed fire can provide and how it helps manage invasive species like sweet clover.
7/5/2022
Aric Ping, Natural Resource Technician
Conservation, Environmental Education, Land Management, Loess Hills
Families are invited to explore, learn, and relax in the heart of the Loess Hills.
5/24/2022
Kylie Jacott, Promotions & Outreach Coordinator
Conservation, Environmental Education, Events, Loess Hills, News
Learn the ins and outs of backpacking and put your skills to the test with a guided overnight adventure in the Loess Hills!
4/25/2022
Kylie Jacott, Promotions & Outreach Coordinator
Hiking, Hitchcock Nature Center, Loess Hills, News
Join us as we shine a light on Pottawattamie Conservation volunteers to thank them for their time and talents and recognize the difference they make in our community. Our volunteers ROCK!
4/12/2022
Kylie Jacott, Promotions & Outreach Coordinator
Hiking, Hitchcock Nature Center, Loess Hills, Volunteering
Get to know our July speaker, Kathy Fiscus & get ready for "Loess Hills & Scenic Byway Art" on July 8th!
6/28/2021
with Kathy Fiscus
Conservation, Environmental Education, Loess Hills, Speaker Series
Want to learn more about the trails at Hitchcock Nature Center? Join us for a Hitch Hike this summer & get the guided experience.
4/29/2021
Conservation, Environmental Education, Events, Family Fun, Hiking, Hitchcock Nature Center, Land Management, Loess Hills, Native Animals, Native Plants, Summer
Learn the intrepid tale of the Dump Busters and continue the legacy by busting some litter at Hitchcock Nature Center for Earth Day!
4/16/2021
Rene Stroud, Naturalist
Conservation, Environmental Education, Events, Family Fun, Green Thumbs, Hiking, Hitchcock Nature Center, Holidays, Land Management, Loess Hills, Native Animals, Native Plants, Our Staff, Spring, Volunteering, Zero Waste
Thistles have an important part to play in the life of a monarch butterfly.
2/19/2021
Jeff Franco, Deputy Director
Conservation, Environmental Education, Habitat Areas, Land Management, Loess Hills, Native Animals, Native Plants
Anyone with a passion for the great outdoors is in for a treat with A Land Ethic Workshop.
2/16/2021
Conservation, Environmental Education, Events, Land Management, Loess Hills, Native Animals, Native Plants
Trees are easiest to identify by their leaves. So how do you identify a tree species in winter? We have the answer!
2/5/2021
Rene Stroud, Naturalist
Conservation, Family Fun, Hiking, Land Management, Loess Hills, Native Plants
Our 2020 HawkWatch season has wrapped up, find out what was flying in our season report.
1/15/2021
Earl Johnson, Hawk Counter
Autumn, Bird Watching, Conservation, HawkWatch, Hitchcock Nature Center, Loess Hills, Native Animals
What do animals eat during the cold winter months? Find out what's on the menu!
1/8/2021
Conservation, Land Management, Loess Hills, Native Animals, Native Plants
Winter is a great time to explore your county parks. Here are some ideas to help you stay active all season long.
1/1/2021
Arrowhead Park, Botna Bend Park, Environmental Education, Family Fun, Hiking, Hitchcock Nature Center, Loess Hills, Winter
No matter how great video games are they can't beat the great outdoors!
12/24/2020
Conservation, Family Fun, Loess Hills, Native Animals, Native Plants
Follow Rene as she spends a morning on the trail of a coyote.
12/18/2020
Rene Stroud, Naturalist
Conservation, Hiking, Hitchcock Nature Center, Loess Hills, Native Animals
Find out what was flying during our last full month of the 2020 HawkWatch season.
12/11/2020
Earl Johnson, Hawk Counter
Bird Watching, Conservation, HawkWatch, Hitchcock Nature Center, Loess Hills, News
Get ready to explore the unexplored at your county parks & habitat areas in 2021.
12/3/2020
Conservation, Hiking, Hitchcock Nature Center, Loess Hills, News
How much do you know about the wild turkey?
11/19/2020
Environmental Education Staff
Autumn, Bird Watching, Conservation, Loess Hills, Native Animals
Catch up with the Hitchcock HawkWatch during October & see what's flying past the tower.
11/16/2020
Earl Johnson, Hawk Counter
Bird Watching, Conservation, HawkWatch, Hitchcock Nature Center, Loess Hills, News
Opossums are North America's only marsupial. Learn more about these often misunderstood animals.
11/4/2020
Environmental Education Staff
Conservation, Land Management, Loess Hills, Native Animals
Autumn at Hitchcock Nature Center brings the return of our Hitchcock HawkWatch team. This year we are welcoming back Earl Johnson as our lead HawkWatch Counter.
10/13/2020
Bird Watching, Conservation, HawkWatch, Hitchcock Nature Center, Loess Hills, Native Animals, News, Our Staff
Catch up on the latest HawkWatch news with our September activity report.
10/8/2020
Earl Johnson, Hawk Counter
Autumn, Bird Watching, Conservation, HawkWatch, Hitchcock Nature Center, Loess Hills, Native Animals, News
Take a virtual field trip & explore biodiversity in the Loess Hills with Pottawattamie Conservation.
10/2/2020
Rene Stroud, Naturalist and Kate Simmons, Community Relations Coordinator
Conservation, Family Fun, Hitchcock Nature Center, Homeschool, Loess Hills
A chilly September morning finds two bumble bee bachelors fast asleep and tucked away into a stiff stem goldenrod. A common sight this time of the year for those in the right place at the right time. If these males are fit enough their genetics will be passed on to a new colony of bumble bees next spring.
9/22/2020
Autumn, Green Thumbs, Loess Hills, Native Animals, Native Plants
These soft brown butterflies might not be the most showy insects but they have a beauty all their own, get to know the Little Wood-Satyr.
9/18/2020
Malena Brotherson, Environmental Education Intern
Conservation, Hiking, Land Management, Loess Hills, Native Animals
Get to know the Asteraceae family, the largest flowering plant family.
9/10/2020
Malena Brotherson & Kristen Yost, Environmental Education Interns
Conservation, Green Thumbs, Hiking, Land Management, Loess Hills, Native Plants
Milkweed is essential for monarch butterfly survival. Learn more about this amazing plant & ways you can help support monarch populations.
9/1/2020
Malena Brotherson, Environmental Education Intern
Conservation, Green Thumbs, Homeschool, Land Management, Loess Hills, Native Animals, Native Plants
Bumble Bees are a fuzzy friend on our summer flowers each year. Learn more about these social insects & ways you can help protect them.
8/27/2020
Kristen Yost, 2020 Environmental Education Intern
Conservation, Land Management, Loess Hills, Native Animals
Cicadas provide the background music for summer days and nights but how much do you know about these unique insects?
8/18/2020
Kristen Yost, 2020 Environmental Education Intern
Conservation, Loess Hills, Native Animals
Pretty in purple, Ironweed is a common late summer flower in southwest Iowa.
8/13/2020
Kristen Yost, 2020 Environmental Education Intern
Conservation, Green Thumbs, Hiking, Land Management, Loess Hills, Native Plants
8/5/2020
Malena Brotherson, Environmental Education Intern
Arrowhead Park, Botna Bend Park, Conservation, Green Thumbs, Hiking, Hitchcock Nature Center, Land Management, Loess Hills, Narrows River Park, Native Plants
Head outdoors on your own birding scavenger hunt, perfect for some weekend fun.
7/28/2020
Kristen Yost, 2020 Environmental Education Intern
Arrowhead Park, Bird Watching, Botna Bend Park, Conservation, Family Fun, Hiking, Hitchcock Nature Center, Homeschool, Loess Hills, Narrows River Park, Native Animals
7/23/2020
Malena Brotherson, Environmental Education Intern
Arrowhead Park, Botna Bend Park, Conservation, Green Thumbs, Hiking, Hitchcock Nature Center, Land Management, Loess Hills, Narrows River Park, Native Plants
7/17/2020
Malena Brotherson, Environmental Education Intern
Arrowhead Park, Botna Bend Park, Conservation, Green Thumbs, Hiking, Hitchcock Nature Center, Land Management, Loess Hills, Narrows River Park, Native Plants
7/7/2020
Kristen Yost, 2020 Environmental Education Intern
Conservation, Homeschool, Loess Hills, Native Animals
UPDATE 5/19/2020 LHNSP personnel & Hitchcock Nature Center staff have made the decision to cancel our Third Annual Trails Day event originally scheduled for May 30th. We hope to bring you another volunteer work day in the future. Thank you for your support.
5/1/2020
Conservation, Events, Hitchcock Nature Center, Land Management, Loess Hills, Volunteering
4/16/2020
Amy Campagna, Environmental Education Coordinator
Conservation, Hiking, Loess Hills, Native Plants
The Loess Hills Nordic Ski Patrol is an invaluable partner organization, patrolling trails at Hitchcock Nature Center, supporting PCC staff during events, & offering important assistance to park visitors in need. We are so grateful for their continued support of our parks & our mission.
6/19/2019
Hitchcock Nature Center, Volunteering, Training, Events, Loess Hills
This spring 81 participants from 34 agencies and organizations took part in the Loess Hills Cooperative Burn Week April 29th - May 3rd.
6/19/2019
Our Staff, Land Management, Conservation, Loess Hills
Many people view winter as a sterile, cold, miserable time of the year. A time when the smartest thing to do is hide out in the house until spring. I sometimes think like this, too. I am no fan of the icy winds that burn your cheeks and freeze fingertips. I prefer the warming spring days, the hot sun of summer, and the cooling breezes of fall. However, now that I am your new Naturalist, I see it as my duty to appreciate every season, even the bitter cold one… So come along with me as we explore the Loess Hills ecosystem and its’ inhabitants in the winter! Should be an adventure!
1/25/2019
Winter, Hitchcock Nature Center, Native Plants, Native Animals, Loess Hills
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