The Henry County Conservation Department will offer summer youth programs - learn all about them here!


  Youth Programs/Camps

Bull's eye Camp


Summer Youth Programs 2013

The Henry County Conservation Department will offer summer youth programs as well as family programs. Activities will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. All children who have not graduated from first grade must be accompanied by an adult, as do all children requiring one-on-one aids while in school. Some programs may be a bit advanced for younger children– see camp descriptions for details and age restrictions. Programs will be geared toward school aged children. Pre-registration is required and all fees are due at least two weeks prior to the start of the program. All programs will begin and end at the Oakland Mills Nature Center. Activities will be held rain or shine. Dress accordingly. Avoid sandals.

Summer Camp 2013 registration form

CLICK HERE FOR PARENTAL CANOEING CONSTENT FORM

CLICK HERE FOR At the Park ACTIVITIES

Opportunities for all children AND their
parent(s) or guardian(s)

June 11th– 1:00 p.m.– 3:00 p.m. Day camp– Animal tracks. Who goes there? Let’s find out! All ages. $5 Limit 20.

June 13th– 1:00 p.m.– 3:00 p.m. Day camp– Mythical animals. Dragons, unicorns, serpents– oh my! All ages. $5 Limit 20.

June 14th- 1:00 p.m.– 3:00 p.m. Day camp– Canoe scavenger hunt. Learn the basics of pond canoeing, safety, and basic strokes while playing a game. Meet at Gibson. Children who have not yet completed 3rd grade must have a parent participate with them. Kids without parents will be paired up. All parents will be required to sign a waiver. Waivers will be at Gibson or are also available on the conservation website. $5 Limit 6 canoes– 3 persons per canoe is fine. Canoes/equipment/lifejackets will be provided. BRING bug spray, sunscreen, and swimsuit. Adults are FREE with their child! Please specify if an adult is attending when registering.

June 17th- 10:00 a.m.– noon Day camp– Rivers and ponds part 1. Let’s explore the pond. We will use dip nets to look for water bugs and tadpoles. All ages. $5 Limit 20. Bring or wear shoes that can get wet. You WILL get dirty so wear old clothes. Note: You do not have to sign-up for part 2 to participate in part 1.

June 17th- 1:00 p.m.– 3:00 p.m. Day camp– Rivers and ponds part 2. Let’s explore the river. We will walk down to the Skunk River, water level permitting, to search for mussels. All ages. $5 Limit 20. Bring or wear shoes that can get wet. You WILL get dirty and possibly wet so wear old clothes. Note: You do not have to sign-up for part 1 to participate in part 2.

June 24th- 10:00 a.m.– noon Whoooo or what do owls eat? Let’s talk about owls and dissect owl pellets. Live owl. All ages. $5 Limit 20.

June 26th- 10:00 a.m.– noon Head to Toe. Learn how animals move. Based on the Eric Carle book and game. Geared toward younger children. $5 Limit 20.

June 28th- 10:00 a.m.– 3:00 p.m. Basic Canoeing. Learn the basics of pond/lake canoeing, safety, basic strokes, and hop the Nature Center bus to go canoeing at Lake Geode. Return to nature center by approximately 3:00 p.m. Participants must have completed 4th grade and parents will be required to sign a waiver. Waivers will be available at drop off or are also available on the conservation website. $15 Limit 12. Canoes/equipment/lifejackets will be provided. BRING your lunch, bug spray, sunscreen, and swimsuit. No flip-flops or sandals. Sturdy water shoes are acceptable. Feet will get wet.

July 9th 10:00 a.m.– noon Fishing! Iowa’s fish species and basics of fishing will be discussed before we head outside and try to catch fish ourselves! Poles, equipment, and bait will be provided. All ages. $5 Limit 15.

July 11th- 10:00 a.m.- noon Bull’s-eye! Archery, atlatals, and BB guns will be the featured activities. Must have completed 3rd grade. $5 Limit 12.

July 12th- 10:00 a.m.– 3:00 p.m. Advanced Canoeing. Only for those who have already taken Basic Canoeing with the HCCD staff on Lake Geode either this year or previous. Plan to return by 3:00 p.m. This will be a river trip– location TBA. Participants must have completed 5th grade and parents will be required to sign a waiver. Waivers will be available at drop off or are also available on the conservation website. $15 Limit 12. Canoes/equipment/lifejackets will be provided. BRING your lunch, bug spray, sunscreen, and swimsuit. No flip flops or sandals. Sturdy shoes are required! Feet will get wet.

July 15th– 6:30 p.m.– 8:00 p.m. Night Camp. Digital scavenger hunt. Hike the park to photograph various items on a scavenger hunt list. When finished, participants will bring their devices to the classroom for verification of the photos. Prizes will be given. Official guidelines will be handed out at the beginning of the camp. FREE No limit to number of participants. Bring your camera or cell phone.

July 17th– 6:30 p.m.– 8:00 p.m. Night Camp. GPS treasure hunt. Learn what GPS is, how it got started, and how to use a hand-held unit. Teams will head outside to follow clues to a treasure! FREE Limit 14 teams. No limit to number of people on a team. GPS units will be provided.

July 19th- 1:00 p.m.– 4:00 p.m. Family Canoeing. Learn basic strokes and safety of pond/lake canoeing at Lake Geode. Participants must have completed 4th grade to be in a canoe without an adult and parents will be required to sign a waiver. Waivers will be available at drop off or are also available on the conservation website. $15 per family/per canoe Limit 6 canoes. Canoes/equipment/lifejackets will be provided. BRING bug spray, sunscreen, and swimsuit. No flip-flops or sandals. Sturdy water shoes are acceptable. Feet will get wet. Meet at Lake Geode beach boat ramp near old concession stand.


CONSERVATION CAMP

Join the Friends of Conservation in Henry County as they team up with Whitetails Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, The National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited, and the Henry County Conservation Department to provide a day camp for youth interested in hunting. For more details contact Linn Hunsaker at 319-931-1184.



BE AN IOWA JUNIOR NATURALIST!

Participation in this program is new to the Henry County Conservation Department. The Iowa Junior Naturalist program is a wonderful opportunity for children ages 6-12 to experience environmental education programs, outdoor recreation, and our natural resources. This program encourages children to attend programs offered by local county conservation departments, Iowa Department of Natural Resources state park units, local libraries, nature centers, YMCA camps, 4-H, or any other program with a nature theme. In addition, participants will be encouraged to work on independent activities. When all requirements are completed, participants will receive an official Iowa Junior Naturalist patch and certificate of achievement. Patches will be different each year. Contact Naturalist Cari Nicely for more information at cnicely@henrycountyconseration.com.



Environmental Education

The Henry County Conservation Department has a Naturalist available for your organization, group, or classroom free of charge. Call for an appointment. Programs given at Oakland Mills Nature Center, in school classrooms, or at other facilities. We have a constellation board in the Oakland Mills Nature Center Environmental Education Classroom ceiling, a bird viewing area on-site, and live raptors for presentations!

Cari Nicely, Naturalist

Office: 319-986-5067 Cell: 319-931-2942

E-mail: cnicely@henrycountyconservation.com

Program ideas for all ages include, but are not limited to:

live raptors, a specific animal, ecosystems, food chains, geology, Native Americans, pioneer activities and crafts, dutch oven cooking, area history, weather, plant parts, tracks, predators, birds, campfires, planets/stars, compass, trees, leaves, weeds, poisonous plants, wild edibles, energy conservation, renewable resources, pond study, pollution prevention, wildlife, habitats, adaptations, prairies, fishing, wetlands, night creatures, outdoor photography, nesting boxes, endangered species, insect study, survival skills, groundwater protection, hazardous waste, recycling, Leave No Trace, and wildflowers.

Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Girl Scout programs are also available.             Rank specific and badges.

 Programs prepared for school groups are:

There are many changes beginning this school year. Some teachers have changed grade levels or buildings and others have changed specialties. This list is intended to help with those transitions. Remember- environmental education classes aren’t just for science! Call Cari at 319-986-5067 or e-mail her at cnicely@henrycountyconservation.com to schedule appointments for your classrooms.

Maple syruping for all ages in February/March

Kindergarten: eggs, Iowa mammals, animal locomotion, fireflies, apples, owls, mouse paint- color, tail adaptations, zoo in the sky, snakes, turtles/silly snowy day, birds, animal olympics, groundhogs, tops and bottoms- gardens, insect actions, animal babies, recycling, camouflage

1st grade: teeth/skulls, recycling, birds, bears, hibernation, *seeds, shells, , frogs and toads, gardens, bats, Rockhounds, spiders, weather, plants, habitats, The Mitten, nature crafts, camping, fall, winter, animal valentines, which is which, animal teams, animals on the job, spring, deer and turkeys

2nd grade: clouds, *insects, bees, monarchs, moths and butterflies, insectigations, solar system, habitat story, sound, rocks, Diary of a Worm and activities, dinosaurs, *fall/winter, Earth Day- trees

3rd grade: water cycle, geology, food chains, *habitats, prairie, adaptations, The Lorax and activities, owls and owl pellets, trees

4th grade: solar system- planets, *constellations, phases of the moon, body systems, rainforest, leaves, animal tracks, snails, The Great Kapok Tree and activities, electricity, mussels, Earth Day- Agatha's Feather Bed, basic compass

5th grade: vertebrates/invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, fish, birds- She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head, endangered species, *pond study (good for invertebrates, watersheds, bison and the Native Americans, *pioneer activities and crafts, canoeing-pond, wild edibles, outdoor survival, Ioway movie and Indian LIFE, Lewis and Clark, plate tectonics, Ice Age with atlatal

Middle School: plant and animal cells, Indian LIFE, tree ID/leaf margins, biomes, water pollution and watersheds, wetlands, wildlife management, cells, *bobcat/native cats, orienteering and GPS, Iowa Conservationists, Windows on the Wild (illegal wildlife trade), Five Kingdoms of Life, Biofuels, Bag It!, soils- land management, Bottled Water, renewable-non-renewable resources, Global Warming is Global, Arctic Adaptations and Global Impacts, What’s that Smell? (air pollution), beaver trade, consumption (Agatha’s Feather Bed), Calculate Your Wildlife Career, Caught in the Act, Mystery of the Living Rock (Note: These last few include language arts and social studies curricula. There are others available. All center around illegal animal trade.)

High School or College: prairies, career choices, observation and creative writing activities, canoeing, hiking, wildlife management, water monitoring, volunteerism

 The environmental education program is flexible. If you don’t see it on the list, please ask! We can design a program to fit your curriculum or circumstances.

 * These programs are more effective at Oakland Mills Nature Center but are not necessarily limited to it.

 
 
             

Water Works Park

Shelterhouse

Ross Observation Tower

White Tailed Buck