Ribbon Cutting for Hickory Bend Expansion

Des Moines County Conservation has acquired 19.4 acres of land along Flint Creek adjacent to the 250-acre Hickory Bend Conservation Area. The new land is located at the south boundary of Hickory Bend, lies within the creek's floodplain and is completely forested. According to results from ongoing research, the land is known to provide habitat for endangered species of bats.

The purchase was made completely with grants and donations from local wildlife organizations including Pheasants Forever, Whitetails Unlimited, and the National Wild Turkey Federation. Those funds leveraged a state Wildlife Habitat Stamp Grant which uses funds from hunting license sales to purchase public hunting land and improve wildlife habitat. The new property, along with the rest of Hickory Bend, is open to public hunting.

"This is a perfect example of hunters and outdoorspeople directly investing in conservation," said Chris Lee, Executive Director at Des Moines County Conservation. "This property was purchased by hunters, for hunters. But the ecological benefits go far beyond that."

In addition to protecting critical habitat for endangered species of bats, the purchase also protects a segment of Flint Creek, a county-designated priority watershed.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Friday, December 1 at noon at the entrance to Hickory Bend at 15373 145th Ave., Burlington, IA (Google map link). For more information, go to the Hickory Bend page on Des Moines County Conservation's website at www.DMCconservation.com or call the conservation office at (319) 753-8260.

For More Information
Contact: Des Moines County Conservation
(319) 572-1564
leec@dmcounty.com
Website

Posted by: Conservation

DMC Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Meeting

Posted by: Emergency Management Agency

Meet a Live Animal!

Come and join us at Starr's Cave Nature Center on December 6th at 3 PM for a special encounter with one of our live animal ambassadors! Discover fascinating details about the creature, ask your burning questions, and seize the opportunity to get hands-on with one of our charming critters! This event is open to all, free of charge, and requires no registration.

Posted by: Conservation

Conservation Board Meeting

The Des Moines County Conservation Board generally meets the first Wednesday of every month at 5:30PM at the Conservation Office in West Burlington. 

For more information on the conservation department, visit the department's website.

Agenda

For More Information
(319) 753-8260
conservation@dmcounty.com
Website

Posted by: Conservation

Conservation and Cocoa

Join us in celebrating National Hot Cocoa Day on December 13th! What could be more perfect than enjoying a cup of hot cocoa by the fire? Come and join us at the Starr’s Cave Nature Center at 3 PM. We'll provide the hot cocoa and a warm fire – all you need to bring is yourself and some friends. This event is free, no registration required, and everyone is welcome!

For More Information
Contact: Starr's Cave Nature Center
(319) 753-5808

Posted by: Conservation