Our Quarterly Newsletter now On-line

Naturally Speaking is now available in PDF. Click here for Spring 2008 Edition - may take a while to load.

(A PDF file requires Adobe Reader - click on the logo to download it).

Warbler Bird Hike. Thursday, May 1st, 2008. Among the most colorful songbirds are the warblers. Each spring they return with the first two weeks in May being peak migration time. Some will stay to breed in the area. Most will continue farther north and will be seen here for just a short time. All will be in colorful breeding plumage and most are in song. Diane Porter will lead this hike. Meet at the nature center parking lot at 8:15 a.m. for a great morning of birding!

Dutch Oven Cooking Workshop. Saturday, May 3rd, 2008: 10:00 a.m. Offered in conjunction with our Spring Into Summer Dutch Oven Cook Off, Earl Hanes, a Dutch oven cook from Ottumwa, will be at Jefferson County Park to introduce the basics of Dutch oven cooking to any interested non-competitors. From seasoning your oven to how to regulate the temperature you’ll learn some helpful campfire cooking tips and also taste a recipe or two...or three. After his program stick around and visit with the cooks who are competing in the cook-off. See below for more details.

Spring Into Summer: Dutch Oven Cook Off. May 3rd, 2008. We know you’re out there. Outdoor enthusiasts who love to cook using a Dutch oven. Whether you’re a novice or have been Dutch oven cooking for most of your life, we hope you’ll join us for our first Dutch Oven Competition. Co-sponsored by Jefferson County Conservation, the Cedar Creek Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, Waste Mangement, and Edward Jones, the goal of this event is to have fun, demonstrate Dutch oven cooking skills, and introduce the public to the joys of Dutch oven cooking.

Cooks can compete in four categories: meat, vegetable, bread, dessert. Entry fee is $10 for each category (or $35.00 for all four). Novices may want to participate in just one category while more seasoned cooks, and those with more pots to cook in, may want to do all four. A panel of judges will determine 1st through 3rd place winners in each of the four categories. Prize money will be: $75 for first, $50 for second, and $25 for third.

The public is invited to come and watch and visit with the cooks. Interested individuals can purchase a wrist band that allows them to sample the food after the intial judging is done and then vote for their favoite team. This "People's Choice" award will be provided by Fairfield's AT HOME store. There will also be a Dutch Oven Workshop led by Earl Hanes, for those interested in learning the skill, and a children's activity area complete with craft projects, games and an afternoon visit from Cowboy Bob.

Registrations Due April 25th.

See below for contest rules and registration form.

Click here for Dutch Oven Cook Off Rules & Regulations
Please read prior to filling out regisration form.

Click here for Dutch Oven Registration Form
Print out the form, fill it out and send it in, with the registration fee, to the address given.

(A PDF file requires Adobe Reader - click on the logo to download it).

National Trails Day Buggy Rides. Thursday, Friday & Saturday, May 29, 30 & 31. See Ron's Trail Talk below for details on this annual event.

O.W.L.S.: Canoe Float. Thursday, June 27th, 2008: 8:00 a.m. It’s the maiden voyage of our canoe fleet and we are opening it up to our Older, Wiser, Livelier Seniors. We’ll hope for good water levels and plan on a trip down Cedar Creek, which always yields lots of watchable wildlife. If the water level in Cedar is low we’ll opt for a trek down the Skunk from Coppock to Mac Coon Access. We’ll plan to be finished by early to mid afternoon. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited. Call 472-4421. Fee: $5.00.

Need more info? Call Therese at 472-4421, or e-mail to therese@jeffersoncountyconservation.com

Top...

Summer Youth Programs Listed Below in Nature Talk.

Park Management News... by Shawn Morrissey

Mac Coon Access flooded again in late winter which left a layer of silt and sand throughout the campground so it may be a little messy early on this camping season until the river settles down and we can nurse the grass back into the campsites. We had hoped that the road to the south end would have been repaired this winter but the county road department, as you know,was kept busy plowing snow and repairing their own roads this spring. We will plan to fix this problem area as soon as possible.

The horse trails at Turkey Run Wildlife Area will also require some work to clean up fallen trees and limbs caused by the winter ice and snow. These trails are closed during spring turkey season which runs from mid April through mid May. We will try to have the trails cleared and ready to use by mid May.

Visitors to Zillman’s Hickory Hills will notice some changes to the area this spring. The area south and east of the parking lot which has been cropland for many years is being converted to wildlife habitat. These new plantings will be designed specifically to provide the food and cover needs of quail which are declining in many areas due to loss of habitat. A mixture of short grass prairie, fallow areas, food plots, and shrub rows should help the quail that are already in the area expand and sustain themselves. These plantings will also benefit many other wildlife species. A primitive trail will also wind through the new plantings to allow hikers to enjoy the area. This trail will also serve as a fire break which will allow us to maintain the prairie plantings once they are established. In keeping with the wishes of the people who donated this property, no hunting is allowed.

Top...

Nature Talk... by Therese Cummiskey

It's time to start thinking about summer! Below are listed a variety of programs I'll be offering. You'll notice that two of them are in conjunction with the Fairfield Public Library's "Catch the Reading Bug" summer reading program. You do not have to be part of the reading program to take part in those activities but it would be well worth your time. They have some awesome activities and guest speakers lined up to intrique your children. Kids, bugs, books and nature - what a great combination! Sign up for any of these classes by calling 472-4421. You can also sign up for these at the Library's Sign Up Day on Saturday, June 7th. But please know that because numbers are limited the Field Trips are filled quickly. You may NOT want to wait!

The Ultimate Creek Hike. Friday, June 20th; 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Pack your lunch, wear old clothes you don’t mind getting DIRTY and old shoes or boots! We are heading to Mahaska County and the beautiful Cedar Bluffs Natural Area for this Ultimate Creek Hike. This very unique 225 acre area southwest of Oskaloosa has beautiful sandstone bluffs along the creek. Naturalist Pete Eryheralde will lead us on this adventure...and you’ll definitely get your exercise when we have to hike up and out! Departure time from Jefferson County Park is 8:30 a.m. Open to 3rd grade and up. 1st and 2nd graders are allowed if accompanied by an adult. Limited to 22 people. Fee: $15.00.

Rock Polishing Workshop. Saturday, June 21; 10:00 –11:00 a.m. Inviting all rock hounds! Mike Pech, a member of the local Sac & Fox Lapidary club, and a long time rock hound will lead this workshop that will show participants the different stages of polishing rocks. Best for 3rd graders through adults. No fee.

Bug Safari. Wednesday, June 25th; 1:00-3:00 p.m. This adventure in bug hunting is being offered in conjunction with the Fairfield Public Library’s summer program: “Catch the Reading Bug”. All ages of kids are invited to participate although preschoolers and kindergarteners must bring along an adult. We’ll meet up in the picnic area for a scavenger hunt that will take participants through prairie, woodland and pond...each habitat revealing new and wonderful critters. Feet are bound to get wet at the pond so old shoes or boots are a must. No fee.

Bear Creek Geodes. Friday, June 27th; 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Geode hunting is always a favorite of young and old alike. This summer we’re heading back to Van Buren County to visit Bear Creek in search of Iowa’s State Rock plus any other rock and mineral that catches our eye. Stone Mason Dennis Kossow will be our guide. The bus leaves from the Jefferson County Park nature center at 9:00 a.m.. Limited to 22 people. 1st and 2nd graders are allowed if accompanied by an adult. Bring your lunch and wear your boots! Fee: $15.00.

Dutch Oven Basics. Monday, June 30 and Tuesday, July 1; 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. What better way to follow up our Dutch Oven Cook Off in May but with a training for future competitors!. This two day workshop is open to youth 9 years old and up. Adults are welcome in the class but must sign up with a child! Day 1 (June 30) will be a dutch oven demonstration where students will watch and learn the needed skills, but on day two (July 1) it will all be hands-on. Participants will be placed with a partner and each team will be presented with a recipe and ingredients and will have to cook and prepare that item for the group. Class is limited 20 students. Fee: $10.00 (A parent can sign up with their child for a combined fee of $15.00).

Canoe Paddle for 6th-8th graders. Friday, July 11, 9:30-Noon and Monday, July 14, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Friday’s class will take place at Waterworks Park and will introduce students to canoe basics and prepare them for a river paddle the following week. On Monday we’ll leave from Jefferson County Park and head to either Cedar Creek or the Skunk River for an outing. Space is limited. Pre-registration required. Fee: $20.00. Interested parents can register with their son/daughter without cost. Attendance at first class is required for all paddlers.

Scat, Tracks, & Other Sign. Saturday, July 12; 9:00-11:30 a.m. It’s a morning of off-trail hiking as we explore Jefferson County Park and look for the many signs of the animals living here. From meadow voles and deer mice to foxes and coyotes, their sign is all around. Long pants are a must when hiking off-trail. For kids going into 3rd-5th grade. No fee.

Girls Night Out. Friday, July 18th. 7:30 p.m. - Saturday, July 19th, 8:30 a.m. Sorry guys! This overnight at the nature center is for girls only. But it’s not your average sleep over. This sleep over is for 3rd—5th grade girls who love nature. (Younger girls can attend if Mom accompanies them). We’ll go on a night hike, watch the stars, catch fireflies and sack out on the floor of the nature center. In the morning we’ll have breakfast over a campfire. Pre-registration is required. All you’ll need is your jammies, a sleeping bag and your toothbrush! Space is limited. Fee: $20.00.

Insects of the Night. Tuesday, July 29th; 7:30-9:00 p.m. The evening is alive with insects and those animals, such as bats and nighthawks, that love to munch on them. This critter program is another adventure offered in conjunction with the Fairfield Public Library’s summer program: “Catch the Reading Bug”. All ages of kids are invited to participate although preschoolers through 2nd graders must bring along an adult. We’ll meet up at shelter #3 by the big pond and watch bats hunt for moths, go in search of glow worms and discover what bugs are active at night. No fee.

Need more info? Call Therese at 472-4421, or e-mail to therese@jeffersoncountyconservation.com

See some articles from our newsletter, Naturally Speaking.

Top...