Day 3 with IFA High School J-Term Students

Students practiced wilderness rescue and safety. Pictured is a group of students who got help with rescuing a group member playing the injured with serious head injury symptoms. The member was safely stabilized on a flat surfaced and rescued to safety.

Day 2, Iowa Falls-Alden High School J-Term Students enjoying hotdogs and beans over their fire

On Tuesday, January 7th, our second day with Iowa Falls-Alden High School J-Term students, they continued with their fire building skills, as well as their over-the-fire cooking!

Iowa Falls-Alden High School J-Term students practicing Winter Survival

The Iowa Falls-Alden High School J-Term program invited Hardin County Conservation staff to assist as part of the judging panel for the primitive shelters and fire building skills for their Winter Survival projects. Throughout the week, the conservation s...

1st Annual Hardin County Archaeology Day

Join Hardin County Conservation on Saturday, February 22nd, 2020, from 10 AM to 2 pm at Calkins' Nature Area for our first annual Hardin County Archaeology Day! 

Flint Knapping Classes and Demonstrations

Join us in the classroom at Calkins at 10 AM...

Thank You Pine Ridge Shooting Range Members

The Conservation Board would like to thank the staff and members of the Pine Ridge Shooting Range for helping us replace the decking on the bridge at Pine Ridge Park. The bridge is now much safer to travel over and allows for better access.

Thanks to Eldora/South Hardin Girls Scouts

Thanks to the Eldora/South Hardin Girl Scouts for coming out to earn their bug badges in October.

We caught predacious diving beetles, dragonfly nymphs, damselfly nymphs, scuds, water boatmans, and backswimmers in the nature center pond. The scouts seemed ...

Please - No Pets At Calkins

As you enter the driveway at Calkins Nature Area, there are signs that say "No Pets."

As much as we would love to have your pets visit us, we do not allow pets for a number of reasons.

1. Your pets can acquire illnesses via wildlife if they come into...

Wildlife Closeup: Brook Trout

Brook trout are Iowa's only native member of the salmonid family. Rainbow trout and brown trout were brought here as sport fish for anglers many years ago. They are not native.

While brook trout are related to trout at the family level as stated above, bro...

Friday Fun Fact - Squirrels

Friday’s Fact: When winter approaches, squirrels utilize an unusual food saving strategy known as “caching.”

When squirrels “cache” their food, they store it in select locations throughout the forest that they will revisit when food becomes scarce. Often, ...