Birds and Jellies
Jean has been working on the bird blind out back. Come check it out! The bird blind, constructed back in 2008, has been quite popular. I knew programming staff would use it, and I was…
News
A Nighttime Hunt
Senior Naturalist and Education Facilitator Jan Aiels recently took some families on a nighttime adventure. Here’s her account: Hot, humid nights are perfect for nighttime adventure in the woods hunting the big game of high…
A Mammoth Adventure
Naturalist, Jennifer Rupp was with the group from the Nature Center who went on the adventure of a lifetime Sunday – to dig for mammoth bones! Jenny reports on the experience: Disclaimer: No, I don’t…
Spreading Labyrinth Love
Photo by Marion Patterson On a sunny Saturday morning, a curious gathering of pilgrims, eager to learn more about labyrinths, met at Indian Creek Nature Center. After a brief overview and orientation, they began their…
Labyrinth Update
Color is beginning to dot The Prairie Labyrinth as spiderwort, monarda, daisy fleabane and milkweed blooms open. Grasses with their soft, cascading stems whisper. Red Wing Blackbirds still jealously guard their nests. A summer sky…
Prairie Labyrinth
The Prairie Labyrinth at Indian Creek Nature Center is inviting and invigorating. Forbs and grasses seem to thrive even in the springtime heat and drought that Eastern Iowa landscape has endured. Rattlesnake Master have…
No, not THAT newt
Jean has been out and about again…this time on the hunt for salamanders! Getting the traps ready Last year, Margaret asked a question I had never even thought about. Why don’t we see salamanders here?…
Indian Creek Valley Tree Loss
Director Rich Patterson has been fielding a lot of questions about the loss of trees in the Indian Creek Valley. We are equally frustrated! Here is some information from Rich that may prove helpful. Many…
Ginger…or Maryanne?
Jean has been out making more discoveries around the grounds… Wild ginger traditionally begins flowering in April, so I was somewhat surprised to see the deep red of its blossoms against the brown dirt of…
Wild Rice in our Wetland
Land and Facilities Steward Jean Wiedenheft was out recently in search of wild rice in our wetland and makes this report. When the Lynch Wetland was initially planted in 1999, wild rice (Zizania aquatica) was…