Bison Stampede 5K Trail Run Saturday, August 11, 2018 Registration from 6:30 a.m. – 7:15 a.m. Race begins at 7:30 a.m. Registration Fee: $25.00 Race is sponsored by the Little Sioux Valley Conservation Association.  Registration and t-shirt pickup for the race will take place at the Prairie Heritage Center from 6:30 until 7:15.  Pre-registration is encouraged. The race will be run on the trails around the Prairie Heritage Center and on adjacent property.  Be prepared for uneven surfaces. Awards will

Youths ages 11 through 15 can experience an outdoor adventure sponsored by the O’Brien County Conservation Board and the O’Brien County Pheasants Forever at the Prairie Heritage Center, Dog Creek Park and the Crosbie Wildlife and Nature Youth Center. Monday, August 6 will include learning activities about hunting, trapping, bird identification, and dog training.  The events will extend into the evening with lessons on Dutch Oven cooking, water recreation, night tracking and astronomy.  Youth will stay overnight in the grain

Our first “Movie on the Beach” of the season is on Saturday, June 9 at Mill Creek Park. Bring your lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the show!  The movie will begin at dusk, weather permitting.

Take time this summer to visit 19 of the 26 areas managed by the Conservation Board.  You will find that there are some remarkable areas within our county! At each of these areas, you will find a code word attached to the back of the brown area sign.  Write the code word in the chart found on the worksheet and return the completed form to the O’Brien County Conservation Board, 4931 Yellow Ave., Peterson, IA 51047.  All persons returning their

Spring has finally arrived in Northwest Iowa!  Colorful flowers are popping up everywhere you look.  Come out to the Prairie Heritage Center to check out the wildflowers that are in bloom. Meet at the center at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23.  After checking out the prairie flowers, participants will carpool to Wanata Park in Peterson to look for woodland flowers.  Join the naturalist for this colorful exploration.

WINGS & WETLANDS WEEKEND A Four County Festival Friday & Saturday May 11th & 12th, 2018 The Wings and Wetlands Festival is an annual event held throughout the counties of Clay, Dickinson, O’Brien, and Palo Alto. Each year several northwest Iowa counties cooperate to celebrate the return of spring in Northwest Iowa.  Over the years swan releases, bird hikes, canoe events, wildflower walks and more have engaged hundreds of Iowans in experiencing the wonders of birds and their habitats. On

Have you ever noticed the multicolored growth on trees, rocks, headstones and fence posts? These colorful organisms are lichens.  Anyone who loves the outdoors is probably aware of them as orange, yellow, or gray patches on trees and rocks.  Lichens can be seen nearly everywhere, but they often go unnoticed. Join the O’Brien County Naturalist at the Prairie Heritage Center on Thursday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m. to “Learn About Lichens.”  As a part of nature, lichens seem to have

The ISU Extension and Outreach and the O’Brien County Conservation Board invite everyone to participate in an educational afternoon dedicated to learning more about monarch butterflies and other pollinators.  Join us on Sunday, April 22 at 2:00 p.m. at the Prairie Heritage Center to celebrate “Earth Day” with a look at some of the important ways that you can improve pollinator habitat in your backyard. While attending this event, participants will: Learn about the unique life cycle of butterflies, specifically

Welcome the coming of spring with a search for the first wildflower on the prairie!  This event has come to be a favorite of many people.  Whether this is a new event for you or whether you have enjoyed it in the past, the search for the pasque flower is an annual rite of passage of spring. The O’Brien County Naturalist will lead the Pasque Flower Hike on Sunday, April 15 at 2:00 p.m.  Enjoy an afternoon walk along the