Conservator
May, 2021
Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation
New Online Donor Support Process
The Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation (PCF) is pleased to announce that it recently launched a new donor support option for online giving. With this new process, supporting your County parks is easier than ever! The new process is part of the continuing development of Pottawattamie Conservation's new website launched in 2020. Now, supporting trail maintenance at Hitchcock Nature Center, the bison herd at Botna Bend, or educational programs for our community members is just a few clicks away. Click the button below to find out more about the new online donations process and consider supporting the mission and work of Pottawattamie Conservation and PCF today!
Building Better Birders Workshop Series

Join us May 9th for a series of workshops intended to help budding birders expand and sharpen their birding skills! Attend one or all five of the workshops put on by Kelly McKay, Mark Roberts, and Brian Ritter. Registration required.


2021 Summer Nature Camps are Filling Fast
Register Online Today!
Space is filling fast in our 2021 summer nature camps & you don't want to miss out on all of the fun!

Check out our website for more information on our camps, we have something for everyone with camps for learners from Pre-K through 9th Grade.

A terrific summer adventure is waiting at your county parks!
The Hitchcock Hitchhike Series Returns on May 18th!
After a hiatus in 2020, the Hitchcock Hitchhike series of guided hikes returns to the park! Join us Tuesday, May 18th at 7:00 p.m. for the first Hitch Hike of 2021. Visitors will hike along a Loess Hills ridge top through scenic prairie to reach the McIntosh Pioneer Cemetery, founded in 1874. This trail is only accessible with a Pottawattamie Conservation staff member and is not considered open to the public. Enjoy the spring wildflowers of the prairie including blue-eyed grass, puccoons, and locoweed.
Loess Hills Lodge Hours of Operation
Beginning May 1st, 2021
Pottawattamie Conservation and PCF
Main Office Has a New Location!
It's time to update your rolodex!

Our main offices in Council Bluffs have moved to a new location on the Pottawattamie County Courthouse campus. Recent renovations to office spaces in the Courthouse building itself included space for Pottawattamie Conservation's and PCF's main office. No longer located in the courthouse campus Annex Building, the new locations are on the second floor of the courthouse. New address is below!

227 S. 6th St., Suite 204
Council Bluffs, IA 51501
Upcoming Programs
Little Tike Hike at Hitchcock Nature Center
6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Daily
May 1st - 10th
Hitchcock Nature Center, Honey Creek
Young learners will experience nature first-hand during this self-guided hike full of fun at Hitchcock Nature Center. Read More ...
Little Tike Hike at Botna Bend Park
6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Daily
May 1st - 31st
Botna Bend Park, Hancock
Young learners will experience nature first-hand during this self-guided hike full of fun at Botna Bend Park. Read More ...
Homeschool in the Hills: Fungi
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
May 5th
Hitchcock Nature Center, Honey Creek
Learn more about the ways fungi species help balance & renew our environment during this special, homeschool field trip. Read More ...
Hikin' With a Nature Nerd
6:00 p.m.
May 5th
Hitchcock Nature Center, Honey Creek
Explore the unexplored corners of your county parks during this unique guided hike series. Read More ...
Morels, Fungi, and Lichens: A Land Ethic Workshop
9:00 a.m.
May 8th
Online Event
Explore the philosophy of Aldo Leopold and the role that these important but often overlooked organisms play in our ecosystems during this online class. Read More ...
Building Better Birders: Multiple Sessions
6:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. Sessions
May 9th
Hitchcock Nature Center, Honey Creek
Attend one or all of these free individual workshops intended to help you build or improve your birding skills. Read More ...
Fundamentals of Garden Layers with Benjamin Vogt
7:00 p.m.
May 13th
Council Bluffs Public Library, Council Bluffs
Benjamin Vogt is back to discuss using native plants to beautify and diversify gardens at your home, work, or neighborhood. Read More ...
Hikin' With a Nature Nerd
10:00 a.m.
May 14th
Arrowhead Park, Neola
Explore the unexplored corners of your county parks during this unique guided hike series. Read More ...
May Hitchhike
May 18th
7:00 p.m.
Hitchcock Nature Center, Honey Creek
The Hitchhike series is back! Enjoy a guided hike exploring the natural and human history of Hitchcock Nature Center and nearby McIntosh Pioneer Cemetery. Read More ...
Hikin' With a Nature Nerd
6:00 p.m.
May 25th
Wheeler Grove Conservation Area, Macedonia
Explore the unexplored corners of your county parks during this unique guided hike series. Read More ...