Marshall County Conservation gears up for photo contest, pancake feed
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The Marshall County Conservation Board is dedicated to offering interesting and informational programming and events year-round.
Its 23rd annual photo contest is now in progress. While the deadline to enter has passed (January 31), the public is asked to help select the People's Choice winner.
Visit Marshall County Conservation Board's Facebook page to view its 2024 Annual Photo Contest album. Like or love as many pictures as you want. The one with the most likes and loves wins. The contest ends Feb. 12 at midnight.
There were 84 entries for the contest, in five categories for adults: Scenic (Natural Resources); Native Plants; Native Wildlife; Outdoor Recreation (new this year); and Open Nature (photos taken outside of Marshall County).
There is a special open class for youth ages 17 and under. A $25 gift card will be given to the winner of each category.
"We used to hand out certificates at a chili supper but we canceled that after COVID," Director Emily Herring said.
On Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Grimes Farm, youth in kindergarten through third grade can attend a free program on herpetology that seeks to dispel myths and cast aside fears of amphibians and reptiles. Naturalist Emma Bruck will lead the event. Register by 4 p.m. February 16 by calling 641-752-5490, emailing mccb@marshallcountyia.gov, or texting only 641-758-9777.
Herring said the MCCB is excited to again host the Trees to Table Pancake Feed, which is set for March 2 from 7 to 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Grimes Farm and Conservation Center for $6 in advance or $7 at the door. Included with your ticket will be three pancakes, two sausage links and a drink. The syrup that will be served was harvested locally from maple trees in Grammer Grove Wildlife Area in Liscomb.
"When we tap trees, we tap when the days are getting above freezing and the nights are staying below freezing. Then we have to stop collecting sap once the buds of the trees start to open up," Herring said.
The sap is then cooked down in an evaporator.
"We usually prefer hard maples like sugar or black maple because their buds don't open as much or as early," Herring said. "You can tap a silver maple, but their buds tend to open up and when they open up, it affects the flavor of the syrup."
Money raised goes back to Grammer Grove and the upkeep of the park, sugar bush and maple syrup programming.
She noted the syrup that will be served is from a previous tapping year.
"Maple syrup can last more than 50 years," she said. "People can harvest at home and we'll explain how to do this at the pancake feed."
Herring added that while tapping trees, she learned that Canada is home to three warehouses that make up the world's only reserve of maple syrup: the Laurierville Plant and Warehouse, in the Centre-du-Québec region.
"The site can store 55 million pounds of maple syrup," she said.
While the MCCB used to sell the syrup by the bottle, it is now only available for consumption at events.
"The derecho hit the sugar bush so we don't have enough quantities for sale anymore," she noted.
Marshall County is home to 34 different public recreation areas. The MCCB is selling atlases it created of the parks and trails, with aid from the Geographic Information System (GIS) Department.
They're available at the Auditor's Office or at the Nature Center, for $10. Days getting longer and hints of spring in the air affect animals in hibernation (which is voluntary) and in torpor (which is involuntary).
She said people would soon start seeing migratory birds coming through the area.
"It'll probably be a little while before spring ephemerals come up, but with this warm weather, who knows?" Herring said.
The public is invited to attend a free presentation from Iowa Bird Rehabilitation (IBR) at the conservation center at 11:30 a.m. on March 14. The IBR is a wildlife rehabilitation center in Iowa that cares for songbirds, waterfowl, gamebirds, shorebirds and small raptors, and is a non-profit. Its objective is to recover, rehabilitate and release orphaned and injured wild birds in the state of Iowa. At the program, IBR staff will also talk about volunteer opportunities. There is no fee for this program. Preregistration is required by March 8 before 4 p.m.