Connecting Kids of All Ages to Nature

Any day is a good day for a hay rack ride, especially if it’s at Family Day at Belgum Grove. On Sunday, September 15, many of the estimated 70 event attendees boarded the hay rack for a guided tour of the property and enjoyed other activities for this annual event. Door prize winners took home birdhouses handmade by Dave Irvin, and kids of all ages brought home a Bur Oak Land Trust Nature Explorer t-shirt.

Raptology brought Rachel the peregrine falcon and Magic the merlin. Both birds are unable to live in the wild due to injuries. Magic is the newest member of the Raptology family, arriving in October 2018. Merlins, about the size of kestrels, are part of the falcon family and are rare in Iowa. (For context, in 2016 a nesting pair of merlins was observed in Iowa City by a former park ranger with an interest in raptors, and they were verified as merlins by a Department of Natural Resources wildlife expert. It was the first time in 108 years a nesting pair was documented in Iowa.) They are charming to look at and although diminutive, they are aggressive hunters. Appearances by these raptors offer a wonderful opportunity to see raptors up close and learn more about their amazing skills and beauty.

Not too far away from the Raptology presentation, Turkeyfoot Folk School was on hand to remind visitors that there is a lot to observe at ground level, too. They brought supplies for kids to make casts of animal paw prints. Everyone felt it was a great way to learn what kinds of animals make each print and to identify animal tracks when walking outdoors. And kids were able to keep the casts as fun souvenirs!

Kids could also choose from stones, pieces of wood, pine cones, and other materials to make artistic arrangements at the nature art station. Kids loved making personalized wooden medallions and finding out how many artistic arrangements they could create with items found in nature.

Dan Black has been one of the Belgum Grove volunteer property managers for 12 years and he enjoys sharing his love for Belgum Grove with guided hay rack rides. The first stop was the 4 ½ acre pond, which is home to blue gill, bass, and crappie, and catfish, where a scout troop recently installed wood structures on which turtles can sun themselves. Bur Oak Land Trust welcomes groups that want to contribute with these kinds of projects. Stopping next among a stand of white pines, Dan pointed out pawpaws planted as a food source for zebra swallowtail butterflies. The butterflies are expected to move farther north as the climate changes. Dan also pointed out the oak-hickory remnant that expands year by year as other trees die back. As Dan reminds all of us, young people are nature’s future caretakers and events like Bur Oak Land Trust’s Family Day are crucial to instilling a love for nature that will develop into long-term conservation efforts.

Daily life is surrounded by fast-moving influences, but visits to spots like Belgum Grove remind us to think about a slower-paced yet compelling cycle. What will the area look like in five or ten years? Will the pawpaws thrive among a changing canopy? Will zebra swallowtail butterflies become a common sight? And more importantly, how can we be good stewards of our natural areas?