Washington County Conservation

09/02/2026

Calling all food vendors! We are looking for a few food vendors or trucks who would be interested in setting up shop the night of the Halloween Hike! If you are interested, please give us a call at 319.657.2400. 😊

08/25/2026

Calling all campers! For our annual Halloween Hike, we would like to incorporate trick-or-treating in the campground for our hike attendees. If you are interested in offering trick-or-treating at your campsite, please see details below. Registration is required, so we know how many trick-or-treating spots to expect! Please give us a call at 319.657.2400 if you have questions. 🎃⛺️

08/20/2026

We were very fortunate to have Erin on staff this summer! She contributed her talent and creativity to our summer camps! 🙂

07/28/2026

The Iowa DNR is hosting a Learn to Fur Harvest class at the nature center on Saturday! See the details below if you're interested in attending the class.

05/27/2026

PSA to all nature lovers! We typically receive a handful of calls each year from concerned citizens about fawns. Rest assured, they have not been abandoned by Mom! The best thing you can do is leave them be, and keep all pets away from them.

Hi. I'm a fawn. ‍👋 Mom left me here while she went on a grocery run. It's cool, I have these neat spots that help me blend in with the forest floor and hide until she's back. Really!

If you see wildlife babies on their own, let them be - their parents know best, and most wildlife leave nests or dens well in advance of being able to care for themselves.

In the case of fawns, they don't move around much the first few weeks, which keeps them from spreading their scent. This hiding strategy is a fawn's best chance of survival until it's old enough to follow Mama Doe around. (Don't worry, she comes back to nurse her baby when you're not looking.)

Although broods or litters of wildlife babies may become widely scattered as young leaves the nest or den, little ones still remain under the direct care and feeding of their parents.

Remember, taking in wildlife is not only illegal, but it often dooms the creature you're trying to save. If you know for certain that a wildlife parent has died, contact a licensed wildlife rehabber and wait for any instructions before handling wildlife: iowadnr.gov/WildlifeRehab

Photo: Eric Burson

05/04/2026

We are officially back to summer hours! 😊

04/13/2026

🗣️WATER IS ON IN THE CAMPGROUND!! Do what you will with this information and maybe we'll see you soon🤗

04/03/2026

We are in search of a campground host for the 2026 camping season! See more details below. ☺️