Members of the Jasper County Conservation Department host school field trips almost every day for students of all ages from around Jasper County. This week, Lynnville-Sully 4th graders learned about bison and the history of prairie at Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve. They also helped harvest prairie seed and participated in a bison bone dig. SHARE Preschool students also went to Mariposa Park this week to visit the Nature Playscape Trail and look for bugs along the hiking trail and lake. Jasper County Conservation Naturalist Catie Cantu is looking forward to when she can bring kids to the new Dana King Ceretti Environmental Education Center.

“We are so excited about that. To have the building and indoor space along with two ponds and trails, and just being close to Newton and the center of the county with easy access for everyone. It’s just going to be fantastic.”

The building is expected to be open before the end of the year. The second phase, which will add a greenhouse and seed lab area, is to be added next spring, with full funding from the Geisler Penquite Foundation.