The Jasper County Conservation Department has wrapped up the fall school field trip season. Conservation Department Naturalist Catie Cantu says they take students from all school districts in the county to various county parks for special outdoor activities, from mid-September to the end of October. Volunteers are essential to this effort, according to Cantu. She says in October alone, 79 volunteers contributed 385 volunteer hours.

“A lot of them are retired teachers, people I got to know when I started working here that helped me with my job and coached me along. We work closely with Iowa State University Extension, the Audubon Society worked a lot with us, and the Lynnville Historical Society down at Wagaman Mill.”

Cantu says all the supplies used for the field trips are paid for through the conservation department, with help from grants and the schools. She talks more about the Jasper County Conservation Department’s school field trip program on Monday’s Let’s Talk Newton.