Monarchs, Fall Colors and Halloween Plans Keep Mahaska County Conservation Busy

OSKALOOSA — The arrival of monarch butterflies in Mexico and children finding a new outdoor activity are just some of the things that Mahaska County Conservation has to offer in the fall.

This Friday and the October Halloween event are some of the activities that are scheduled. In an interview with Oskaloosa News on Monday, September 14th, Laura DeCook, who coordinates environmental education, talked about those plans, the first indications of the leaves changing and the families who had recently attended the Youth Outdoor Field Day.

On Friday, the program entitled “A Monarch’s Incredible Journey” will be shown at the Environmental Learning Center, located at 2342 Highway 92 in Oskaloosa, from 1 to 2 p.m. on September 18.

Ella Paulson, who is the administrative assistant and naturalist with Mahaska County Conservation, will be giving the talk, and the subjects will be the monarch’s life cycle, its journey to Mexico, and the importance of milkweed and flowers that bloom in the fall.

The program is included in OWLS, an acronym for Older, Wiser, Livelier Souls. Even though the name suggests that, DeCook stressed that people of all ages are welcome. She also mentioned that adults who need to take a child with them can do so, even though the presentation is intended for an adult audience.

They appreciate early registration, and if you plan to come, please call 641-673-9327.

The timing allows the participants to find out about a journey that is already in progress. DeCook stated that the monarchs observed during the fall migration belong to a generation which has a considerably longer adult lifespan than those seen earlier in the summer.

Adults that occur in the summer only last a few weeks, while those of the fall generation can survive for several months and thus move south to spend the winter in Mexico.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states that shorter days and cooler temperatures cause this migratory group to migrate. The butterflies save energy and accumulate fat reserves in order to carry out their long journey and survive the winter.

Butterflies are only one aspect of the seasonal changes.

DeCook has now started to notice the leaves changing color. When the amount of daylight decreases, the green chlorophyll breaks down, which makes the yellow and orange colors more noticeable. The Iowa State University Extension states that the yellow and orange pigments are there during the growing season but are masked by the green.

DeCook stated that a forecast which she had recently looked at indicated that the peak color in this region would occur from mid-October onwards to the end of October. The timing and intensity of the display will be determined by the weather and local conditions.

As the changes are taking place, DeCook is at the same time reflecting on a busy Youth Outdoor Field Day which took place on September 12 at the Russell Wildlife Area.

She said that more than 100 people had attended, even though the final figure had not yet been arrived at when she spoke on Monday. Families and grandparents who had grandchildren moved around the various activities, trying out the outdoor skills and learning about nature.

“It was a beautiful day for that,” DeCook remarked. “The weather was perfect.”

The most notable instances were children gaining confidence.

DeCook remembered a little girl who at first didn’t want to attempt shooting a .22; she eventually had a go and then felt pleased with her target, taking it home with her.

Fishing also had its own rewards since the children would catch fish in the pond and DeCook got a photograph of one girl kissing her catch in celebration.

The police and the sheriff’s K-9 units also went there, allowing the children the opportunity to come into contact with the dogs and to find out about the kinds of animals that serve the community.

A favorite attraction was the Marshall family’s exhibit on beekeeping, which allowed children to put on the clothes of beekeepers and look at the equipment. The flower-stamping activity demonstrated the amount of work bees do in order to produce even a small quantity of honey.

DeCook mentioned that some of the children named the beekeeping station as their favorite.

That is the reason why they have a wide range of activities, she said, since a short experience can lead to an interest which continues long after the event.

As DeCook explained, they would like to offer people a taste of some of the things possible in nature and outdoors and hope that this will continue in the future.

Families can as well begin making arrangements for the Halloween Bash on Saturday, the 24th of October, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Eveland Access Campground, located at 2890 Galeston Avenue in Oskaloosa.

DeCook stated that food trucks will be a new feature this year, providing visitors with a greater variety of food and drinks during the event.

The posted schedule includes:

* 1–3 p.m.: Carnival games.
* 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.: BARK Ranger activities and dog costume parade.
* At 2 p.m. there is the decorated pumpkin contest and people are expected to bring a pumpkin that is already decorated.
* 2:30 p.m.: Halloween bingo.
* At 3:30 p.m. : Not So Spooky Stories with Mrs. Fox.
* At 4 p.m. there was a countdown to the trick-or-treat event at the shelter house.
* From 4 to 5:30 p.m. we went from campsite to campsite as part of the trick-or-treating.
* From 7 to 9 p.m. there is the Lights & Sights Auto Campsite Tour.

DeCook stated that dogs had to be on leashes and that the canine activities would involve bobbing for hot dogs.

One of her favorite things about the celebration is the drive through the campground in the evening, when people can see the decorated campsites in the dark and cast their votes.

The tour starts close to the shelter house, and a donation of about $5 will help with campground improvements.

DeCook asked residents to continue watching Mahaska County Conservation’s Facebook page and website for any information about the programs and updates.

The department also offers the Prairie Star, its quarterly newsletter. Residents can call 641-673-9327 to request an emailed copy or stop at the Environmental Learning Center for a printed copy.