Bees and Berries Event

If you’re looking for something fun to do on Saturday, Sept. 17, look no further than three to four miles south of Nevada.
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day, Prairie Rivers of Iowa, along with Story County Conservation, ISU Extension, the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, the Outdoor Alliance of Story County, and the Story County Soil and Water Conservation District, brings “Bees and Berries Field Day” to Berry Patch Farm and the Jennett Heritage Area.
“The idea came from our team wanting to have an event that is fun and family-friendly that educates the public about the importance of pollinators for our food supply,” said Mike Kellner, public relations and marketing coordinator for Prairie Rivers of Iowa. “Thus, the Berry Patch location, and the importance of native habitat, like the prairie at the Jennett Heritage Area, are critical for health and survival of pollinators.”
Kellner said this will be the second time the organizations have held this event, which will include a number of fun learning activities. Those are as follows:
At Jennett Heritage Area (roughly 4 miles south of Nevada, along 280th Street)
• Guided pollinator and prairie walks
• Tub of creek critters
• Scavenger hunt
At Berry Patch Farm (just east of the Jennett Heritage Area):
• Face painting (tentative)
• Scavenger hunt
• Picking fruit and berries (for a fee)
• Many table displays from different partners, including Iowa State’s “build your own native bee nest” – how
pollinators help orchards produce food
Below are some additional details about the planned activities (more could be added by the time the event happens):
Prairie Rivers:
• Pollinator/prairie walks
• Creek Critters
Story County Conservation:
• Pollinator/prairie walks at Jennett
• ISU Water Quality trailer
ISU Extension:
• Pollination model using apple trees
• Map activity where participants “add habitat”
• Create your own native bee nest
• Wetland models and written native bee and monarch curriculum
Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium:
• Live specimens showing
monarch life cycle
Outdoor Alliance of Story
County:
• Literature about Outdoor
Alliance
Story County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• Information regarding conservation practices and farm programs that benefit producers and aid wild pollinators
To learn more about this event, go to: www.prrdc.org/bees-and-berries/.