Go Wild for Conservation On September 12th!

This year's event will be held on Thursday, September 12th with a whole new location & a new event plan. Sam Stivers, Pottawattamie County Conservation Administrative Director & Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation Secretary was nice enough to fill me in on some of the plans for this year's event.

I hear this year's event features a new layout & a new location. What can guests look forward to with this new direction?     

We are putting more focus on auction items & activities that have a connection to our parks & even our auction items will include ways to get you outside in the parks you are supporting.   We have also changed up the MC for the evening & will be welcoming comedian MC & auctioneer Kris Covi to add a bit of fun to the evening & there will be live raptors for viewing from our friends in Shelby County. Basically, we are trying to focus on our parks & the great outdoors in a fun & interactive way.

This year's beer tasting will even be different with three local breweries attending. We will have Keg Creek Brewery from Glenwood, Infusion Brewing from Benson, & Exile Brewing from Des Moines on site & pouring their new & seasonal beers for event attendees to try. Maybe guests will find a new favorite!

We are also really excited for the new location. The Grass Wagon is a new event venue in Council Bluffs, located at 110 South 29th Street & it is truly a terrific place. This new venue will change the look & feel of our event & give guests an opportunity to visit a new locally owned business. We hope you love the new location as much as we do.

Each year PCF identifies projects in the park that will be directly supported by funds raised during the event. What projects have the board chosen for support this year?

We are really focused on improvements & expansions this year. Projects include:

• The construction of three new modern cabins at Arrowhead Park. These new cabins will feature indoor plumbing, a full kitchen, a bathroom, & three bedrooms expanding our lodging offerings in Pottawattamie County.

• The construction of new restrooms at Old Town Park in Macedonia. These restrooms will add additional amenities to this park & with the soon to be installed playground they will really increase opportunities for area residents to make use of this terrific park.

• The construction of a new & improved shower facility at Botna Bend Park for better camper experience.

• Updates to the parking areas at Hitchcock Nature Center to improve access & increase capacity for large events.

• A new & updated website with a streamlined online membership portal.

• Continued support of the annual Speaker Series which features regional leaders in the fields of conservation & environmental science in a free to the public presentation. As well as continued support of all other Environmental Education programs, field trips, & in-school programming.

Everyone loves the auction! Are you planning on any changes to this year's auction event?

This year's auction with continue the tradition of both a silent auction to start & a live auction to close but guests will see a few changes. The silent auction will be a bit smaller than in years past with a focus on basket value & items that are related to our mission. The live auction will continue to feature "big ticket items" but with a shift, many of those items will feature unique & one of a kind experiences right in our very own parks. This way auction winners are connected with the very natural areas they are working to support! 

What are some of the live auction items guests can expect to be bidding on during this event?

We are still in the final stages of planning so things may get rearranged before our event but currently guests can expect to see some of the following items up for grabs during the live auction.

• A private raptor banding experience at Hitchcock Nature Center. This experience includes the raptor banding program, a cabin stay & we even provide food & a little wine for your visit.

• A special dinner with Bob & Elaine Fenner.

• A private hayrack ride & a personalized program during the Arrowhead Park Chili Fest in August, 2020 followed by a weekend stay in one of Arrowhead Park's new, modern cabins.

• A private dinner party, Wasting Away in Margaritaville, for 8 to 10 people.

• A weekend stay in a 30' travel trailer (sleeps up to 6) at Botna Bend Park. During your stay you will enjoy a private program on the bison & elk that call Botna Bend Home, along with breakfast & a chuck wagon cook out dinner.

• A private ATV tour of Hitchcock Nature Center that includes a back country camping experience including tent set up with all camping needs for the night (air mattress, camp stove, etc.).

• A heavy duty garden wagon filled with liquor, mixers, wine, & beer for your next party.

• Selection of your own locally harvested lumber (100 board feet)from one of our very own parks.

• A local wine & brewery tour including transportation & lunch at Tobey Jacks as you visit: Breezy Hills in Minden, Prairie Crossing in Treynor, Full Fledge Brewing in Council Bluffs, Vine Street Cellars, Bodega Victoriana, & Keg Creek Brewery all in Glenwood.

You may want to get together with friends & decide what to bid on early to pool your resources to share the fun!

Tickets

Tickets for this terrific annual event are available now! Show your support for conservation, land stewardship, environmental education, & low impact recreation by reserving yours today. Tickets are $50.00 each or you can purchase a table of 10 for $450.00. Tickets may be purchased online on the Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation website or you can call the Pottawattamie County Conservation Board office at 712-328-5638 to make your reservation.