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Pottawattamie Conservation Precautions During COVID-19

Posted on 6/26/2020

Pottawattamie Conservation is taking steps to help keep guests & staff members safe as we open more & more facilities for the summer season. From increased cleaning schedules to added safety equipment we aim to make your visit to a Pottawattamie Conservation park as fun & as safe as possible.

Guests visiting our parks will notice additional hand sanitizer stations near select hydrants, outside of bathrooms, & at our RV dumpstations. Guests are asked to make use of hand sanitizer, wash their hands thoroughly, & maintain recommended social distances of at least 6’ between themselves & others. Restrooms & other common touchpoints such as entry doors & counters are cleaned multiple times each business day with recommended cleansers. Masks are also highly recommended & appreciated when entering park offices or other buildings.

 

Guests to Hitchcock Nature Center’s Loess Hills Lodge will notice a few safety measures in place when you walk through the door. Upon entering the building you will notice hand sanitizer, all guests are asked to spritz their hands as they enter.  Restroom doors have also been propped open to eliminate the need for guests to touch door handles as they enter & exit. 

Planning on making a purchase in the gift shop or stop at the welcome desk? We are open for business with adjusted hours:

Monday – Wednesday – Closed
Thursday – Saturday – 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Sunday – 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

When you approach the desk you will notice social distancing stickers laid out to help you maintain recommended social distance as you browse & wait for assistance. To help keep our staff & volunteers behind the desk as safe as possible large clear screens have been placed around the counters. Masks, gloves, & sanitizer are also available to all of our staff & volunteers behind the desk & all commonly used items including pens & our credit card reader are sanitized after each use. The popular Loess Hills Lodge exhibit gallery is currently closed to reduce the number of people in the building so be ready to head back outside for your fun this summer.

Public programming at your parks may also look different the next time you join us. We have reduced our total number of participants, moved as many activities outdoors, set up sanitizer stations, & added pre-registration to control numbers. Even our summer camps have changed with camp times shifted, snacks being pre-packaged, & students have their own set of camp materials to use throughout their week at the park with no need to share. Social distancing is a huge part of our safety plan but sometimes it's not possible. In those instances staff will wear masks for safety, we politely request that program participants consider doing the same. Wearing a mask is a great way to keep our staff & your fellow program participants as safe as possible. 

As guidelines & recommendations change we will change as well so be prepared for additions, adjustments, & even potential additional closures as we navigate this global pandemic.

 

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