Learn from home with online resources

Students make pine cone bird feeders
Children look through spotting scopes at birds in the marsh
Students look for colors in nature with a homemade scavenger hunt

Explore the Outdoors

65 Things to Do in Winneshiek County

To honor the progress the Winneshiek County Conservation Bard has made in the past 65 years, the board members and staff created a “bucket list” of 65 things to do in Winneshiek County parks and trails. We challenge you to do as many of the activities as possible! Keep track of the memories you make at the parks and trails by taking pictures and sharing them on social media. Use the hashtags #65thingsinwinneshiekcounty and #winneshiekwild. Don’t forget to tag Winneshiek County Conservation! Get the list at any of our public programs or download it here:

WCCB 65 Things to Do

Students sit on benches looking at pictures of local birds as they learn to identify them

1-Sheet Field Guides

These field guides were developed to highlight species that novice outdoor explorers are likely to see on an excursion in Northeast Iowa. The guides are adjusted to target either beginner (early childhood and elementary) or intermediate (upper elementary and middle) users, and there are some individual animal profile sheets included as well.

Discovery Packs

Discovery Packs, Park Packs, Adventure Packs...Whatever you call them, Exploration Packs are a growing trend in nature centers, parks, and communities across the nation as a way to get children, families, and individuals out exploring nature on their own. Discovery Packs are filled with tools, activities, and tips on what to do or look for, but allow for users to be guided and directed by their own curiosity.

Want to make your own Discovery Pack? The Winneshiek County Conservation Board surveyed a number of organizations with Discovery Packs, asking them to provide their best advice for hosting a set of packs. Here, we've compiled their responses, including pack content lists, supplier suggestions, activity guides, and general tips. We hope you find it helpful as you develop your own Discovery Packs.

The Winneshiek County Conservation Board wishes to thank all other organizations and individuals who assisted with this project and the Iowa DNR's Resource Enhancement and Protection - Conservation Education Program (REAP-CEP) for its support.

Girl with Discovery Pack

Pack Themes and Contents

Click on each of the themes below to access pack content suggestions, printable handouts, and activity suggestions. If you have additional information you'd like to see added, please feel free to contact us. All files are .pdf unless otherwise noted.

Click here for general Discovery Pack resources and ideas.

Marketing Tips

The following suggestions are compiled from responses to a survey distributed via the IAN (Iowa Association of Naturalists) listserv, as well as from the final reports of organizations that received funding from the Iowa DNR's REAP-CEP for their pack programs.