Hartman Reserve Nature Center

💚 “We must teach our children to smell the earth, to taste the rain, to touch the wind, to see things grow, to hear the sun rise and night fall – to care.” – John Cleal

Today we celebrate parents who raise wild children. Happy Parent Appreciation Day!

🌙 Love the outdoors? Support our mission of conservation by being a sponsor for our Under the Harvest Moon fall fundraiser!

We’d love hand-made or store-bought items for our auctions, and financial support helps to cover our expenses. Depending on your level of support, you may receive a complimentary seat at an event table! Also, we’re working on a really cool raffle item – if you have old wood paddles or oars, we’ll take them!

If interested, please call Connie at 319-277-2187; your donation can follow before October 15.

🦟 Does anybody else feel like they have 4,372 bug bites?

Mosquitoes have had an extremely successful breeding season. Recent floods have created various stagnant pools perfect for egg-laying. Additionally, consistently high temperatures accelerated hatching. This explains the (seemingly infinite) number of mosquitoes present this year.

Wherever you go, bring your bug spray!

🧟‍♂️ They're coming to get you, Barbara...

Want to perfect your post-apocalyptic survival skills? Then Camp of the Undead is for you! There are still spots available in this epic camp.

Find out more information and register here 👉 https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Black-Hawk/Park/Hartman-Reserve-Nature-Center/Events.aspx

🦕 Fossil camp was a ROARing good time!

Campers learned all about the geologic history of Iowa and the process of fossilization. At the end of the day, they used their knowledge to complete a fossil scavenger hunt and construct their own fossilized specimens. Special thanks to geologist Sherman Lundy for sharing his fossil collection with us!

🦋🌷🦇 Butterflies, bats, and bees... OH MY!

There are still spots open for Pollinator Party camp! Campers will learn how to protect and preserve pollinator species by partaking in various fun activities.

Find out more info and register below 👇
https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Black-Hawk/Park/Hartman-Reserve-Nature-Center/Events.aspx

💧 Our second Water Camp of the summer was one for the books! Campers tapped into their inner fish by participating in various aquatic activities, like kayaking, swimming, creek stomping, and more.

🐾 There are only a few spots left for July Wild Kratts camps. Spots are filling fast, so register ASAP to learn more about Baby Tooth and Kid Musky!

Find more info here 👉 https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Black-Hawk/Events.aspx

🐸 We just really like frogs, okay?!

🌱 We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Trees Forever for our July Second Sunday Speaker! Join Bri on Sunday, July 14th to learn about seasonality, identification, and harvest of native prairie plants. This event is free, and registration is not required.

Find more info here 👉 https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Black-Hawk.aspx

🏹 Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the victors of the 2024 Hartman Games... Cameron and Maggie from District 12!

The past two Hunger Games camps have been a blast. Tributes had the opportunity to learn various skills that helped them in the arena, such as archery, wilderness first aid, wild edibles, and more.

P.S. Extra photos will be posted in a Facebook album at the end of the summer 📷

🇺🇸 Hartman Reserve Nature Center will be closed today, July 4th, in observance of Independence Day. Our trails will remain open!

Have a fun and safe Fourth of July!

🏹 Today is the day. These tributes are ready for the arena. Let the second annual Hartman Games commence! May the odds be ever in your favor.

Stay tuned for the victor announcement!

Black Hawk Park is still closed due to flooding. And unfortunately, the river is coming back and will keep the park closed through the weekend. We will be back with another update next week.

🎆 Hartman Reserve Nature Center will be closed on Thursday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. The trails will remain open!

🏹 Today is the day. These tributes are ready for the arena. Let the annual Hartman Games commence! May the odds be ever in your favor.

Stay tuned for the victor announcement!

⚠️ ATTENTION HIKERS!

Various trails in the lowland of Hartman Reserve are currently underwater due to flooding. Please use caution and avoid walking through the flood water.

Remember, turn around - don’t drown!

📚 Explore the natural world through words with Tales from the Trail, Hartman Reserve's book club! With new picks monthly, members will have the opportunity to expand their world view while learning about conservation, wildlife, and natural sciences.

July's pick is B*tch: On the Female of the Species by Lucy Cooke. In this wildly entertaining book, Cooke shows us a new evolutionary biology where females are as dynamic as any male.

Find out additional information and register here 👇
https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Black-Hawk/Park/Hartman-Reserve-Nature-Center/Events/25121/Tales-from-the-Trail-Book-Club.aspx

🐸 Can you find the frog? Hop on down to Hartman Reserve Nature Center this weekend to observe eastern gray tree frogs in action!

☀🌱🥾 Happy first day of summer!

Hartman Reserve staff and campers celebrated by travelling to Maquoketa Caves State Park to hike through the various trails and caves for our first Passport to the Parks camp of the season. It was a great opportunity to get outside and explore somewhere new!

🍉 Name a better way to end the week than spending time with your girls… we’ll wait!

Outdoor Girl was the perfect way to end last week! Camper favorites were crocheting, creek stomping, and watermelon!

P.S. Extra photos will be posted in a Facebook album at the end of the summer 📷

🦊 Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, wild or not! Today is a great day to celebrate everything dads do for us and how they help us grow up.

Human dads aren't the only ones we're celebrating - there are lots of awesome dads in the wild, too.

Red fox fathers play a determinant role in a kit's growth. Not only do they provide food and guard the den, but they also teach their kits how to protect themselves and scavenge for food. These skills are essential for their young to survive as they grow!

⭐️ Hartman Reserve Nature Center will be closed on Wednesday, June 19th, in observation of Juneteenth. Our trails will remain open!

⛺️ We had a great time with our Vintage Camp campers on Wednesday and Thursday! Highlights included hiking at Backbone State Park, kayaking at Big Woods Lake, and swimming at Pleasant Creek State Park.

P.S. Extra photos will be posted in a Facebook album at the end of the summer 📷

🐾 Activate your creature power suit!

We are so excited for our first Wild Kratts camp of the season. Will we be seeing you? Registration is filling fast, but there are still spots left for various summer dates!

Find more info here 👉 https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Black-Hawk/Events.aspx

It's a great weekend to go on a hobbit hike! 🥾🌱☀️

🕶 Meet our 2024 Iowa Americorps 4-H Environmental Education interns!

Our interns, Haley, Hallie, and Luke, are an integral part of Hartman Reserve's daily operations. They have been hard at work assisting staff with field trips and preparing for summer camps, as well as planning for our popular intern-led program, Wild Kratts.

Make sure to stop into the Interpretive Center and say hello this summer!

🌱 Happy World Environment Day!

Today, we are dreaming about some of our favorite spots at Hartman Reserve Nature Center. Do you have a favorite spot? Drop a photo in the comments below 👇

‼ ATTENTION: Due to low registration, our Wildlife Trivia Night scheduled for this upcoming Thursday will be postponed to a later date. Keep an eye on our social media for the new date and time!