We had a wonderful time at our Family Events this past summer and fall! Stay tuned for more events next spring!
Here’s what we did:
Family Fishing at Kent Park
Date: Sunday, July 30 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Place: Kent Park Lake Fishing Pier
Cost: Free (limited space, registration required)
Turkey Creek Family Day
Date: Sunday, August 13 1 – 4 p.m.
Place: Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, 2545 Sugar Bottom Road
Cost: Free (limited space, registration required)
Hickory Hill Family Nature ID Hike
Date: Sunday, September 10 2 – 4 p.m.
Place: Hickory Hill Park, Conklin Lane Entrance
Cost: Free (limited space, registration required)
Family Campout at Kent Park
Date: 2 p.m. Saturday, September 23 to 4 p.m. Sunday, September 24
Place: Kent Park Youth Group Campground
Cost: $50/child, $75/adult
(Some gear required, see description below)
Family Fishing at Kent Park
Date: Sunday, October 8 3 – 6 p.m.
Place: Kent Park Lake Fishing Pier
Cost: Free (limited space, registration required)
Event Descriptions:
Family Fishing at Kent Park
We’ll fish for bluegills, bass, crappies, and catfish in the clean, clear waters of Kent Park Lake. We’ll release most of them, but if we catch any big ones, we can fillet them and fry them up on the camp stove for a crispy, delicious snack.
No experience or equipment is required; you can bring your own tackle or use a Taproot willow pole. We’ll help with everything. The Taproot poles are simple and primitive, and we’ve caught thousands of fish with them over the years!
Participants age 16 or older will need an Iowa fishing license, available at the Iowa DNR website.
Turkey Creek Family Day
Wear your water shoes and come play in Turkey Creek just like your Taproot Kids!
Catch minnows and crayfish with the 2-person seine net, curate a fossil museum, paint mud tattoos, hunt for arrowheads and mammoth molars, and feel the cool water on your feet.
Family Campout at Kent Park
Let’s go camping! Bring your own tent, sleeping supplies, camp chairs, and mess kits, and we’ll provide pretty much everything else, including delicious, nutritious food. Possible activities–all optional–include: Hiking, fishing, morning yoga, prairie flower bouquets, kayaking/canoeing/SUPing in the lake, camp meal preparation, games, fire-building, fireside chats, a nighttime hike, and stargazing.
The late September weather could be hot or frosty or somewhere in between–all in the same day! It is all wonderful in its own way, so be ready to adapt! Contact Zac and Elesa for low-cost ideas on acquiring camping gear you don’t already own.
Family Nature ID Hike at Hickory Hill Park
Take a walk with Elesa, Zac, and other Taproot families through our beloved Hickory Hill Park. We’ll leave from the picnic shelter at the Conklin Lane entrance, just off North Dodge Street.
Bring your binoculars and field guides if you want, or just yourself. We’ll look for birds, trees, bugs, fungi, plants, flowers, fruits, and berries, and use our guides and knowledge to figure out what humans call them and some of the things that make them all special. If you have an idea for a family event, please reach out via email to info@taprootnatureexperience.org.