Story County Conservation

05/24/2026

Great weekend for a ride on the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail!

05/22/2026

You aren't the only one excited about hitting the parks for the holiday weekend - the goats have officially landed for the summer! They're already busy gobbling up undesirable underbrush at Hickory Grove Park and Christiansen Forest Preserve.

We’ll move them around periodically to make sure they have plenty to eat. If you visit, applaud them for their hard work, feel free to admire from a distance - but please be mindful of their electric fence.

Have a safe and outdoorsy weekend in the parks!

05/22/2026

Now is an exciting time for Conservation in Story County, with the recently passed Story County Water & Land Legacy Bond and its many upcoming projects. We’re seeking a strong leader to assist with related projects and park improvements, as well as general grounds and facility maintenance. This supervisory role is based out of Hickory Grove Park and involves project and budget management, equipment operation, park planning and so much more.

Story County Conservation is seeking applicants for the Operations Supervisor at Hickory Grove Park. This position is responsible for supervising the maintenance, operations, and programs of assigned county conservation lands and facilities. This position performs varied administrative, management, supervisory, and technical maintenance functions. For more details about the position and to apply, please follow https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/storyia?

05/21/2026

Still looking for a place to camp this weekend? Good news - we have plenty of sites available at Dakins Lake in Zearing! Just 35-minutes from Ames, this peaceful park offers quiet campsites, great fishing and big-sky sunsets in a small-town setting.

Available as of 3 PM on 5/21:
-Dakins Lake - East: 3 RV sites, with water/electric
-Dakins Lake - Main: 11 RV sites, with water/electric
-Dakins Lake Primitive: 1 site

No reservations needed, just show up, scan QR code, and pay online!

📍70613 130th St, Zearing, IA
📞We're here until 4:30 today and Friday, feel free to call with questions!
🔗Plan your stay: https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Story/Park/Dakins-Lake

*We plan to update this post with the number of vacancies as of midday Friday.

05/21/2026

Join us TONIGHT for our next Big Bluestem Audubon Society meeting! 🐦🌿 We are thrilled to welcome speaker Joan Van Gorp from Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge for what is sure to be a fascinating evening. Come learn about one of Iowa's most incredible conservation success stories right in our backyard!

📍 Ames Public Library
🕡 6:30 PM

All are welcome — whether you are a longtime member or just curious about Iowa wildlife and conservation. We hope to see you there!

05/21/2026

Do you know of a girl that is 12-15 years old? Here is a great program for them. It is 3 days and 2 nights of learning great outdoor skills that will last a lifetime and making friends. We have one program at Hickory Hills south of Waterloo in July and one at Wildwood Hills Ranch near St. Charles in Aug.

July OJ link: https://license.gooutdoorsiowa.com/Event/ViewEvent.aspx?id=3677

Aug. OJ link:
https://license.gooutdoorsiowa.com/Event/ViewEvent.aspx?id=3678

05/19/2026

✅ Day 1 - Another round of seasonal employees got their start today as we welcomed them to spend the summer with us! Per tradition, we gathered at the Conservation Center for a staff recognition breakfast and celebrated the busy season ahead. Our new hires then spent the day completing orientation training - you’ll see them in the parks soon!

Each summer, our “seasonals” assist with keeping the parks maintained, campgrounds running smoothly, teach nature camps, and more. Some are returning for a second year, some have interned in other counties or volunteered with us before. Others are dipping their toes into their first conservation role. We look forward to sharing our skills and experiences with the next generation of leaders in natural resources and recreation - it really is a rewarding experience for us, too.

Thank you to all staff for the great cooking and leadership. If you see any of these new faces around this summer, give them a friendly welcome! 👋

(🐍 Red even got to sit in on training today for a while!)

05/18/2026

Watershed Coordinator, Dan Haug, recently wrote an article for Iowa Natives sharing about his work with improving water quality:

"...We want kids to be able to play in Ioway Creek without being exposed to human and animal f***s. We want to improve smallmouth bass fishing in the Skunk River. We want to reduce the frequency and extent of flooding in Ames and Story City. We want nitrates in the Raccoon River to be low enough that residents of the Des Moines metro can have safe and affordable drinking water. If you can articulate these kinds of concerns and band together with people who share them, then watershed projects and watershed partnerships can be powerful and empowering."

Read more about watersheds, water quality and Dan's work on the Iowa Natives website: 🔗https://www.iowa-natives.org/dan-haug