Monona County Conservation Board

08/19/2026

Some of you may have noticed an increase of activity happening at our Schoenjahn Wildlife Area next to the Mapleton city dump. MCCB received funds from the Iowa Forest Resiliency Partnership Program grant which is allowing us to improve multiple of the forests that we manage.

The Schoenjahn Wildlife Area has multiple areas of extreme tree overgrowth and a lack of timber diversity. Our goal is to clear away many of these trees and replant multiple other tree species that will benefit wildlife and help create a healthy forest.

08/19/2026

The Monona County Conservation Board would like to thank the Boynton Family for their donation of funds to help promote National Archery in the Schools programs in Monona County schools. These funds will be used to purchase archery equipment that can be used by schools and the county to promote archery programs in Monona County.

08/17/2026

Final Reminder:
Sign up now to join us this coming Saturday August 22nd from 8AM-1PM for our Hunter Education Field Day!
This field day will be lead by certified Hunter Ed instructors from MCCB and IA DNR staff.
This Field Day requires completion of one of the approved online course options for Iowa Hunter Education prior to the class, as well as preregistration on a first come, first served basis. The online courses will take several hours to complete, so don't wait, get those done asap!
This Field Day will have a classroom cap of 35 students.
The classroom portion of the event will take place at the Monona County Conservation Board Office and Arboretum grounds (318 E Iowa Onawa, IA 51040) from 8AM-12PM. Students will receive their certificates after successfully passing an exam at the end of the course. Parents/Guardians should expect to begin picking up students around 11:15-11:30AM.
We will offer an optional live fire activity at Gramm Wetland (approximately ½ mile East of the MCCB Office on HWY 175) from approximately 12PM-1PM. Parents/Guardians are required to transport students to Gramm Wetland. All supplies will be provided. We will be shooting shotguns at clay targets.
Questions about this event can be posted in the comments below or by contacting our office via phone (712)-433-2400 or email at [email protected]
Register by following the link here: https://license.gooutdoorsiowa.com/Event/ViewEvent.aspx?id=3917&searchText=&type=0&startDate=08%2F17%2F2026&endDate=04%2F17%2F2027&zipcode=&distancefrom=

08/12/2026

Monona County Conservstion Board would like to thank Missouri River Valley Chapter of Delta Waterfowl and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers for their support in our well project at Gramm Wetland. Both organizations help provide the funds needed for MCCB to install a 500 gpm electric well pump in our existing well set-up at Gramm Wetland. This will allow us to add water to our wetland areas, and create waterfowl hunting opportunities for the public to enjoy! This photo is of MCCB Director, Josh Schaben, receiving checks for the project from both organizations at last weekends Delta Waterfowl banquet in Sioux City.

08/07/2026

Exciting news for this year's Spooking at the Pits Halloween event! MCCB is adding two inflatables to the event, a bounce house and an obstacle course! Spooking at the Pits is Saturday October 3rd, this is our annual Halloween event at Peter's Park, near Rodney, IA. This event is free to all participants, (campers must still register and pay for their sites), and is open to all members of the public.

08/04/2026

Join us in September as we participate in some citizen science! Tagging monarchs helps scientists understand this species migration patterns and population survival rates as well as supporting conservation efforts for monarchs.

08/04/2026

Reminder:
Sign up now to join us on Saturday August 22nd from 8AM-1PM for our Hunter Education Field Day!
This field day will be lead by certified Hunter Ed instructors from MCCB and IA DNR staff.
This Field Day requires completion of one of the approved online course options for Iowa Hunter Education prior to the class, as well as preregistration on a first come, first served basis. This Field Day will have a classroom cap of 35 students.
The classroom portion of the event will take place at the Monona County Conservation Board Office and Arboretum grounds (318 E Iowa Onawa, IA 51040) from 8AM-12PM. Students will receive their certificates after successfully passing an exam at the end of the course. Parents/Guardians should expect to begin picking up students around 11:15-11:30AM.
We will offer an optional live fire activity at Gramm Wetland (approximately ½ mile East of the MCCB Office on HWY 175) from approximately 12PM-1PM. Parents/Guardians are required to transport students to Gramm Wetland. All supplies will be provided. We will be shooting shotguns at clay targets.
Questions about this event can be posted in the comments below or by contacting our office via phone (712)-433-2400 or email at [email protected]
Register by following the link here: https://license.gooutdoorsiowa.com/Event/ViewEvent.aspx?id=3917&searchText=&type=0&startDate=08%2F04%2F2026&endDate=04%2F04%2F2027&zipcode=&distancefrom=

07/27/2026

If you've been waiting for a chance to book a stay in our Serenity cabin in Peter's Park (near Rodney, IA), this weekend may be your best chance of the summer! This cabin sleeps eight, is ADA accessible, has modern appliances, A/C, a walk in shower, a master bedroom with a queen sized bed, bunk beds in an additional bedroom and a fold down futon couch. Your own porch, patio, and fire ring provide an excellent spot to watch the lake and enjoy the last weekend of July!
Don't forget to bring bedding, towels and other personal supplies.
The Serenity Cabin is available for rent on mycountyparks.com, link below:

https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Monona/Park/Peters-Park/Facility/Serenity-Cabin

This modern  ADA accessible cabin offers a gorgeous overlook of the Peter's Park Pit, nestled along the Little Sioux...

07/18/2026

Quick announcement for Peter's Park campground:
The second shower house is finished and officially open for use. Thank you everyone for your patience as we worked to complete this project with our contractors. We hope everyone enjoys their weekend and stays cool!

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