Published on Sep 3, 2024
Conservation

Celebrate Iowa’s Natural World with Johnson County Conservation’s new Wings & Wild Things Festival! 

Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of nature, with Johnson County Conservation’s new Wings & Wild Things Festival. The event will feature hands-on learning activities, guided exploration, and animal meet and greets. Meet a live owl, study Iowa’s threatened box turtles, get your hands dirty making milkweed seed balls, pick up native plants for your yard, and more. Visitors can enjoy guided bird walks, mushroom forays, and fishing activities. Local food vendors will cook up good eats, so visitors can focus on enjoying activities and exploring Johnson County’s Kent Park, without worrying about mealtime. 

The Wings & Wild Things Festival is on Sunday, October 6 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Kent Park in Oxford, Iowa. Johnson County Conservation is joined by numerous local organizations to make this event possible.  A list of many event activities is provided below.

Activities will include:

  • Live raptor meet & greets
  • Native plant sale
  • Guided bird walks
  • Mushroom forays and specimen study
  • Plein Air Painting
  • Fishing
  • Dip Netting for aquatic critters
  • Hawk watch
  • Reptile demonstrations & habitat walks
  • Pollinator education
  • Nature Trivia
  • Hands-on milkweed seed ball making
  • Featured education speakers
  • DIY bird decal-making station
  • Seed planting & stratification activities
  • Animal Biofacts education stations
  • Bird nest education & native seed ball giveaway
  • Mysteries of migration activity stations
  • and more

Partner Organizations

Wings & Wild Things Festival partner groups include Iowa City Bird Club, Raptology, Prairie States Mushroom Club, Indian Creek Nature Center, Johnson County Master Gardeners of Iowa, Troutleaf Native Plants, Arts Iowa City’s ArtiFactory, Pollinator Partnership, Iowa Master Naturalists, Extant Relatives, Backyard Abundance, Raptology, Taproot Nature Experience, Trees Forever, and Wild Ones- Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Seedling Chapter.

Food Vendors

Local food vendors Griddle Me This and Luna's Tacos of Iowa City will cook delicious food throughout this event.

More Information

Maps and more information will be published on the Johnson County Conservation public events page at https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Johnson/Park/JOHNSON-COUNTY-EDUCATION-PROGRAMS/Events/25374/Wings-Wild-Things-Festival.aspx.