Welcome

Welcome to the Winnebago County Conservation Board, one of 99 county conservation boards in Iowa.

We are located in the rolling hills of north-central Iowa's prairie pothole region.

Our purpose is to provide outdoor recreational opportunities for everyone and to protect and conserve our natural resources.

Scroll down for the latest news and browse through our web site often to see what we have to offer! And, be sure to contact us if you have any comments or questions!

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Read the Spring, 2022, edition of our newsletter,
"The Prairie Country Quarterly," here.

(Our newsletter has gone all digital! Let us know if you'd like
an email when it is published here on our web site.)

Check out our Thorpe Park web cam here!

A big thank you goes out to these dedicated volunteers from Winnebago Industries who recently helped to clear an area around Lake Catherine and split firewood for the Thorpe Park campground. Thanks to their hard work, park visitors will have a better view of the lake, better access to the lake, and a nice supply of free firewood for their campfires. We truly appreciate all they did for Thorpe Park!

Left Photo: Tom Hopperstad and Dave Leidall
Right Photo: Mark Miller, Brody Bennett, Mike Isebrand, Jason Kendall, Shannon Swearengen, and Carl Kammrad

Are you looking for a summer job? Do you like to work outdoors? If so, you might want to consider applying to be a Natural Resource Summer Intern for the Winnebago County Conservation Board! You'll get to work outdoors, helping us to manage and enhance our county parks and wildlife areas. If you'd like to learn more about the position, click here for a job description. If you'd actually like to apply for the job, click here to download a job application. And, of course, if you have any questions about the job, please contact our office at 641-565-3390 or WCCB Director Robert Schwartz at rschwartz@winnebagoccb.com. 

Our Environmental Education Center Specs have been released for bidding!

Due to Covid cost increases, the bids last year for our nature center came in 30% higher than what we had anticipated. But, we have continued to fundraise and have also changed a few aspects of the building plan. As a result, we recently released the revised specs to contractors, with the new bid opening now scheduled for June 14th! If you are a contractor, and are interested in acquiring the plans and specs, you can see more information about the bidding process here.

Of course, we will still need donations to help us finish the project, as well as to furnish the new center and create exhibits! So, it's not too late to help out. In fact, you can donate here on our web site! We want to thank all the donors who have already contributed so generously to this project and have helped us get this far. We are truly grateful for all the support we have received! We will keep everyone posted as the project moves along.

• The center will contain exhibits and interactive displays to help increase people's awareness and knowledge of their natural resources, as well as how to conserve those resources.
• It will be centrally-located in the county, just south of the north junction of Highways 9 and 69.
• The building will be 40' x 96', or 7,680 square feet over two levels.
• It will be a rustic design, with 28'-high vaulted ceilings.
• The building will meet ADA specifications for accessibility.
• It will include a variety of green design elements, including possibly geothermal and solar energy systems.
• Rooms will include offices, a large program/meeting room (that will seat 85-100 people), an exhibit area, a workshop/activity area, a staff meeting room, and a kitchenette.

It is estimated that the cost of the new center will be around $2 million. The WCCB has already voted to commit $225,000 to the project and the Winnebago County Board of Supervisors has committed $145,000. None of this money will come from county tax dollars. The rest is being raised through grants and private donations.

The following donor recognition levels have been established...

• Chickadee Level: < $250
• Bluebird Level: $250-$499
• Goldfinch Level: $500-$999
• Cardinal Level: $1,000-$2,499
• Sandhill Crane Level: $2,500-$4,999
• Trumpeter Swan Level: $5,000-$9,999
• Bald Eagle Level: $10,000 and higher.

All donations under $250 will be recognized in "The Prairie Country Quarterly," our quarterly newsletter. Donations above that amount will also be recognized at the center itself. A variety of naming opportunities will also be available for larger donations.

Fundraising continues. We have completed preliminary dirt work, installed the septic system, and plan to let construction bids this spring, with actual construction possibly beginning later this year. If all goes as expected, we then hope to be holding our Grand Opening sometime in 2023!