Crescent Hill at Hitchcock

05/13/2026

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05/10/2026

"A mother's love liberates." — Maya Angelou

Don't forget to spend a little time with the ultimate mother today, too: Mother Nature 💚

05/09/2026

Who is ready for a guided hike around the scenic Loess Hills of Hitchcock Nature Center? 🤚

We are excited to announce that the amazing level three fitness instructor and avid mountain climber, snowshoer, hiker, and master gardener, Colleen Leinen, will be hosting Hitchcock Hike for Health program Saturday, May 16th 9:00 am
to 11:00 am

Pre-registration is required for this event. Make sure to save your spot today! https://www.pottconservation.com/calendar/hitchcock_hike_for_health_club/2026-05-16/

05/09/2026

The answer to is...
From the top left clockwise
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
Hairy woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus)

These are just some of the species of woodpeckers we see at Hitchcock Nature Center, ranging from all different sizes, as small as 5.5 inches (Downy) to 9–10.5 inches in length (Red-bellied), and not pictured, the pileated woodpeckers, which can be 15” to 19”!


This deceptive foursome may trip you up with their names. For example, you might see a Red-bellied Woodpecker and see their bright red mohawk and think "That has to be a red-headed woodpecker!" Think again, the Red-headed woodpecker's whole head/hood is red, which helps you differentiate them.

Now here are the really tricky two, Downy and Hairy. They may look identical at first, but if you just happen to see them both in the same place and time, you will see that the Hairy is bigger. If you only see one, the best way to tell them apart is to look at their beak size. The Hairy woodpecker's beak will be the same length as its head, whereas the Downy's is only the length of its eye to the base of its head. So break out your binoculars! 🧐🔎🕵

Fun Facts:

🧮 Downy woodpecker's drumming is so consistent you could almost count them if you tried hard enough.

🥁 Hairy woodpeckers have the fastest drumming.

👅 The Red-bellied Woodpecker has a tongue that can extend nearly 2 inches past its beak.

🦗 Red-headed woodpeckers have been known to wedge live grasshoppers into crevices so they can save them for a later meal.

05/08/2026

Do you have a passion for caring for the land? Do you find fulfillment working hard to restore natural systems? Do you enjoy conducting prescribed burns, nurturing native plants, removing invasive species, sharing your knowledge with visitors, and making an impact that will last?

We are currently hiring a full-time Natural Areas Technician. Sound like something you or someone else would like to do? Learn more or apply today at: https://www.pottcounty-ia.gov/jobs/natural_areas_technician/5331320/

Application closes May 24th

05/07/2026

05/06/2026

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05/06/2026

In case you haven't heard...thanks to your votes, Arrowhead Park won Best Attraction in Pottawattamie County as part of this year's OMA Tourism Awards hosted by Unleash Council Bluffs and Visit Omaha

P.S. Arrowhead is currently in need of some Guest Services Volunteers to help welcome campers this summer. If interested, please visit https://www.pottconservation.com/blog/help_needed_guest_services_volunteer_at_arrowhead_park/ to learn more and apply today.

Pottawattamie County, Iowa

05/04/2026

At the end of April, volunteers picked up more than 400 POUNDS of litter as part of our annual Litter Busters Park Cleanup event.

We are incredibly thankful to everyone who came out to help keep this area beautiful. You are amazing!

But 400 pounds?

Ok, to be fair: We had lots of young volunteers who were pretty pumped about competing to see who collected the heaviest trash loads. Love the stoke. Some of them found scraps of metal, some of them found bricks 🤷🏽, but even so, the VAST majority of litter that was collected was plastic bottles (ahem, shooter bottles 👀), cans, and hand warmers.

We know our visitors can do better, and this is our public plea asking you to please properly dispose of your litter here, and everywhere you venture. Better yet: Actively work to reduce it!

Our mission is to help people engage with the natural world and build their respect for it. Have fun, but leave it better than you found it. That’s balancing play with preservation. 💚

In case you didn't know:

This area of the Loess Hills was almost turned into a literal dump in the late 1980s. Seriously! But thanks to the efforts of hundreds of passionate community members dubbed the Dump Busters, those plans were stalled, paving the way to protect this beautiful and ecologically significant area for generations to come.

Scroll through the photos to see letters from the original Dump Busters.

Don't let their efforts go to waste.

Pun intended.

Teamwork makes the dream work, so if you have ideas for how we can do better together, please drop a comment or send us a DM.

Thank you!

05/01/2026

Hundreds of millions of birds are expected to fly through our skies this weekend as they head to their breeding grounds.

You should give a hoot about light pollution. 🦉Here's why: https://www.pottconservation.com/blog/give_a_hoot_about_light_pollution/

You can learn more about the birds that fly over the Great Plains on Saturday, May 9, from 10:00 am
to 11:30 am: https://www.pottconservation.com/calendar/the_birds_of_the_great_plains_through_our_lens_with_jennifer_blankenship_rivera_and_gabriel_rivera/2026-05-09/from

04/30/2026

Although is coming to an end, we will never stop being amazed by the incredible support you all give us. Nearly 300 volunteers help us fulfill our mission to provide meaningful experiences for people of all ages with the unique natural resources of Pottawattamie County by welcoming park visitors, maintaining trails, cleaning up litter, cleaning lodges, providing public education and outreach, serving as campground hosts, and much more.

Please enjoy this photo compilation of all our volunteers who came out just this month and made a difference for conservation in Pottawattamie County and beyond.

Do you want to learn more about volunteering with us? Please visit: https://www.pottconservation.com/support/volunteer/