Connecting Kids with Conservation

NRCS staff and local conservationists have teamed up with a Humboldt, Iowa, church to give local elementary students a place to go and learn outside of school.  Once a month, NRCS, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Humboldt County Soil and Water Conservation District, Pheasants Forever, and Humboldt Parks and Recreation put on an activity to help the kids learn about natural resources.  The church opens its doors every Wednesday afternoon to give nearly 100 students a safe place to go on “early dismissal” days.

Recently, NRCS staff and friends helped kids from this northern Iowa town make their own gourd birdhouse.

The gourds were locally grown by volunteers.  Pheasants Forever members prepared the gourds by cleaning them and drilling bird holes in each one.  Staff from the Humboldt County Soil and Water Conservation District, showed the children how to get seeds out, preserve them for planting next spring, and decorate the gourds. Then each child was given a gourd and tools to make their own birdhouse.

“This is great fun,” said District Conservationist Allison Orr. “The kids get to learn about the environment and bird habitat while engaging in an enjoyable activity.  I don’t know who enjoys themselves more, the adults or the children.”

“We are pleased to be a part of this community based program,” said Orr.  “Once a month our team of conservation partners puts on a program to help the children better understand their environment and become more involved with protecting it.  We’ve put on programs that feature bats and birds of the night.  Future programs will be on fur bearing Iowa animals and birds where the kids will see a live bald eagle.”
Your contact is Dick Tremain, NRCS public affairs specialist at, 515-323-2736.