Annual Night Hike coming soon to Henry County Conservation Dept.

On Oct. 26, 2015, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Henry County Conservation (HCC) will host its annual Night Hike, a free, family friendly and educational event.

The Night Hike occurs at the Oakland Mills County Park and invites the public to become familiar with the Oakland Mills Nature Center and conservation concepts. This year?s theme is Stayin? Alive!, with short skits about predator-prey relationships put on by costumed Iowa Wesleyan University students.

Cari Nicely, HCC Naturalist, says she is ?thrilled? for the return of the event, which provides an ?edutainment? experience by incorporating elementary students? curriculum into the skits.

This will be the eighth year students in Wesleyan Seminar have performed in the Night Hike through service learning projects. Dr. Cyndi Walljasper, IWU Assistant Dean of Wesleyan Studies and coordinator for Wesleyan Seminar, says the Night Hike is ?a valuable community event, which is educational for the audience and for the IWU students.?

Children must be accompanied by adults, but adults may attend without children. Snacks and door prizes will be available in the Nature Center.

The Night Hike is one of several fall events at HCC that include a free presentation in November about the 1940 Armistice Day blizzard and a ?Backyard Gardener? series.

For information about HCC events, visit henrycountyconservation.com, like HCC on Facebook, or call Naturalist Cari Nicely at 319-986-5067.