Discover the ocean in Iowa

Several times in Iowa?s prehistory, warm, shallow oceans covered the region. Today, those oceans would be a draw for tourists. Back then, long-necked plesiosaurs and oversized sharks swam in them. Learn about those oceans during the Washington County Conservation Board?s ?Under the Sea: Fossils in Iowa? program on Saturday, Sept. 12. The program begins at 1 p.m. at the Conservation Education Center at Marr Park.

Often when we hear about fossils, our minds immediately think of dinosaurs. However, for dinosaur hunters, Iowa is a disappointment. Either Iowa?s land was eroding, leaving behind no clues to the past, or under water. During Iowa?s time under the sea, some amazing creatures lived here. Learn about these animals, the plant life, and the shallow ocean itself during this program. Discover how these oceans created the limestone under our feet, how they formed the rich fossils we find, and learn to identify some basic sea life. Younger participants will even get a chance to dig for their own fossil to take home.

The Conservation Education Center is located at the south end of Marr Park, one mile west of Ainsworth and six miles east of Washington on Highway 92.

For questions about this program, contact Naturalist Pam Holz at the Washington County Conservation Board office, (319) 657-2400 or e-mail wccbnaturalist@iowatelecom.net.