Henry County Conservation presents: Escape the Nature Center

The Henry County Conservation Center will be offering an upcoming program called Escape the Nature Center Room.

Participants will be locked inside the nature center, and to escape, they will have to solve a variety of clues to get out.

The theme of the event is “Everything ’90s.”

Oct. 31 will mark the beginning of the escape room. Other available dates will be Nov. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 15, and 16.

Sunday times slots are at 11 a.m.-noon; 1-2 p.m.; and 3-4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday night slots are 6:30-7:30 p.m.

The entry fee is $48 for one team, and only one group can enter per time slot.

Teams can have up to eight players, but at least one adult must be present. Participants must be 14 years or older to participate in the event.

Preregistration is due via mycountyparks.com on or before Oct. 27 by 5 p.m.

Wait lists are available as additional slots may open up if demand is high.

All proceeds will go directly into the department's live raptor fund.

Assistant Naturalist Danika Cox was the one who came up with the idea to have an escape room.

"We did some brainstorming, and we like the idea," Cox said. "I had done an escape room before, so I had some experience with them. We talked to some other counties in Iowa, and they do nature centers as well. I got in touch with them, and they said they had a huge success with them. They gave me the rundown on how to create my own, and this is the third year we've done it. It seems to be a popular event."

For Cox, it's an opportunity to bring people out to the nature center.

"I have people that show up every single time and say I've been living here in Mt. Pleasant my whole life and didn't even know this building existed," she said. "It's a great way to bring people out, and not everyone is into the nature side of things. This is a great way to get them out to our facilities and connect them to nature in a unique way."

Comments: hunter.moeller@southeastiowaunion.com