Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center

Category: Environment/Animals


This Year's Project: Playscape Spider Web


About Our Organization

The Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center is an award-winning facility in Sioux City in Stone State Park. Surrounded by over 1,000 acres of woodlands and loess hill prairies, it is the perfect setting for outdoor learning! Several miles of trails are available for hiking to enhance the experience.  The educational displays and hands-on exhibits help tell the story of the unique Loess Hills landform and the plants and animals found within this region. The exhibits include our animal ambassadors: 4 turtles, 3 snakes, 2 owls, a bee hive, and a fish aquarium. In addition to our facility, we have a full-time education team that provides excellent programming throughout Woodbury County and the tri-state area.

More than 55,000 people visit the Nature Center annually.

Stop out and Explore!  Open 9am-4pm Tuesday - Saturday

 



Current Project: Playscape Spider Web




The Playscape is turning 10 years old in October! In honor of the 10-year anniversary, we are planning to update the Playscape! The Playscape was first built at the Nature Center in October 2013. It has been extremely popular amongst families and school groups and gets used by thousands of children each year. After 10 years of exposure to the elements (and children!), it’s necessary for us to make repairs and replace some of the features. The Spider Web is one of the most popular features at the Playscape and we need to replace the netting as it has rips and holes. Please help us raise $2180 to purchase a new Spider Web! Any additional funds raised during the Big Give will be used to purchase new features for the Playscape, such as a Birds Nest Cradle Swing, an Akambira, and a Climbing Boulder.

The Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center is proud to offer the only Nature Playscape in the Siouxland area. According to Childhood by Nature, “Natural playgrounds enable children to move freely and creatively around the environment allowing them to explore, run, jump, climb, crawl, touch, smell, etc, helping connect kids with nature, develop gross motor function, fine motor skills, imagination, and social skills, all at the same time.” With your support, we can continue to provide a fun and safe place for kids to play in the outdoors!



Past Projects

  • Outdoor Learning Shelter


    Project Details

    Woodbury County Conservation will construct an Outdoor Learning Shelter at DPNC. They will purchase a shelter kit from ABCreative of Grimes, Iowa. DPNC & WCCB staff will assemble & install the shelter. The shelter will be 16’ x 20’ in size. The 18’ x 30’ x 5” concrete pad and 200 feet of accessible sidewalk leading from the Nature Center to the new outdoor learning shelter will be installed by Brandon Deeds of Deeds Construction, Correctionville.

    Project Goals: 

    • To provide an outdoor learning structure for school field trips, youth programs, and public events.
    • To provide a covered, shelter for outdoor field trips and visitors
    • To enhance educational program presentations given by WCCB and Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center staff to tour groups, school groups and the public.
    • To provide an outdoor picnic area for tourists, visitors and school groups. 
    • To provide an accessible sidewalk trail from the Nature Center to the new open-air shelter.

    An outdoor open-air shelter house allows additional options for our educational staff to conduct Dutch oven cooking classes and will be a great spot for messy crafts. It provides shade during hot summer days and protection from the rain and storms, while still allowing our naturalists to teach outdoors. It also will offer a sheltered picnic space for field trip lunches.

    Additionally, many families & visitors plan outdoor picnics and outings at DPNC. The open-air shelter will provide another space that is protected for such activities. During COVID many groups opted not to visit for an indoor program. An outdoor shelter provides a more comfortable space for educational programs, public meetings, and impromptu gatherings.

    Environmental education is even more important today as natural landscapes, such as the Loess Hills, disappear. Interpretation helps people relate to the natural landscape. Interpretation serves agency objectives by educating the public. Field trips for schoolchildren, family programs and summer youth programs are ways the Nature Center is actively teaching the public.



  • Dog-friendly Bottle Filler


    Project Details

    The Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center has three miles of hiking trails that wander through the Loess Hills and connect to the trail system at Stone State Park. All of the trails are dog-friendly, which has allowed the Nature Center to be a popular place for people to hike with their furry friends. The trails are open beyond the hours of the Nature Center to allow more time for people to enjoy the trails. Our project will install a dog-friendly water bottle filling station to give water access to the hikers and their dogs who use the trails after hours. 



  • Support the Animals!


    Project Details

    Help us care for the resident animals at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center!

    • Scout the Kestrel eats 2 mice per day 

    • Harlan the Barred Owl eats 3 mice per day

    • Scarlet the Red-tailed Hawk eats 5 mice per day

    • Our 3 snakes eat a total of 10 mice per week

    Each frozen mouse costs about $0.80 x 80 mice per week = $64.00 per week!  = $3,300 per year

    This does NOT include additional costs for our turtles, fish, bees and salamander.

    The donations help with food, maintenance of their enclosures and equipment for educational programs. Some of the enclosures need updating to ensure a long, healthy life for our resident animals.

    Our animals include three raptors: Scout the American Kestrel, Harlan the Barred Owl, Scarlet the Red-tailed Hawk; three snakes; four box turtles; fish; honeybees and a tiger salamander. 

    These animals are used for public education to share their biology and unique adaptations that help them survive in Iowa's climate.

    Thank you!!!



  • Support The Animals!


    Project Details

     

    Help us care for the resident animals at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center! The donations would help with the maintenance of their enclosures, food and equipment for our educational programing. Some of the enclosures are in need of updating to ensure a long, healthy life for our animal residents.

    The resident animals include two raptors, the Red-tailed Hawk and Barred Owl; snakes; box turtles; fish; honeybees; and salamander. These animals are used for public education to share their biology and unique adaptations to help them survive in Iowa’s climate.

     



  • Nature Playscape Enhancements & Animal Sculptures

    Raised $1,635.96 Towards the Goal of $7,000.00


    Project Wrap Up

    We are making music outdoors! Three outdoor chimes were installed summer 2019 thanks to donors of 2018 Siouxland Big Give and private donors. Come out and play some music!


    Project Details

    The Discovery Forest Nature Playscape and Loess Falls Water Feature are extremely popular program facets at the Nature Center. This natural play area allows children to climb, build, dig, play music and more. We would like add more musical and interactive features to enhance the learning experience. ~ Resonated Metallophones and Mallets ~ 15-Key Marimba and Mallets ~ Giant Tree Blocks Make learning larger than life with these realistic animal sculptures designed for climbing, sitting or just enjoyment. They will be placed outdoors on the Nature Center grounds. Made with an iron frame and finished with durable Epoxy Resin Clay. ~ Ornate Box Turtle (3 feet x 2.5 feet x 2.75’) ~ Gray Tree Frog (3 feet x 2 feet x 3 feet) ~ Bald Eagle Nestling Play Sculptures for giant Bald Eagle nest







$1,749 Raised of $2,180 goal
$0 $2,180
20 Donors
Legal Name: Woodbury County Conservation Foundation

4500 Sioux River Road
Sioux City, IA 51109

 
(712) 258-0838

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