Showy Lady Slipper

The Pink Lady Slipper belongs to the Orchid Family.  The stem is typically 1-2ft tall. The leaves grow up to 7 inches long and 4 inches wide.  The hairs on the stem and leaves contain an acid  that has been known to cause a rash on human skin.  The plant typically has only one to two flowers or "slippers" that give off a fragrance to attract pollinators. This beautiful flower is becoming very rare in Iowa and is currently listed on the state's threatened species list. After much searching, I found this Showy Lady Slipper blooming in Clayton County during the first week of June.

Fawn at Osborne

A young White Tailed Deer Fawn was born at Osborne and has been up and moving around. Visit the park soon to see if you can find her white spots hidden amongst the grass.

Turkey River Poetry

In stillness of the night


A waxing moon shines over the devils elbow,

Crystal rays of light break through the summertime haze of a hot June night.

Two white pines form an ancient window into the past

While sculptures of limestone pose,

above layers of shifting clay.



The Turkey River flows freely through these bends,

Carving rocks, nourishing all that is green-

A constant coolant to a feverish machine,

She wonders if one day we can make amends-
and stop filling her home with silt-laden sands.

At Cape Carp,

Shifting sands inspire conscious minds-

Kindred spirits heal together.

Native stories are delivered

From the moon-lit Turkey River,

A resource caught between natural piety and human peril-


Tonight her petition glitters under the June moon tan:

To form a unified voice and make a human connected stand

Against the impoverishment of a naturally connected land.

Field Trip Season

The spring school field trip season has concluded at Osborne-time to focus on the junior naturalist camps coming up next week. During the month of May, the Osborne Nature Center hosted over 20 field trips to the park. Certain days were double booked with kids and one day was even triple booked!  As crazy as these days can be, I always remember them when it is a freezing day during the cold month of January and I am inside wishing for a warm spring day to be out teaching the kids.