Winter Wildlife Program scheduled, Jan. 19

Iowa has some pretty harsh winter weather. Although we can usually stay indoors when the weather turns wintry, our wildlife species aren’t so lucky. They have to deal directly with the cold, snowy weather if they want to survive to see spring.
To help people, especially kids, learn more about how animals are able to make it through these tough months, the Winnebago County Conservation Board will be holding a Winter Wildlife program at Thorpe Park. The program will be held at the Thorpe Park office, Saturday morning, Jan. 19, from 1-11 a.m. (Thorpe Park is located five miles west of Forest City on “I”/345th St.)
During the program, Winnebago County Naturalist Lisa Ralls will discuss migration, hibernation, and adaptation, the three ways that animals are able to deal with Iowa’s winters. People will learn where animals go in the winter, what they eat, and how they stay warm, all with the help of feathers, furs, and other hands-on items. People will also learn how to identify some of the animal tracks they may see in the wintertime.
The program will be free and open to people of all ages. There is no need to preregister.
In case of inclement weather or bad roads, the program will be postponed and that announcement will run on KIOW Radio (FM 107.3), the WCCB website (www.winnebagoccb.com), the WCCB Facebook page, and the WCCB Twitter feed.
If people have questions about the program, they can contact Lisa Ralls at 641-565-3390 or at lralls@winnebagoccb.com.