Open house events are coming

   Mark your calendars for the Central Park Nature Center Holiday Open House days set for Saturday, Dec. 16, and Wednesdays, Dec. 20 and 27 from 10 a.m. through 3:30 p.m.

   Bring the whole family to learn about winter birds and bird feeding through fun interactive displays and activities. Watch the Nature Center live animals being fed (begins at 11 a.m.). Make a craft of the day and sit a spell while you enter our winter coloring contest.

   If we have enough snow, check-out a pair of snowshoes and head outside to explore the trails of Central Park.  No snow? Take a hike or drive around the park to look for wildlife and participate in the Central Park Holiday Digital Scavenger Hunt to win a prize.

   Visit Central Park on Saturday the 16 to watch the runners participating in the B & W Racing Services, LLC Annual Polar Run 5K, 800-meter Candy Cane 10-and-under kids’ run, and Reindeer Plunge that will be occurring in the park with events staggered from 12:45 to 2 p.m. (Runners’ registration link found on their Facebook page.)

   Before you go, have a holiday treat and cup of hot chocolate courtesy of the Friends of Jones County Conservation and Nature Center.

   Visit https://www.jonescountyiowa.gov/conservation/ for more information on upcoming programs and events.