blake
Life Member
NEWS!
From the Iowa DNR:
Lots To Do and See at the DNR Building During State Fair
Posted: August 11, 2009
DES MOINES - Preparation for the Iowa State Fair is well underway at the DNR building.
"We always look forward to the State Fair and the opportunity it brings to visit with people," says DNR Director Richard Leopold. "Our building showcases the natural resource of Iowa, what they have to offer and the responsibilities we have as citizens to be good stewards of them."
Inside the building visitors will find a lot of the old favorites that are a draw every year as well as a few new features.
The historic aquarium, a focal point of the building, will again have 21 tanks filled with fish of various sizes and species, all found in Iowa.
The watershed display on the east side has been downsized and the area will now include a number of free-standing displays demonstrating how people can do their part to protect and improve our environment.
In the northeast corner, visitors will find the Nature Store and can purchase hunting and fishing licenses, a subscription to Iowa Outdoors magazine and a variety of outdoor-themed t-shirts and other apparel.
A stroll around the rest of the building will help visitors learn more about reptiles and amphibians, river trails, state park cabins and the new Honey Creek Resort State Park. And throughout the building, conservation officers, foresters, fish and wild biologist, park rangers and environmental specialists will be available to answer questions.
On the west side, along the wall opening to the courtyard, visitors may notice a structural change that is an aesthetic one as well. This year, artist David Williamson will be replacing one of the five iron gates with one sculpted from trash collected by 2008 project AWARE, Iowa's annual river clean up. The gate was started at the 2008 State Fair during Williamson's "trash into treasure" demonstrations. This year, in the "orange cone area" of the courtyard, Williamson will again involve fair-goers in sculpting a second gate from trash collected this year.
A new courtyard activity, sure to draw a crowd this year, will be birdhouse building. On Aug. 23, the last day of the fair, visitors can make and take birdhouses while supplies last. The DNR's courtyard, with its duck pond, sandbox, drinking fountain and plenty of shade offer State Fair goers a place to relax, cool off and enjoy a park-like setting, maybe even take in a stage presentation. Courtyard stage presentations will take place each day and feature tree treks around the fairgrounds, wild game and Dutch oven cooking, energy saving tips and games, fly fishing demonstrations and plenty of live animals. For list of courtyard presentations with dates and times, visit the DNR web site at www.iowadnr.gov/iowastatefair/.
The DNR building is a large, brick, open-air pavilion located just inside the east or main entrance to the fair on the north side of the Grand Concourse.