CALENDAR

CALENDAR

OF

EVENTS

Summer 2007

Eagle View Group is trying something different this summer. In the past we have not had monthly meetings during June, July and August because of conflicts with vacations and other summer activities that take up people’s time during the longer daylight hours. This year, beginning in June, we will hold "Social Walks" at different sites in the Quad Cities. These events are planned to get our people more acquainted with each other while doing a healthy activity like walking. These walks will begin at 6:30 and last about an hour or less.

June 18: Nahant Marsh in Davenport—beginning at 6:30 p.m. Nahant Marsh is accessible from South Concord Street.

July 18: Black Hawk Historical Site (formerly Black Hawk State Park) in Rock Island. Meet at the lodge at 6:30 p.m..

August 20: Sylvan Island, just west of the Mark of the Quad Cities beginning at 6:30 p.m. Access is from River Drive at the Rock Island/Moline border. Watch for Riverway Signs to Sylvan Island.

For more information about these walks, contact Jerry Neff at gmn14r@aol.com or 563-332-5373.

August 19: 12 noon ‘til whenever we get done. Come join us for an afternoon of great fun, great paddling and great food at the end! Doesn’t matter if you have a canoe or a kayak this is a great paddle for the slightly advanced beginner. Please contact Holly Johnson at: hollajean@yahoo.com or 309-912-8110 cell.

• June 10 (Prairie/Plants): Visit Cedar Hills Sand Prairie, Butler County. Meet at 1:00 p.m. at the Happy Chef in Cedar Falls, 1^{st St. to carpool.}

^{• June 21 (Prairie/Plants): Tour
UNI Tall Grass Prairie Center.}^{Meet at 6:00pm North of UNI-
Dome}

^{• July 7 (Prairie/Plants):
Bennington Pioneer Cemetery/rural Dunkerton:}^{Remove
invasive species Meet at 10:00am at Hy-Vee Logan Ave. in Waterloo (east area of
parking lot) to carpool. Wear long sleeves, long pants, hats, gloves, bring
drinking water.}

^{• July 8 (Prairie/Plants): Visit
Hayden Prairie near Lime Springs: Meet at 11:00am at Kwik Star in Denver to
carpool.}

^{• July 14 IOWATER Monitoring: Saturday
at Cedar Falls Tourism on Hudson Road, Cedar Falls, Time TBD}

^{• August 5: Visit Bellevue
Butterfly Garden:}^{Sunday, 9:00 a.m., Meet at Elk Run
Truck Plaza, Hwy 20, Elk Run}

^{• Sept. 6: Monarch Tagging: Thursday, 5:00 p.m. Denver Butterfly
Garden, Brandt Park}

^{There may be an admission fee or cost associated with some events or gas
money contribution}

^{Please contact Outings Co-chairs, Pam Wolter at 319-231-0541 or email
Rebeca Jimenez with any questions about these outings and to RSVP or to find out
if there are any changes to the events at cedarprairiegroup@gmail.com}

All the events are referenced to Karen Juhl at 712-276-6965 or email at ajxot@longlines.com

(Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto and Pocahontas Counties)

Group ExCom meetings: The second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Pizza Ranch, 528 Grand Ave, Spencer. Contact Donna at (712) 336-2103 or prairielakessierra@hotmail.com for more details about these events.

• June 2: "Catfish Creek Clean-Up." June 2 is the kickoff for National River Clean-Up Week (www.NationalRiverCleanup.org) sponsored by www.AmericanRivers.org. Our Catfish Creek Clean-up is registered so it receives free trash bags and coffee courtesy of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Volunteers are eligible to enter contests for prizes such as free kayaks and canoes. Our event will begin at 9 AM at the canoe launch parking area in the Mines of Spain by the Catfish Creek Bridge. Walk the shoreline as well as canoe or kayak, including some near shore of Mississippi River. Recyclables will be sorted from the trash. Have gloves, insect repellant, etc. Bring a lunch.

• August 24-26: Group Picnic/Camp-Out at Dick and Jane Worm’s Faraway Farm 8 miles south of Dubuque. Mark your calendar and plan NOW to attend this opportunity to explore and enjoy with fellow Sierrans in a quiet and private setting. (Gate for the pond lane will open Friday at 4 PM and stay open through Sunday evening.) Please RSVP: 563/582-2580; raworm@msn.com 3680 Echo Hills Drive, Bellevue, IA 52031-9557.

Arrive anytime Saturday for the noon picnic, hiking, pond activities, and evening campfire. Primitive camp August 24 and/or 25. (Several tents are available for anyone wanting to try tenting.)

The Saturday noon potluck picnic at the pond shelter is the main event. Grills will be provided. Bring your

own meat or morsels to grill; a salad, vegetable, or dessert to share; utensils; beverages; lawn chairs. Picnic tables are in the shelter. All other camp meals and drinking water are Bring Your Own. An outhouse is nearby.

On this 150-acre conservation easement property on bluff land overlooking the Mississippi River, the pond (with a raft, dock, canoes, a boat, and a paddle boat) offers opportunity to fish, swim, and paddle. Trails from the pond lead to the Mississippi River shore, to a Big Bluestem prairie grass site, to the River bluff, and to a high ridge. Find sink holes, fern covered rock faces, a pit mine, and river vistas. Try some GPS techniques. Stay for evening campfire and night hike on Friday and/or Saturday.

Bring insect repellant. Off- trail wanderers may encounter poison ivy and thorny brush. Tenting options are on the pond’s dam near the shelter, fire ring, and outhouse; at two mowed river bluff locations (one with a fire ring and nearby outhouse); or at other more remote spots. Another mowed site by the remains of an old stone cabin on the high ridge is on the same level as Echo Hills Drive so can easily be hiked to from Dick and Jane’s home or less easily by trail up from the pond.

Faraway Farm is adjacent to Echo Hills located via US 52, 6 miles south of Dubuque city limits; then 2 miles east on St. Catherine Road. Turn left into "Echo Hills" at the sign. To reach the pond, at the Y in the black-topped lane take the center, gravel lane down Echo Valley Dr. over a cattle guard, straight through a gate, and down to the parking areas above the pond.