Parks and Recreation partners with the Science Center of Iowa and the Des Moines Astronomical Society to bring stargazing to Ewing Park during the warmer parts of the season and at Birdland Shelter for the winter events. Telescopes and information about what you are viewing in the sky are provided. Everyone is welcome and if you have a telescope of your own, feel free to bring it along.

March through May, participants meet on Wednesdays at Gray’s Lake starting at 11 a.m.  and together, take a casual walk in search of migrating and residential birds. During the first half of the season, waterfowl are the main focus. Pelicans, Coots, Mergansers and various ducks are common visitors at Gray's Lake. As spring progresses the smaller songbirds arrive to Iowa on their migration and Gray's Lake is a good place to see them as they pass through. Yellow-rumped warblers, Baltimore Orioles and an occasional Scarlet Tanager are bright and beautiful species that can be found as the group walks along the trail. Volunteer leader, John Bissell leads the group, pointing out birds, talking about their habits and answering questions. This program is great for beginners or people with some birding experience.  Bring your own spotting scopes and binoculars, or we will have extra binoculars available for you to borrow.

The 2020 session will begin on March 4th and run through May 27th.
The group will meet at the Gray's Lake Beach Parking Lot until further notice.

A series of Bluebird boxes have been installed in some of our parks. Volunteers monitor the activities in boxes March - August and then record the information they gather on nesting and hatchlings.  The boxes create nesting cavities for Bluebirds to utilize in locations that park visitors can easily enjoy their beautiful colors and cheerful singing.

Four Bluebird eggs spring 2019.

        

Monarch tagging is a great way to get the public involved and excited about monarch butterflies and what conservation practices Des Moines Parks and Recreation is taking to help the monarch butterfly . Most people know what a monarch butterfly is but they do not always know that the number of monarch butterflies in the wild has been dropping drastically since the mid 1990’s. The tagging programs are a local part of a larger citizen science project that has been going on since 1992 to better understand the dynamics of the monarch’s spectacular fall migration. Each year more than a quarter of a million tags are used by volunteers across North America who tag monarchs as they migrate through their area on their way to Mexico.

The Monarchs are on their way south, look for new tagging dates to be set for September 2020.

Gray’s Lake Park has hosted a nesting pair of Bald Eagles for many years.  The nest is easy to see and in the early spring, we have staff onsite Tuesdays from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm while the nest is active with young birds.  Spotting scopes, binoculars and answers to questions are available for participants to enhance their viewing.

Staff will be back at the nest site starting Tuesday April 7th , 2020.

The 2019 nest had three eaglets in the nest. Currently they are out of the nest, but you may be lucky enough to see one of them still in the area.

Des Moines Parks and Recreation is helping Monarch butterflies and other pollinators in our city parks and you can help too. Each Plant.Grow.Fly program is broken down into three parts:

• Learn about what pollinators need to survive and why they are important.
• Decorate and fill a flower pot to help support pollinators to take home
• Plant native Iowa species of plants in a butterfly garden.

Be prepared to get your hands dirty and do a little work to help Monarchs and pollinators. Registration for these events is required.

Register Here to take part in the Butterfly Garden Plan.Grow.Fly
May 9, 10:00-Noon, Sargent Park West Shelter

There are going to be two abbreviated Plant.Grow.Fly. programs presented in partnership with the Des Moines Public Libraries for ages 5-12 years old. Participants will still make flower planter to take home with them but there will not be a butterfly garden planted. Register for either of these program through the library website.
May 15, 4:00-5:00pm at the Central Library
June 3, 4-4:45pm at the Franklin Library

Milkweed for Monarchs is a new program started in 2019. Volunteers worked with staff to help plant over 800 Milkweed plants at Ewing Park and the James W. Cownie Baseball Park to help provide habitat for Monarch Butterflies in Des Moines. In 2020 there will two mare plantings.

May 22 at Union Park 1:00-3:00pm Register here if you would like to plant milkweeds with us.

May 29 at Ewing Park 1:00 -3:00pm Register here to be part of the milkweed planting crew.


Contact Joel at jmvanroekel@dmg.org if you have more questions.

iEARTH day camps, presented in partnership with Des Moines Parks and Recreation and Science Center of Iowa, are for kids in grades 1-8. These weeklong camps get kids into our parks, enjoying the outdoors while learning about the environment through art, recreation, team and hands-on activities.

2020 Free Fishing Friday will be on June 5th
Free Fishing Friday is held annually in June for beginners to try their hand at fishing without needing to purchase a license. If you are interested in giving fishing a try for the first time, come on over and don’t worry, we will be there to help you.  Bait and supplies will be on hand to use at no cost. All ages are welcome. This is a Vamos a Pescar event so there will be translators available to make it even easier to catch that first fish.

2020 Free Fishing Friday, will be June 5th, 5 - 8 p.m.
Gray's Lake

Des Moines Parks and Recreation teams together with the Iowa DNR, Des Moines Ikes and the Latino Center of Iowa to make this program a success for everyone in the community. 

June 6, 2020
Parks and Recreation partners with the Des Moines Izaak Walton League and the Iowa DNR to bring you CarpFEST.  Join us at Gray’s Lake Park in June, try your hand at Carp fishing and you could win a prize! Gear, bait and instructions are available. Carp caught may be kept by the fisherman or donated onsite to the wildlife rehabilitation organization S.O.A.R. All ages are welcome.

Enter the park from Fleur at the North West Entrance to the park.
Onsite Registration begins at 8:00 am 
Fishing begins at 9:00 am and stops at 11:30. 
Awards will be given out after all the fish have been recorded.


S.O.A.R.
Saving Our Avian Resources is a 501(c)(3) organization established in 1999 dedicated to saving our avian resources through raptor rehabilitation, education, and research. SOAR maintains all necessary US Fish & Wildlife Service and Iowa DNR permits to provide the rehabilitation and education.

Stomps can occur down the trail, at the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park and even under the full moon. All ages are welcome.  Pop-up programs will occur when snow conditions are good. Registration is required and includes snowshoes, instructions and even a cup of hot chocolate!  Enjoy the winter on your own when you rent a pair of snowshoes. Contact our office for more information at 515 248 6369.

2020 Program Dates
Jan. 10     Full Moon Snowshoe     Grandview Park    Click Here to Register
Feb. 7        Full Moon Snowshoe     MacRae Park          Click Here to Register