Spring Open House and Motus Tower Dedication

Spring is upon us, and the Winnebago County Conservation Board wants to help you celebrate! So, on Saturday, April 25th, the Board will be hosting a Spring Open House at the Hanson Nature Center. And a highlight of the open house will be the dedication of the Center’s new Motus Tower! The event will run from 1:30-3:30pm, with the tower dedication taking place at 2pm. During the open house, people will be able to browse through the Center, walk the trails, and enjoy refreshments. There will also be crafts for the kids! The Motus Tower dedication will include a short talk about the new tower at the Hanson Nature Center and the Motus project itself.

The new Motus Tower is part of a network of towers stationed throughout the Western Hemisphere and Europe that track birds, bats, and Monarch butterflies as they migrate. The purchase of the tower was made possible through memorial donations made by the family of Mae Helgeson, a young, avid birder who tragically passed away in 2024. Her memory will now live on in the tower and the contributions it will make towards wildlife research here in Iowa.

People are welcome to stop by the nature center anytime between 1:30 and 3:30pm to enjoy the Spring Open House, but should plan on being there at 2pm if they would like to attend the Motus Tower dedication. For more information about the open house, the dedication ceremony, or the Motus Tower itself, people can contact Winnebago County Naturalist Lisa Ralls at 641-567-3390 or at
[email protected].