posted on 11/27/23
Des Moines County Conservation has acquired 19.4 acres of land along Flint Creek adjacent to the 250-acre Hickory Bend Conservation Area. The new land is located at the south boundary of Hickory Bend, lies within the creek's floodplain and is completely forested. According to results from ongoing research, the land is known to provide habitat for endangered species of bats.
The purchase was made completely with grants and donations from local wildlife organizations including Pheasants Forever, Whitetails Unlimited, and the National Wild Turkey Federation. Those funds leveraged a state Wildlife Habitat Stamp Grant which uses funds from hunting license sales to purchase public hunting land and improve wildlife habitat. The new property, along with the rest of Hickory Bend, is open to public hunting.
"This is a perfect example of hunters and outdoorspeople directly investing in conservation," said Chris Lee, Executive Director at Des Moines County Conservation. "This property was purchased by hunters, for hunters. But the ecological benefits go far beyond that."
In addition to protecting critical habitat for endangered species of bats, the purchase also protects a segment of Flint Creek, a county-designated priority watershed.
A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Friday, December 1 at noon at the entrance to Hickory Bend at 16256 155th Ave., Sperry, IA. For more information, go to the Hickory Bend page on Des Moines County Conservation's website at www.DMCconservation.com or call the conservation office at (319) 753-8260.
More News
posted 7/15/25 · Public Health
(Des Moines) – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has confirmed a case of measles in an adult resident of Eastern Iowa and is notifying the public of potential exposure locations. The individual is fully vaccinated and has no known link to the previous measles cases in Iowa, nor any recent travel outside the state. Iowa has a total of seven confirmed measles cases in 2025. As of July 8th, 2025, a total of 1,288 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States. Of these, 1,185 (92%) were unvaccinated, and 103 (8%) had received at least one dose of MMR vaccine.
posted 6/12/25 · Public Health
Iowa Health Officials Confirm Third Measles Case in the State
(Des Moines) – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is reporting the state’s third measles case of 2025 and is notifying the public due to potential exposure in public areas. The investigation has determined this measles case is not related to the first two cases in Iowa.
posted 5/29/25 · Public Health
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is reporting a confirmed case of measles in central Iowa in an unvaccinated adult. The case tested positive through the State Hygienic Laboratory and is the first confirmed case of measles in Iowa this year, and the first case in Iowa since 2019.
posted 12/23/24 · Public Health
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) is reporting the first human case of avian influenza A(H5) in the state. The individual was exposed to infected poultry while working with a commercial flock in northwest Iowa.
posted 9/30/24 · Conservation
125 trees will be harvested from the south side of Big Hollow Park beginning this week.
