A Pottawattamie County Almanac - December Session
Hitchcock Nature Center, Pottawattamie County
Saturday, December 15, 2018
The conservation legend Aldo Leopold was most influential for his ability to meld our need to care for the natural world with the needs of our society. In his classic work A Sand County Almanac, Leopold stressed the importance of the individual’s responsibility in caring for the health of the land through the development of one’s own “ecological conscience” and “land ethic”. Nearly 70 years later, our nation’s landscape is waning but Leopold’s vision for the individual is no less diminished. A Pottawattamie County Almanac, instructed by Ron Cisar, is a 10-month series of classes inspired and guided by Leopold’s best-known work, his lasting legacy, and his challenge to future generations. Through observation, lectures, humanities-based activities, and field experiences, and through exploring the contributions of other conservation legends, participants will have the opportunity to discuss, explore, and develop their own ecological conscience and discover how it relates to the challenges we face today.
Classes will occur at Hitchcock Nature Center and will follow the natural rhythms and timings of Pottawattamie County’s Midwestern setting. Activities will provide students with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural world around them and will include guided hikes, aquatic studies, native prairie and woodland investigations, guest lectures, journaling, sketching, invasive species studies, and more. The final class in this series will occur December 15th, and from 8 a.m. to noon.
A Pottawattamie County Almanac is intended for people of all experience levels and walks of life, and from all areas of the Midwest; anyone interested is encouraged to attend. Participants should note that classes will be held at Hitchcock Nature Center, located on the western edge of Iowa’s Loess Hills and will at times require pedestrian travel over difficult terrain; some sessions may be physically challenging. Much of each session will occur out-of-doors and participants should come prepared for weather and the elements.
Cost is $15.00 per student per session. To maintain an effective teacher-to-student ratio, class size will be limited and early registration is encouraged. For questions not answered online, call 712-545-3283.
About Ron Cisar
Ron Cisar is an Omaha native, UNO graduate (BS, MS), and assistant professor emeritus (ret. 2017, Iowa Western Community College). Prior to partnering with Pottawattamie County Conservation, Cisar taught science and biology in the Omaha Public School District for 32 years, and at Iowa Western Community College until the spring of 2017. He is nationally recognized as a singer-song writer, and has spent time leading educational and research programs in the national parks, including Yellowstone National Park. Due to his excellence in professional instruction and dedication to conservation, he is the recipient of several prestigious accolades including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching from the National Science Foundation, the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Science Teaching, the Alice Buffett Outstanding Teaching Award, was named the Nebraska Conservation Educator of the Year, the Education Award from the Yellowstone Grizzly Foundation, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Nebraska-Omaha College of Education, among others.