The spring season has been a busy one for the Hamilton County Conservation Department. Conservation director Brian Lammers reported to the board at its May meeting that workers have been renovating three camp sites at Briggs Woods Park with the completion set for the next couple of weeks. There has been landscaping by Briggs Woods Lake plus the trees and honeysuckle at the shop building by the golf course have been taken down to make room for future work on the shop. The School of the Wild at Little Wall Lake program finished its four-day course last week. The course was offered through South Hamilton as an outdoor STEM classroom program for the students.
Saturday,June 7th will bring the annual Cops and Bobbers Fishing Derby at the small beach shelter at Briggs Woods Park. This is an opportunity for getting youngsters involved with fishing instead of drugs , crime and to show law enforcement in a positive and friendly manner. Registration begins at 8:30 at Briggs Woods Park with the competition set from 9:00 until 11:00 a.m. The event is being held in conjunction with the Free Fishing weekend across Iowa from June 6th to 8th.
The Hamilton County Conservation Board welcomed Zach Wesslink as the new ranger for Briggs Woods Park. He is a recent graduate of the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. Tyler Olson has been hired as the assistant golf superintendent at Briggs Woods. Olson is a recent graduate of Carleton College in Texas with degrees in Turf and Sports Management.
All three county parks had an excellent turnout of campers for the Memorial Day weekend with the camp sites filled. The board also plans to apply for a habitat stamp resolution for a wildlife habitat grant. Information on whether or not Hamilton County Conservation will receive the grant will be announced at a later date.
The next scheduled meeting of the Hamilton County Conservation Board will be set for Thursday,June 26th at 9:30 at the Briggs Woods Park conservation office south of Webster City.