Summer is right around the corner and what better way to spend your summer than outdoors with River Action! We offer programs and events all summer long that connect people to nature across the Quad Cities.
We have 67 Quad City Wild Places that friends and families can visit to hike, camp, bike, walk and kayak. Many of these parks and conservation areas are under-utilized, but this summer River Action wants to change that with our environmental scavenger hunt-Explore & Seek. Explore & Seek will take families and friends to 20 Quad City Wild Places to follow clues and answer questions that relate to the sites. Wild Places will be found in both Iowa and Illinois and include many exciting habitats like Loud Thunder Forest Preserve, the Wapsi River Environmental Education Center, and Duck Creek Park. Each Wild Place will have 1 to 3 questions that can be answered while exploring the area. If you can answer all the questions, you will be entered into a raffle to win fun prizes! This event is perfect for families who are looking for a way to get their children out of the house this summer.
According to the American Psychological Association, being outdoors and enjoying nature is shown to improve mood, mental health, and emotional well-being. Even a walk in a local park can connect people to the nature around them and give them a sense of place and belonging. That’s why River Action wants you and your family to connect with nature with Explore & Seek.
Sign-up for the event and receive an event package with a fanny pack, mini field notebook, a map and questions for the Quad City Wild Places, and coupons for local businesses that are located near the areas you will explore. We will also host the event on the INaturalist App, and all participants will be able to post their observations while they are out hunting for answers! Observations could include wildlife, plants, flowers, fungi, or anything else you think is cool!
I will give you a little sneak peek of Explore & Seek with one of our questions for Sunderbruch Park. What insect is named after a punctuation mark and is found in the deciduous wooded landscape? Are you stumped? Well, the answer can be found on the Upland Forest Signage on the main path through the park.
Get out to Sunderbruch to answer that question and then you can learn more about Explore & Seek and sign-up for the event at riveraction.org!