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Sap boiling in Hartman's sugar shack |
Nestled among shagbark
hickories, sugar maples and grandfather oaks, Hartman Reserve Nature
Center in Cedar Falls has been welcoming visitors since 1976. Rooted in
environmental education and land stewardship, Hartman invites community
members to participate in nature through public programming, workshops
and trail usage. With over 300 acres of forest, prairie and wetland
habitat, Hartman Reserve is a living classroom, open from dusk to dawn.
For
a more in-depth look into nature, the Interpretive Center and adjacent
Buckles Program Center, house interactive exhibits, live animal
displays and a sugar shack that runs throughout the month of March.
During this period, maple trees are “tapped” and the sap is boiled down
until it is dark, viscous and perfect for a pile of pancakes. This
annual, agricultural event is celebrated each year with a Maple Syrup
Festival which is held on the first full weekend of March. Throughout
this weekend, visitors can help collect sap, learn about the maple
syruping process and indulge in a pancake breakfast. For more
information on the annual Maple Syrup Festival, visit www.hartmanreserve.org.
Other
family-based activities include: fall seed identification and apple
cidering, watershed management through rain barrels/gardens and mussel
restoration in the Cedar River.
“The closer young people are kept to nature, the better and happier men and women they will become.” John C. Hartman 1861-1941 |
Along with these activities Hartman Reserve Nature Center is working in conjunction with Silos & Smokestacks to offer spring and summer day camps for local youth. With their support, the 2009 “Prairie to Pasture” Summer Camp brought 100 campers to different partner sites throughout the Heritage Area. For more information about Hartman Reserve Nature Center, including current hours, call 319-277-2187.
Past spotlight sites:

Latest Events:
Mar 11: Brown Bag Lecture
Mar 11: The Twentieth Century African American Experience
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