Echo Valley State Park

CRITICAL INFORMATION

  • LOCATION:  Echo Valley State Park is located three miles southeast of West Union north of Hwy. 56.

  • RESERVATIONS: Contact the naturalist at the Fayette County Conservation Board, 22580 A Ave., Elgin IA 52141.  Phone: 1-319-426-5740.

  • HOURS:  The park is open during daylight hours. The Conservation Board office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

  • PARKING: Parking areas available.

  • AUDIENCE: Appropriate for students kindergarten through adult. 

  • COST: Fayette County students are admitted free of charge.

  • GROUP SIZE: The park can accommodate large groups depending upon the activity.

  • ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Camping areas are available.  However, there are no electrical hook-ups, running water or showers.  Pit toilets are available.  The park provides hiking trails and stream fishing but no swimming, hunting or boating are allowed.

OBJECTIVES

  • The student will experience Echo Valley Park as an example of a state park with historic structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

  • When was the park created?

  • What process was used to construct the buildings on the park grounds?

  • What other Iowa parks were built by the CCC?

  • Because the naturalist has a menu of programs that can be conducted from this site, other specific content questions will be determined by the program topic.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Echo Valley State Park is a one hundred-acre natural area that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's. The park contains many hand-built historical structures such as a dam, keystone archway, limekiln, and shelter. A beautiful and easy access trail leads through this historical park.   In the summer of 1934, land for Echo Valley State Park was purchased from six local residents.  In January 1934, the West Union American Legion sponsored a dance to raise funds for construction of the park.  Funds donated from the dance totaled $1,160.  Echo Valley was a popular spot.  However, the state stopped funding and the park was virtually abandoned for a period from the late 1970's to 1984. On November 1, 1984, the Iowa DNR and the Fayette County Conservation Board entered into a management agreement that stated the park would be maintained by the FCCB until December 31, 2009.

PRE-FIELD TRIP ACTIVITIES

  • Share with students the background information on the park.

  • Sing the "Field Trip" song by Tom Searcy.

  • Have students predict what natural and human characteristics they will find during their visit to the park.

  • Create a web of animals and plants students expect to see at the park.

  • Review park rules especially the saying, "Take only pictures, leave only footprints".

ON-SITE ACTIVITIES

  • Request permission to photograph the park as the site is visited.

  • Take a guided tour of Echo Valley Park. The naturalist will point out sites including the tunnel, kiln, dam, picnic area and shelter.

  • The naturalist can conduct one of the following activities:

  1. Animal Coverings - preschool and up

  2. Nature Hike - all ages

  3. Nature Scavenger Hunt - all ages

  4. Wildflower Hike - all ages

POST-FIELD TRIP ACTIVITIES

  • Have students share and discuss observations made during heir visit to Echo Valley State Park.

  • Have students work in partners to create a diorama or triorama based on the park. Provide time for students to share their work with the class.

  • Compose a second verse for the "Field Trip" song based on the trip to Echo Valley State Park.

  • Place students in small groups. Have each group discuss reactions to the park visit and compose one or two questions that were not answered on the field trip. Invite the naturalist to the classroom to address the questions.

  • Write a thank you note to the naturalist listing two new facts or concepts gained during the field trip.

  • These can be hand-written or sent via email.

  • Have students create multi-media presentations regarding Echo Valley State Park using photographs taken during the trip. This should be an interactive presentation where participants will be given questions to answer based on information gained during the presentation.

  • Identify a partner class in a school from another part of the state that has visited a park or natural history preserve. Use the ICN to share presentations about each other's local sites.

  • Research the plants and animals observed at the park to gain additional information.

  • Add or delete from the web of animals and plants those that were actually seen at the park.

  • As a follow up to the field trip, invite the naturalist to the classroom to show the slide presentation "Spring Wildflowers". Many of these flowers can be seen at Echo Valley Park. The naturalist gives information about how Native Americans and pioneers used wildflowers.

RESOURCES

  • Website: http://www.cr.nps.gov/  - Links to Teaching with Historic Places and includes lesson plan ideas and teacher resources.

  • Book: Prior, Jean C., Landforms of Iowa, University of Iowa Press, Iowa City IA. pp. 84 -97, 1991.