Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Elkader on March 17 at 2pm with a parade on Main Street! Live music will follow the parade at Johnson’s Reception Hall.   https://www.claytoncountyiowa.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/St._Patricks_Day_Parade_Elkader_360p.mp4

The Driftless Area Wetlands Centre will host a program by long-time Marquette resident, Don Smalley, on Tuesday, February 26th at 7:00pm. Don will share his “highpointing” adventures across the United States, attempting to reach the highest point of all 50 states in just three years! Take a photographic tour and listen to stories about his adventures to the “summits” of 49 of the states. He will share his motivations and experiences, along with the challenges he met along the way. Don will give a second program on his adventures climbing Denali in Alaska in a program in March. This program is free and open to the public. Don will also be giving this presentation at Osborne Nature Center on Wednesday, February 27th at 7:00pm. The Driftless Area Wetlands Centre is located at 509 Hwy 18 in Marquette, Iowa, 0.5 mile west of the Marquette-Joliet Bridge on Hwy 18. For more information, visit our website at www.driftlessareawetlandcentre.com or contact the Driftless Area Wetlands Centre at 563-873-3537. For updates, follow the Driftless Area Wetlands Centre Facebook page.

All are welcome March 7, 6-8pm! Free home hazard test kits, PEPTO raffle, and other giveaways! Over 20 organizations represented! Contact Northeast Iowa RC&D for more information: 864-7122 / nathan@northeastiowarcd.org HealthyPostvilleFlyer1

Maple Retreats It’s that time of year again. The days are getting longer and the trees in our maple sugar bush will be waking up very soon. We want to share this amazing experience with you: sip fresh maple sap from a tree, stoke the fire under our big copper boiler, and soak in the stillness of a midwest hardwood forest in early spring. Join us for a weekend of maple syruping. We’ll put you up in our rustic guesthouse, feed you delicious meals, and show you how to tap maple trees and make maple syrup. $250 for up to 4 guests includes one night stay, a family-style dinner, waffle breakfast, and a farm experience you won’t forget. Pick your Maple Retreat weekend: March 8th, March 15th, March 29th, or April 5th. Special $25 discount for midweek retreats. Email natasha.hegmann@gmail.com for reservations & questions. Maple Retreat meals feature Turkey River Farm products: • Waffle breakfast with Turkey River Farm bacon, fruit, yogurt, coffee and tea and of course, warm maple syrup. • For dinner you’ll choose between two delicious family-style meals featuring Turkey River Farm pork and veggies. Additional information: The guesthouse has a fully-equipped kitchen, two bedrooms and two bathrooms; bedding and towels are provided. Well-mannered dogs are allowed upon request. Reserve additional nights for $15/person (no meals included). For more info about Turkey River Farm, check out www.facebook.com/TurkeyRiverFarm Maple Retreat 2019

O.W.L.S. “Natural History Museum, Iowa City” Thursday, March 21st Reservations Required Osborne Nature Center Osborne’s Older, Wiser, Livelier, Souls will start a new season of great programming on March 21st. O.W.L.S. will kick off this season with a trip to visit the Natural History Museum in Iowa City. The theme of this year’s OWLS program will be “Conservation Heroes.” For the first installment we will learn about conservation great, Thomas Macbride, and visit the Natural History Museum in Iowa City. Iowa has a long history of important and famous conservationists like Macbride, Leopold, and Ding Darling. A few of the people we will spotlight. Make your reservation today by calling 563.245.1516 or visit the Osborne Nature Center. Shuttle will leave Osborne at 8:45am on March 21st. The Osborne Center is located on Highway 13, ten miles north of Strawberry Point or five miles south of Elkader. The center is open from 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday-Saturday. Please call 563.245.1516 for more information or visit www.claytoncountyconservation.org.

Bluebird Box Workshop Saturday, March 9th, 9:00 AM Osborne Nature Center Reservations Required Workshop Cost: $5 per box Come Saturday, March 9th, at 9:00 a.m. to build a bluebird house and learn how to care for the bluebirds that will soon be living in it. All participants will take their completed birdhouses home. Children must be accompanied by an adult during this fun family activity. The Osborne Center monitors over eighty bluebird houses. This information helps document the bluebird population throughout the county. Nest boxes have played a crucial role in the recovery of Eastern Bluebirds. A special thank you goes to Don Dunbar for helping with the barn board lumber for this workshop. Please call the Osborne Nature Center at 563-245-1516 to register or for more information. Osborne Nature Center is located on HWY 13 five miles south of Elkader. The center is open from 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday-Saturday. For more information on events call 563-245-1516 or visit www.claytoncountyconservation.org.

Umbrella Arts is pleased to present the Sinatra Experience on March 23 from 7-8:30pm at PromiseLand Winery in Guttenberg. Featuring “Chicago’s Sinatra” Steve Jacobs (aka Steve Swing) and his tribute to the music of Old Blue Eyes, live in concert! Advanced tickets $15, available through Umbrella Arts members, or call the Guttenberg Chamber of Commerce at 563-252-2323.

Sat. Jan. 12 from 9-noon OR Tues. Jan. 15 from 1-4:00 – “Barnwood Bird”.  $65 includes a glass of wine, snacks and all supplies. —  Create a chickadee on barnwood with acrylic and oil paints.  Or bring a reference photo and paint in your bird of choice! Tues. Jan. 22 from 1-4:00 OR Sat. Feb 2 from 9-Noon – “Moonlight in the Pines”  $60 —  Create this 11×14 painting using acrylics and oils.  Optional frames are $24 and can be mounted in frames before leaving class, so you can hang your art on your wall at home. Sat. Jan. 29 from 9:30 – 11:30.  “Wine Bottle Santa” – $35.  Serving mimosas and muffins during this creative wine bottle class with guest artist Donita Hegemann from Whispering Pines Ornamental Concrete.  Donita will be showing us how to create this sweet little wine bottle, complete with white lights inside to enjoy during the rest of the winter months. Sat. Feb. 16th from 9 am – 1 pm. “French Painting with Lunch”  – $75 —  We’re celebrating YOU this Valentine’s Day.  Personalize this pretty little painting with your own hair color and choice of dress color in oils using palette knives, fingers and brushes.  Optional frames at $20  Complimentary Mimosas will be served during class time.  This class is followed by a delicious French lunch at the Kaffee 1858 in a private setting by Chef Sara.  The menu is chicken mushroom crepes, celery salad, creme brulee and one glass of bubbly. FINALLY, every Thursday is “Open Door Thursday” from 1-7PM in the classroom.  This means for a door fee of $10, you can gather up your supplies and come in, use an easel or a table and work on your existing project or get help starting a new painting.  I will have a still life set up if you choose to paint or sketch from it.  If you don’t have supplies but still  want to come in and create, you are welcome to use my painting or sketching supplies for a studio fee of $15 per hour.  Get as much or as little help from me as you wish during this time.  This is a time for creativity and art community support. https://www.bentwillowstudio.com/bwclasses.html#/

Upcoming events at the Elkader Opera House It Runs in the Family: April 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 – 7:30 p.m., April 7 – 2:00 p.m A Year in the Death of Eddie Jester: June 6, 8, 9 The Return: A Tribute to the Beatles: June 21, 7:30pm

For more information on upcoming Clayton County events, visit our calendar.