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The first Saturday in May was a beautiful day for foraging and Marion County naturalist Karen Johlas-Szalkowski led an enthusiastic group through Big Rock Park in search of nature’s edibles. She began with a list of safety rules. 1. Tell someone where you are going. 2. Get permission if you want to forage on private property. Be sure to check park rules and regulations before harvesting in public areas. 3. Forage sustainably by not overharvesting and take only what you will u

Saturday April 25, 2026, was a beautiful day for the first program at Big Rock Park sponsored by the Pella Community Foundation. It was also a beautiful day for bees. Lead by biologist Paulina Mena of Central College, a sizeable crowd heard about Iowa’s native bees and went on a walk along the edge of the park. 10 am- 2pm is the ideal time to spot bees. The group met at 11 and the bees were active. Iowa’s native bees are solitary, arising from their underground burrows in the

It’s A Grant! People often ask us when we will have more educational programs and opportunities at Big Rock Park. The answer is: we’ll know when we get a grant. Friends of Big Rock Park is a non-profit run by volunteers. Our goal is to restore and preserve the park for quiet enjoyment, environmental education and research. To advance our goals, we offer programs focusing on nature and the environment. To be able to offer quality programs that are well-attended, we seek g

A loved one, a job, a trusted relationship, good health, friendship, identity—these are many losses we humans face as we journey through...

April 22, Earth Day, is a time to remember our sustaining relationship with the Earth. The Friends of Big Rock Park were happy to sponsor...

Friends of Big Rock Park held their first event of the season--a walk lead by ecologist Dr. Paul Weihe. We learned to identify and...

The Ioway and the Otoe were here before recorded time, as were the Omaha and Ponca, moving to new lands before white settlers arrived. The P

You can visit Big Rock Park any time but reserve these days to go on a guided walk with a friend of Big Rock Park: March 22, 10 am...

Thank-you to the Pella Community Foundation for funding our grant Connecting With Nature: Programs for all ages Connecting with nature...

One enjoyable aspect of the Marion County Community Foundation Grant has been bringing Big Rock Park to those who can't make it to our...

Randy Rolffs (above) gave a fascinating and memorable program on October 5th, the last program in our series this year. About 40 people...

Saturday was a beautiful day for some inspirational and relaxing rock painting lead by artist Tilly Woodward. (click the link to see...

photo by Thomas Weihe Sunset and sunrise hours and sightly overcast days are best for photographing nature. Overhead sunlight creates...

A generous grant from the Marion County Community Foundation has allowed the Friends of Big Rock Park to offer several programs this...

July 11, 2024 Thank-you to the Marion County Community Foundation. They have given the Friends of Big Rock Park a grant to continue our...

We initiated June 1 with another multigenerational crowd eager to learn about the natural wonders of Pella’s Big Rock Park. Marion County...

A memorable Memorial Day Weekend began at Pella’s Big Rock Park with Dr. Paulina Mena orchestrating a nature foray for an enthusiastic...

The Importance of Being a Tree Hugger “People want to be connected to the natural world,” says biologist Paul Weihe. Connecting with...

Are you ready to search for an orb? Here's the scoop: First, a huuuuge THANK YOU to Professor Brian Roberts and his art students at...

As spring returns to Big Rock Park, you'll see some delicate plants along the trail. Some are our beloved native ephemerals. One is not. It's garlic mustard. It's peeking its head out right now. This is what it looks like See the shaggy green leaves near the base of the tree. It looks so cute and harmless. It's not. In a month or two, it will look like this: image from this site. Garlic mustard is an invasive species--an escaped garden herb brought over from Europe.. In