Libby Bandelin — Staff Writer 

Spending just 30 minutes outside in nature makes people smarter, stronger, healthier, happier and more productive, according to the National Park Service website. 

In an interview with the USDA Forest Service, research social scientist Michelle Kondo affirmed this fact from her studies on wellness benefits of being in the great outdoors. 

“The physiological response to being outside in nature is real, and it’s measurable,” Kondo said. “There are many physical and psychological benefits of nature that scientists have observed, which can better help us understand how nature supports wellness in the body, mind and community.” 

Located 35 minutes east of Dordt University’s campus, Oak Grove Park is a “hidden treasure” according to sophomore biology major Megan Vander Kooi. This past summer, Vander Kooi and senior Lindsey Kuiper worked as naturalist interns at the Prairie Woods Nature Center in Oak Grove, where they experienced the great outdoors every day. 

The students — who are both actively involved in residence life — landed the job in unique ways. Vander Kooi was searching for an opportunity nearby that would allow her to pursue her passion for biology. The internship did more than bolster that love, it put her public speaking skills to the test and helped prepare her for her role as an RA in West Hall. 

“I knew that that skill was always in me, but I needed something to help me grow in it,” Vander Kooi said. “God gave me the job to help me grow in public speaking and use it to help others.” 

Kuiper, an education major, discovered the internship through the prompting of her advisor. At first, she was nervous about the job. 

“I am not a biology person,” Kuiper said. “When I started out, I felt like a fraud.” 

But, she quickly found her niche. 

“There were a lot more hands-on education tie-ins than I realized that have helped with my time in the classroom,” Kuiper said. “It was definitely a well-rounded experience.” 

Working alongside naturalists Sarah Duvelaar and Sunday Ford, Kuiper and Vander Kooi ran a variety of summer camps in the park for children ages three to 15. 

One such camp — the Budding Naturalists — had Vander Kooi and Kuiper take young tots on hikes along the trails where they found forest treasures and learned to carve their own walking sticks from collected wood. 

Another camp was the Bug Scout Club for ages seven to nine. Students collected insect specimens and displayed them on boards. Dordt agriculture professor Jeremy Hummel assisted with the camp and brought microscopes for the kids to get a closer look at the creepy crawlers and show them different adaptations. 

“I thought I would hate that camp, but it ended up being my favorite one,” Vander Kooi said. 

The summer camps also gave Kuiper more insight into the teaching world. 

“It was such a fun opportunity to see the spark in the kids’ eyes as they were learning and making connections,” Kuiper said. “They got hands-on experience in a new environment that wasn’t a classroom – no desks and no tests. You discover something new every time you go out on the trails.” 

Summer camps were not the only activity the internship helped manage. The Prairie Woods Center also oversaw fishing clinics, travel library programs, cultural events like Dutch oven baking, and the Senior Environmental Learning Fellowship (SELF) program. 

At the SELF program, senior citizens come to the nature center on the second Tuesday of every month to experience and learn fascinating facts about the nature around them. Vander Kooi helped with a SELF forum on Woodpeckers. 

When a woodpecker made a death-flight into the window of the Nature Center, the team preserved the bird through taxidermy. It now lives on as an educational assistant at the center. Vander Kooi carried around this woodpecker to the different tables, talking about the incredible nature of the woodpecker, like how its tongue is so long it wraps around its entire skull. 

“There is no way this was not created, this had to be designed,” one of the attending senior citizens said. 

Reflecting on their time as naturalists at the park, Vander Kooi and Kuiper encourage fellow Dordt students to get the well-rounded experience as well as the physical and community benefits of the great outdoors. 

“Everyone thinks of Northwest Iowa as nothing but cornfields,” Kuiper said. “It’s nice to know there is more variety.” 

Vander Kooi agreed that it just takes a curious eye. 

“There are lots of local state parks that people don’t know about,” Vander Kooi said. “The stigma is that it’s just for little kids, but they are a lot bigger than you realize.” 

Sioux County Conservation Board, which operates in Hawarden, Iowa, manages Oak Grove along with 24 other parks and wildlife areas throughout the county. Open to the public from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Alton Roadside Park, Big Sioux Recreation Area, Sandy Hollow, and Oak Grove Park offer a variety of places to be explored including forest, prairie, and riparian (riverbank) habitats. 

With fall scenery in full swing, students can hike over 13 different trails, camp out, watch wildlife, star gaze, and admire beautiful leaves. 

“It is a nice little pocket out there,” Kuiper said. “It’s serene and walking is good for the heart.” 

Contributed photo 

Great outdoors: Oak Grove Park 

Libby Bandelin — Staff Writer 

Spending just 30 minutes outside in nature makes people smarter, stronger, healthier, happier and more productive, according to the National Park Service website. 

In an interview with the USDA Forest Service, research social scientist Michelle Kondo affirmed this fact from her studies on wellness benefits of being in the great outdoors. 

“The physiological response to being outside in nature is real, and it’s measurable,” Kondo said. “There are many physical and psychological benefits of nature that scientists have observed, which can better help us understand how nature supports wellness in the body, mind and community.” 

Located 35 minutes east of Dordt University’s campus, Oak Grove Park is a “hidden treasure” according to sophomore biology major Megan Vander Kooi. This past summer, Vander Kooi and senior Lindsey Kuiper worked as naturalist interns at the Prairie Woods Nature Center in Oak Grove, where they experienced the great outdoors every day. 

The students — who are both actively involved in residence life — landed the job in unique ways. Vander Kooi was searching for an opportunity nearby that would allow her to pursue her passion for biology. The internship did more than bolster that love, it put her public speaking skills to the test and helped prepare her for her role as an RA in West Hall. 

“I knew that that skill was always in me, but I needed something to help me grow in it,” Vander Kooi said. “God gave me the job to help me grow in public speaking and use it to help others.” 

Kuiper, an education major, discovered the internship through the prompting of her advisor. At first, she was nervous about the job. 

“I am not a biology person,” Kuiper said. “When I started out, I felt like a fraud.” 

But, she quickly found her niche. 

“There were a lot more hands-on education tie-ins than I realized that have helped with my time in the classroom,” Kuiper said. “It was definitely a well-rounded experience.” 

Working alongside naturalists Sarah Duvelaar and Sunday Ford, Kuiper and Vander Kooi ran a variety of summer camps in the park for children ages three to 15. 

One such camp — the Budding Naturalists — had Vander Kooi and Kuiper take young tots on hikes along the trails where they found forest treasures and learned to carve their own walking sticks from collected wood. 

Another camp was the Bug Scout Club for ages seven to nine. Students collected insect specimens and displayed them on boards. Dordt agriculture professor Jeremy Hummel assisted with the camp and brought microscopes for the kids to get a closer look at the creepy crawlers and show them different adaptations. 

“I thought I would hate that camp, but it ended up being my favorite one,” Vander Kooi said. 

The summer camps also gave Kuiper more insight into the teaching world. 

“It was such a fun opportunity to see the spark in the kids’ eyes as they were learning and making connections,” Kuiper said. “They got hands-on experience in a new environment that wasn’t a classroom – no desks and no tests. You discover something new every time you go out on the trails.” 

Summer camps were not the only activity the internship helped manage. The Prairie Woods Center also oversaw fishing clinics, travel library programs, cultural events like Dutch oven baking, and the Senior Environmental Learning Fellowship (SELF) program. 

At the SELF program, senior citizens come to the nature center on the second Tuesday of every month to experience and learn fascinating facts about the nature around them. Vander Kooi helped with a SELF forum on Woodpeckers. 

When a woodpecker made a death-flight into the window of the Nature Center, the team preserved the bird through taxidermy. It now lives on as an educational assistant at the center. Vander Kooi carried around this woodpecker to the different tables, talking about the incredible nature of the woodpecker, like how its tongue is so long it wraps around its entire skull. 

“There is no way this was not created, this had to be designed,” one of the attending senior citizens said. 

Reflecting on their time as naturalists at the park, Vander Kooi and Kuiper encourage fellow Dordt students to get the well-rounded experience as well as the physical and community benefits of the great outdoors. 

“Everyone thinks of Northwest Iowa as nothing but cornfields,” Kuiper said. “It’s nice to know there is more variety.” 

Vander Kooi agreed that it just takes a curious eye. 

“There are lots of local state parks that people don’t know about,” Vander Kooi said. “The stigma is that it’s just for little kids, but they are a lot bigger than you realize.” 

Sioux County Conservation Board, which operates in Hawarden, Iowa, manages Oak Grove along with 24 other parks and wildlife areas throughout the county. Open to the public from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Alton Roadside Park, Big Sioux Recreation Area, Sandy Hollow, and Oak Grove Park offer a variety of places to be explored including forest, prairie, and riparian (riverbank) habitats. 

With fall scenery in full swing, students can hike over 13 different trails, camp out, watch wildlife, star gaze, and admire beautiful leaves. 

“It is a nice little pocket out there,” Kuiper said. “It’s serene and walking is good for the heart.” 

Contributed photo