West Central Youth Club

06/20/2026

Two great field trips this past week!
Wednesday we headed up to the Iowa Arboretum Treehouse Village and Friday we visited the Des Moines Children’s Museum!

Kids had a great time. We had great chaperones and high school helpers earning their silver cord hours for NHS. Special thank you to our bus drivers too!

06/10/2026

Due to thunder in the forecast during our Keuhn visit the field trip is cancelled. Families will be contacted about refunding their registration. Thanks for your understanding!

06/06/2026

What do you find after a good rainstorm in an Iowa forest?

If you were hiking with us yesterday at Springbrook State Park the answer was Snails, Snails and more Snails! 🐌 🐌🐌

Our campers were excited for their snail discoveries. We found terrestrial forest snails of all sizes and even some empty shells to investigate along the trail. The storms the night before made the perfect conditions for the snails to greet us on our hike.

These small-but-mighty creatures are vital to Iowa’s woodland ecosystem. They are decomposers, who break down fungi, decaying wood and leaf litter. They are nature’s recyclers, they help enrich our soil with essential nutrients. They also serve as a food source for birds, small mammals, and amphibians. Spotting them out in the open like we did is a great indicator of a healthy microhabitat.

Most campers wanted to bring the snails home to share, however we convinced them to set the snails free where they belonged, enjoy the pictures instead. 🐌

06/04/2026

For our summer programs we will run in the rain but if there is the threat of lightning we will cancel. Please check in the morning of a program if you have questions. Thanks!

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05/27/2026

We have a great need for chaperones on our Friday June 5th field trip to Springbrook Park! The program runs from 9:00-1:00 and includes some light hiking. Chaperones can ride along on the bus or meet at the park.

If interested please DM us!

05/20/2026

Summer program registration is currently full - we are not able to take any additional registrations at this time.

05/04/2026

We're back! Summer program registrations will go home this week to students at Stuart Elementary, but you can view the form AND register now at: https://form.jotform.com/261236338204047

Friday June 5th - Springbrook State Park
Wednesday June 10th - Keuhn Conservation
Wednesday June 17th - Iowa Arboretum Treehouses
Friday June 19th - DSM Children's Museum

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