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The Lake Area Outdoor Classroom has the renowned status of being the first breeder site for the DNR and a school district in the state of Iowa since 1883. In 1994 the Iowa Department of Natural Resources began an effort to restore Trumpeter Swans to Iowa. A breeding pair of swans was placed on site. These trumpeters were donated by trumpeter swan partner Gary Barrett of Armstrong, Iowa. These swans laid 3 eggs, one of which hatched. Clear Creek Elementary School was built in 1998.
The fenced-in pond in the Lake Area Outdoor Classroom is a transitional site for holding swans temporarily. The swans are moved from site to site to release them into the wild. Over 150 different trumpeter swans have been on this site. Many of these swans come from our numerous nationwide partners from over 25 states including Alaska and dozens of zoos throughout the nation. The Lake Area Outdoor Classroom is a crucial part of the DNR’s trumpeter swan restoration effort, particularly as a transition site. Students at Clear Creek Elementary, as well as the Clear Lake community, have been connected nationwide with the swan cooperators throughout the United States and Canada.
The Lake Area Outdoor Classroom features three main native Iowa habitats: the tall grass prairie, woodland, and wetland. The trumpeter swan, a native majestic bird, inhabits the pond along with Canada geese and other waterfowl. Several native tree species line the property. Native prairie grasses and forbs welcome summer visitors with a variety of colors. Over 150 monarch butterflies have been tagged by students since 2007. An asphalt path leads to the Boulder Classroom where you can sit and observe nature. The trail leads to the pond where you can watch the swans and other waterfowl from the Observation Deck (an Eagle Scout project). Another trail leads through the trees where there is a footbridge. In the winter of 2016, the western upper prairie was replanted with native prairie grass and flowers by third graders with a Monarch Mania grant through Lime Creek Nature Center in Mason City.
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