• Home
• Help
• Search
• Text Version

Welcome to the City of Des Moines
Parks and Recreation

Providing clean, safe, fun, and beautiful parks, open spaces, recreational facilities, and professionally managed leisure activities.

News & Info

• 
  

  Tuesday, February 16

  3:30-6:00 pm

  2501 SE Maury

  Chesterfield Community Center

  
  

  Learn more about volunteering in the greenhouse.
  Returning from last year and want to re-connect with your fellow transplanters?
  Tour the greenhouse.
  Learn about the life of a flower seedling.
  See where the flowers for the parks and downtown are grown.
  Sign-up to become a volunteer seedling transplanter.
  Free tropical plant for each attendee.
  Visit www.dmparks.org to learn more about volunteering in the greenhouse.
  Call 248-6380 or email ParksVolunteer@dmgov.org to learn more!
  Free refreshments. See you there!
  

• Father/Daughter Dance

  
  

  Dads come on out and spend an evening with your daughter(s). Enjoy desserts, drinks, and dancing.

  The 2010 Father/Daughter Valentine Dance will be held February 5th, 11th and 12th.

  ALL DATES FOR THIS EVENT ARE SOLD OUT!
  
  VOLUNTEERS ARE STILL NEEDED! Please click on the Volunteer link below to have a fun evening. Thank you.
  

  More Information on the Father/Daughter Dance

  Volunteer for this Event

• BALD EAGLES!

  Join the Des Moines Park and Recreation Department as we examine the majestic world of one of our country’s most treasured symbols, the bald eagle.

  On Friday, February 19th, a lunch and learn will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Scott Street Bridge at the John Pat Dorian Trail along the levee. Parking for this event is available on the bridge and at Earl’s Tires, 303 Scott Avenue. This is the best place in Des Moines to see eagles. They congregate at Scott Street Dam because there are magnificent cottonwood trees for eagle perching, and fish (particularly gizzard shad) are stunned from turbulence as water flows over dam. Stunned fish are easy pickings for eagles.

  Educational presentations will be held by Wildlife Diversity Specialist Pat Schlarbaum with the Iowa DNR begin at noon and 1:00 p.m. Topics discussed will include:

  Nesting eagles: population growth, life history of nest building, egg laying, incubation, hatching and much more.

  Six sets of binoculars and eight spotting scopes will be on site, but participants are encouraged to bring binoculars as well as cameras. Winter is the best time of year to view eagles at this site. There are typically a dozen eagles that can be seen in trees along the north and south banks of bridge.

  Fishing occurs before 9:00am but eagles can forage at anytime stunned fish come floating by. Just before ice-out each spring, eagles will forage any fish that have winter-killed due to oxygen depletion. This may attract them to Grays Lake at ice-out each year. The wing span of the average size eagle is six to seven feet. Males weigh 10-11 pounds, females 12–14 pounds. Distinctive filed marks are white head and tails of adults and mottled black and white on immatures.

  There are no nests near this site, but a replica nest will be on site for the publics’ interest. Bring your lunch or simply enjoy the complimentary coffee and hot chocolate.

  Contact Tim Smith at 248-6315 or email tasmith@dmgov.org for more information about the program. Visit Birds of Des Moines for a list of birds you can spot in Des Moines’ parks.

• Current Recreational Trail Conditions

  Trails and portions of trails that are closed at this time include:

  1. John Pat Dorrian Trail is closed until further notice due to construction and temporary flood control measures in place since the June 2008 flooding. Please follow detour signs to find way around closure.
  2. Neal Smith Trail is closed north of the Botanical Center at the cul-de-sac to Penn. Ave. Please follow detour signs to find way around closure.
  3. McHenry Park Trail closed from Neal Smith to McHenry Park.
  
  

• Planning for the Future

  
  A random-sample Des Moines citizen survey was conducted at the end of 2007 to determine recreational needs, priorities and satisfaction levels. A wide range of questions were asked on important issues that will affect short- and long-range planning, management practices, programming and allocation of resources for the Park and Recreation Department.
  
  Find out more about the results of the overall survey, specific Des Moines geographic area input and details of the survey instrument by clicking on Citizen Survey Results.

  
  
• 
  

  More Info...

  
  

  Recreation League Standings