(Hancock) Botna Bend Park, home to a 27-member bison herd, invites the public to attend the park’s fifth annual Bison Fest and participate in fun, family-friendly activities on National Bison Day on Saturday, November 7th, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 42926 Mahogany Road, Hancock, Iowa 51536.
Attendees can expect a wide variety of activities such as atlatl throwing, hayrack rides, bison artifacts, fossils, crafts, flint knapping, live music by Ron Cisar, bison wool spinning demonstrations, and video presentations on the Joy Creek Major archaeological site. Visitors are also encouraged to discover the history between the railroad and bison from the Union Pacific Railroad Museum and to learn about the symbiotic relationship between bison and the prairie from The Nature Conservancy in Iowa.
Visitors are welcome to swing by a local food vendor to grab a bowl of bison chili and other treats to enjoy, and to peruse Native American woodwork by Shawn Renshaw.
A $3 per-vehicle entry fee or annual park membership is required to enter the park. This event will be held rain or shine. For more information, guests can visit Pottconservation.com.
Botna Bend, which has managed a bison herd at the park since 1968, welcomed six bison calves this spring.
Historically, bison were once driven to the brink of extinction by early settlers—from an estimated 30 to 60 million to fewer than 1,000 by the late 1800s. Thanks to conservation efforts, the Plains bison population in North America has rebounded with more than 20,000 bison currently living in conservation herds like the one at Botna Bend Park. More than 400,000 bison are estimated to live in commercial herds. Maintaining healthy genetic diversity in the herds that remain is vital for the survival of the species and a major concern for scientists today.
