That collision was not a disaster, in fact it has brought energy, awareness and results to the communities of Ellsworth and Jewell.

“They have gotten a lot of things accomplished,” said Brian Lammers, executive director of the Hamilton County Conservation office.

Lammers has worked with Henderson on several projects, including the story walk and the sign at the lake.

“Hamilton County Conservation did much of the work for the restored informational area at the lake, such as restaining, cleaning up and installing the art,” said Henderson, “I found the artists and paid for the enlargements, picked up and delivered, etc.”

That’s the type of civic involvement that helps the conservation department stretch their dollars better and do more projects, Lammers said.

Henderson was motivated by her loyalty to Jewell.

“I’ve lived in Jewell for 28 years. My first teaching job was at South Hamilton,” she said. “I just wanted to help kids want to stay in Jewell.” she said. “They can learn how to do activities that will make the place be what they want it to be.”

Henderson teaches the STEM and talented and gifted programs at the South Hamilton schools.

“I do science fairs too,” she explained, “A lot of what we do is to figure out how to solve problems.”

So when the kids wondered why the water was dirty at Little Wall Lake, Lammers explained to them that the best way is to get involved.

That was the beginning.

“We did some water testing, then started picking up sticks and stuff.” she said.

But the questions didn’t stop with Little Wall Lake.

“We investigated the declining monarchs, and they wanted to know what they could do to help get the pollinators back.” Henderson said.

So now they are working on creating a monarch habitat. “A lot of the projects are things we are doing in school. It’s a very big part of my curriculum,” Henderson said.

But she isn’t doing this alone. Henderson has created partnerships with the Hamilton County Conservation office, the cities of Jewell, Ellsworth, and POET to name a few.

“We have a lot of people who work hard to make this a collaborative effort and work hard to make improvements.” she said.

But it takes leadership, and a vision. Part of that vision is from board members including Henderson, Allison Hassebrock, Heidi Eckers, Ashley Watkins, Suzie Bahr and Stacy Olthoff, to take the dream into a real world setting.

“I asked them if we could join together and they have been part of the journey.” she said.

Henderson says she teaches the students about recycling and they perform experiments to demonstrate long-term effects.

“A lot of our problems are environmental.” she said, “I try to make the kids aware and to change behaviors.”

But there is more to do and more people to teach.

Henderson’s husband farms land around Randall and they have three children. “He’s definitely a good steward of the land, but I am always thinking. I think converting more of the ground back to prairie is something we need to do more.”

They are working to provide three core services: environmental stewardship, educational programming, and public space.

Some of the projects take money, some take manpower. They have been successful with several grants and other donations.

The projects they have tackled engaged students in hands-on ecology and revitalizing the parks, trails and public art.

So far their projects have been done in partnership with various organizations including the upgrade at the Little Wall Lake Information board which was sponsored by POET, planting trees in the city park in Ellsworth, creating an outdoor classroom for South Hamilton schools, and assisted in the planning of the mural at the Ellsworth City park. They also built a new community board in Jewell, in addition to the work done at the lake.

POET also helped create a permanent Story Walk to the JewEllsworth walking trail, collaborating with the City of Ellsworth and the Hamilton County Conservation offices.

Conservation Creations is on a mission to improve outdoor spaces and improving the community. They want to educate, not just the students, but the people within communities around them. Under the umbrella of Conservation Creations, they have organized events starting in May called Prairie Roots to educate more of the public during the summer.

On May 9, they will have their first event that will focus the attention and creativity of the natural world, and learn more about areas in Hamilton County. This event will celebrate World Migratory Bird Day. It will begin at 5 p.m. at the Anderson Goose Lake Wildlife Area.

This is a 90 acre glacial pothole lake, which is a haven for waterfowl and also is a national natural landmark. Partnering with Hamilton County Conservation, participants will be exploring the propertywith a trail walk to view the wetlands, experience guided birdwatching, and reflecting on the experience by writing and journaling. This portion will be led by Debra Marquaret.

Marquart will lead sessions in guided writing, journaling and sketching, with the intent of capturing the sights and sounds of the lake. Marquart is a professor at Iowa State University and former Poet Laureate of Iowa from 2019 to 2024. She is the senior editor of Flyway: Journal of Writing and Environment and teaches Creative Writing and the Environment. Jennifer Drinkwater will also be involved with this project. She is the ISU Associate Professor of Art and Visual Culture and Community Art Specialist.

Henderson and their team look for grants to help develop the educational programs so they can bring in experts and cover expenses associated with their activities.

One of the grants that they have received is from Iowa Humanities. This grant established Prairie Roots. They hope that the stories from Hamilton County will emerge from these sessions, and will connect residents with the natural landscape and each other through shared experiences, storytelling, and creative expression.

With that grant this project invites participants of all ages and backgrounds to engage with local environments in meaningful, accessible ways.

The series of outdoor gatherings centers on the idea that everyone has a story to tell about the land we call home.

Whether participants choose to share memories, sketch the horizon, take photographs, or simply walk and listen, their presence contributes to a collective narrative rooted in place.

Each participant will receive a canvas bag containing a sketchbook and basic art materials, ensuring equitable access to creative tools and encouraging continued engagement beyond the events.

Additional events will be held on June 3 with a Prairie Walk at Little Wall Lake, with a focus on native plants and open waters; Aug. 2 with a communication conversation and art project; and a final event that will be held on Sept. 10, focusing on the monarch butterfly migration and the shifting colors and landscape in the late-summer prairie.

To register for one or all the events, those interested can sign up at the Montgomery Memorial Library in Jewell, the Ellsworth Public Library or go to the link here: https://forms.gle/F8aVUoMeYXusaws17