THURMAN, Iowa (KMTV) — The sophomore biology students at Fremont-Mills High School spent the Wednesday at Blackburn State Park learning about the natural world in their own community. The park is on land donated to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources by Bill and Sara Blackburn in 2019.
- Education and preserving Iowa's natural heritage were two of the Blackburns' goals in preserving the land.
- "And hopefully it gives them a greater connection to the wonderful outdoors and maybe affects their values for the long term," Blackburn said.
- Iowa is among the states with the lowest percentage of publicly-own lands.
- Fremont Mills biology teacher Mike Younts is on the park board: “I think it’s amazing ... land here in this area is going for crazy money and for them just to give this to the state as a gift. It’s really a gift for everybody.”
WATCH KATRINA'S STORY BELOW
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter Katrina Markel at Blackburn State Park in Fremont County.
I’m here because the family who gave this land to the state is hosting an educational experience for local high schoolers. But there’s also a bigger story at play here because Iowa ranks near the bottom when it comes to public lands and parks.
(Sounds of crunching leaves as kids walk through the park.)
Sophomore Ben Johnson said, "It's refreshing."
Fremont-Mills biology students learned about the plants and animals...
Student Carlie Nuckolls said, “I like just enjoying nature. I really like getting outside.”
...And the human history of the Loess Hills.
Bill Blackburn: “Waubonsie had a two-story log house, if you will, just a couple miles north.”
Education was one of Bill Blackburn's goals when he and his wife, Sara, handed the land over to the state in 2019.
"And hopefully it gives them a greater connection to the wonderful outdoors and maybe affects their values for the long term," Blackburn said.
However, two studiesranked Iowa among the lowest five states for its percentage of publicly-owned land.
“It’s been a practice over the last couple of decades to squeeze investments in public lands,” Blackburn said.
Fremont Mills biology teacher Mike Younts is on the park board: “I think it’s amazing ... land here in this area is going for crazy money and for them just to give this to the state as a gift. It’s really a gift for everybody.”
Blackburn State Park is just north of Thurman, Iowa, off Cemetery Road. I’m your Southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter, Katrina Markel.
