Johnson County community members got hands-on with wildlife Sunday in the first-ever “Wings and Wild Things Festival.”

Taking place at Kent Park in Oxford, Iowa, the festival aimed to promote and celebrate awareness of Iowa’s natural environment. Encompassed in the festival were informational sections connecting attendees to local wildlife, native plants, and conservation efforts.

Extant Relatives founder Melinda Licht hosted a reptile meet-and-greet station in partnership with Backyard Abundance, a local nonprofit that aims to create environmentally beneficial landscapes. Since its start in summer 2023, Extant has dedicated itself to educating the public and caring for reptiles and amphibians.

Attendees were able to pet and hold reptiles, including a bearded dragon, the Russian tortoise, and Iowa’s own ornate box turtle. A talking point for the conservationists was the endangered box turtle.

Licht specifically discussed the ornate box turtles’ threatened status in Iowa.

Though the box turtle is native to Iowa, the species is “not doing great in the state,” according Licht. Over the years its habitat, sand till prairies, have been steadily mowed over to make way for farmland across the state.

According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 99 percent of Iowa’s sand prairies were long ago destroyed to grow corn, beans and Muscatine melons.

Another problem Licht pointed to was poachers. Though the state has made taking or processing a box turtle illegal, such acts still contribute to the population’s rapid decline. Many who snatch the turtles from their habitats sell them on in the pet trade. Poaching has led many to hide the locations of box turtle populations.

Though both problems seem daunting, Licht pointed towards ways residents can contribute towards the conservation of all reptiles, including the box turtle.

She suggested setting a limit to how low residents cut their grass so as not to “chop” the reptiles up. She also pointed to setting up an inexpensive water feature, such as a large container, in the backyard to give local reptiles somewhere to get water when the area dries up.

Licht pointed towards the importance of using fewer lawn chemicals.

“Reptiles and amphibians can absorb things through their skin, any of those chemicals can be absorbed. So that tends to be one of the most harmful things,” she said.

Another major attraction was the live raptor meet and greets hosted by Raptology, a raptor and wildlife education group based in Iowa City, providing “up close and unique experiences with birds of prey.”

Attendees were able to observe from a safe distance Shakespeare the Barred Owl, Gonzo the Turkey Vulture, and BW the Broad-winged Hawk. Raptology’s birds, including those not displayed at the event, are all either too injured or “human-imprinted” to be released in the wild.

Raptology’s Joan Schnabel described the organization’s efforts to educate the youth by allowing children to get up and close, albeit at a safe distance, to the birds.

“We want these kids to grow up and do a better job protecting the environment,” she said. “Look at the habitat destruction with all the new housing going up or people farming up to the line rather than leaving fence rows for habitats.”

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Schnabel gave tips for residents to engage in raptor conservation from their own backyards. She described the importance of steering clear of poisons, as the chemicals could not only harm intended critters but also struggling bird populations.

When trimming or clearing a tree entirely, Schnabel recommended checking for owls burrowed inside, suggesting residents call wildlife rehabilitation organizations or wait until the bird leaves to trim the tree altogether.

Scattered across Kent Park were a myriad of partner organizations, including Iowa City Bird Club, Prairie States Mushroom Club, and Indian Creek Nature Center among many others. The resounding feeling from each organization was excitement towards the festival finally coming into fruition.

Indian Creek Nature Center’s Marcy Fratzke described how the festival provided a space for people who love the environment to come together and educate the public on best practices.

Pollinator Partnership — another involved organization — event coordinator Gina Bartleson described the festival as “an amazing activity” to educate the public on lesser-known issues such as Iowa’s sickening bee population.

She described how bees across the state are becoming sick due to pesticides and climate change, which cause flowers to bloom faster than the bees can emerge.

Countless other events were hosted, such as fishing, atlatl throwing, and aquatic net dipping. Iowa City’s own Griddle Me This and Luna’s Tacos provided food and refreshments for attendees.

Festival coordinator Michelle Wiegand from Johnson County Conservation reflected on the festival’s hands-on and immersive approach.

“I think that immersive experience education is a great way to educate and get people excited about nature and hopefully build lifelong stewards of nature,” she said.

Wiegand reflected on the eagerness displayed by partner organizations to contribute to the event.

“We have so many great organizations that are working in the conservation field and are excited to work with the public,” she said. “Everyone was really excited to jump in.”

Wiegand said the conservation team would regroup for the possibility of similar events in the future.