Iowa Project AWARE is an annual volunteer river cleanup event, to be held this year along the Turkey River in northeast Iowa. As part of the event, they host afternoon and evening educational programs that are free and open to the public. For a full slate of programs, please visit their website.

These programs are typically held in the Project AWARE camping area. Watch for signs as you arrive at the park! Anyone attending these programs should bring a lawn chair and any other afternoon/evening supplies you might need to sit outdoors (sunscreen, bug spray, weather appropriate attire).

On Thursday, July 16 at 4:30pm, Susan Snow from Effigy Mounds National Monument will present Effigy Mounds and Mound Preservation at Elkader City Park.

Talk Description: This presentation will provide a brief introduction to the mound-building era and focus on various philosophies and methodologies for preserving mounds in Iowa.

Bio: Susan Snow is the superintendent at Effigy Mounds National Monument since 2022. She has over 25 years of experience in the National Park Service. Prior to that she worked at the Iowa Office of the State Archeologist. Susan served as the coordinator for the San Antonio Missions’ quest for UNESCO World Heritage status from 2006-2015. The site was formally inscribed on July 5, 2015. Since that time, she has been an invited expert for several potential world heritage sites in the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil. She received the U.S. Department of Interior Honor Award for Superior Service in 2015. She has over 40 years of experience on both pre and post-colonial archaeological sites in the United States and Latin America.