'Pollinators' Palooza' Kicks Off This Weekend

Calling all nature fans! This free event gives you everything you need to know about the world of hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, moths and more with "Pollinators' Palooza!" Join the Putnam Museum and Science Center this Saturday 10 A.M. - 2 P.M.

This event is presented by the ISU Scott County Extension Master Gardeners.

We are always looking for things to do as Summer kicks off and this quick event is perfect for that. Their slogan sets the mood for the goofy fun, and learning experience that awaits!

Discover what the buzz is about surrounding these hard-working animals at Pollinators’ Palooza

You can also tour the Putnam’s Pollinator Garden located in the circle garden outside the front entrance, plants are also available for purchase by Master Gardeners.

Master Gardeners also will staff a Hort Clinic where the public can ask questions about plants, insects, and wildlife in their own landscapes. And be sure to check out the Conservation Station from Iowa Learning Farms!

The museum opens and event kicks off at 10 with activities concluding at 2 p.m. Below is the schedule for this weekends events:

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Putnam opens (general admission required to enter museum)
10:15 a.m. - Climate Change and Pollinators.
11:15 a.m. - Pollinators of the Bird World: Hummingbirds, Honeyeaters, Honeycreepers and More.
12:15 p.m. - Plant Diversity for Our Pollinators.
1:45 p.m. - Film: Flight of the Butterflies in 3D (Adult tickets $5, and free for youth)

More information about this event can be found here.

Iowa's Island City

There is something unique about every town, but there is really something special about Sabula, IA. Known as "Iowa's Island City," Sabula is the only town in the state of Iowa that is entirely on an island. While not a lot of people have been to, or live in Sabula, it is a quaint little town nestled right on the Mississippi River.

Before we show you around "Iowa's Island City," let me give you the history of Sabula. Sabula was established in 1835, according History of Jackson County, Iowa, Volume 1 by James Whitcomb Ellis. Isaac Dorman and a man named Hinkley crossed the river from the Illinois side on a log and decided to settle on what is now Sabula. An Ohio couple, James and Margaret Woods would settle on Sabula about a year later in April of 1836. Their son, Dr. E. A. Woods would purchase Hinkley's interest in the claim. Charles Swan and W. H. Brown would soon purchase Dorman's interest. The three men, Woods, Swan and Brown later had the land plotted in 1837.

The idea behind plotting the land was because there was no town between Lyons (north Clinton) and Bellevue. The plot of the new town was recorded in Dubuque as this area was part of Dubuque county at the time, according History of Jackson County, Iowa, Volume 1 by James Whitcomb Ellis.

According to Island City Harbor's website, Sabula went through a few names before landing on the official town name. In 1837, Sabula was first called Carrollport. Residents of the town didn't like the name because there was a man's name who was Carroll who had a bad reputation. The town changed its name to Charleston, after early settler Charles Swan. The only issue was that there was already a town called Charleston in Iowa which caused much confusion.

In 1846 the settler’s decided to find a name. Island City Harbor's website says that because of it’s sandy soil, William Hubble suggested the town be called "Sabulum" which is Latin for sand. A party was being held around the time the town name was being discussed, when a woman, supposed to be Miss Harriet Hudson, suggested the town be called Sabula as it was easier to pronounce and sounded more elegant, according History of Jackson County, Iowa, Volume 1 by James Whitcomb Ellis.

Sabula did not actually become an island until 1939. According to Wikipedia, in the 1930's, the Army Corps of Engineers constructed the lock and dam system. In 1939, Lock and Dam No. 13 between Clinton, IA and Fulton, IL was built which caused the bottomlands west of the town permanently flooded. With the Mississippi River east of the town, this created the "Island City." A levee was built around Sabula in 1957 for protection, according to Island City Harbor's website. This also allowed for the south sand pit to be turned into a boat harbor.

I would like to thank my mom Beth, her fiancé Matt, my brother Nolan and my wife Ellie for accompanying me to Sabula. We always have a blast on our trips and this one was no exception.

It's now time to introduce you to Sabula, Iowa, Iowa's Island City.