The public is invited to Clayton County Conservation Director Jenna Van Meeteren for a Jamaican Garden Tour presentation at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 10, at the Osborne Welcome Center.
Participants will observe a short slideshow of flora observed from a recent trip to Whitehouse Jamaica and learn about the flowers and fruits of the Caribbean. Other images and anecdotal stories of the trip will be shared as well.
Registration is not required for the free event. Osborne Nature Center is located along HWighway 13, five miles south of Elkader. The center is open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Additionally, Clayton County Conservation will host a guided hike Friday, April 18, in search of the pasque flower at the Motor Mill Historic Site. Participants will meet at the campground at 5 p.m., before hiking approximately half a mile to view this delicate prairie species.
The Pasque flower is one of the earliest blooming wildflowers in Iowa, and a welcome sign that a new growing season is underway. While relatively common in remnant prairies, this small flower is rarely seen in Clayton County due to a loss of habitat, and the rugged terrain in which the remaining populations are found.
Participants should come prepared for a fairly strenuous off-trail hike. 
 The Motor Mill Historic Site is located at 23002 Grain Road, rural Elkader.