Bison Burger Picnic draws large crowd

Hundreds gather at Bison Burger Picnic and Lawn Concert on Tuesday evening at the Prairie Heritage Center near Sutherland. The O’Brien County Conservation Board and the Little Sioux Valley Conservation Association partner to host the event.

SUTHERLAND—A herd of 400 people gathered at the Prairie Heritage Center near Sutherland for an annual tradition, one that celebrates the natural landscape and conservation efforts in O’Brien County.

The Bison Burger Picnic and Lawn Concert, hosted by the O’Brien County Conservation Board and the Little Sioux Valley Conservation Association, featured a donation-dinner, live music by Larry Heschke of Fonda and children’s activities hosted by naturalist Lindsey Kleinhesselink.

“We just do it as a time to bring the community together,” said association secretary Mary Hicks. “We want them to see what O’Brien County has to offer.”

Sutherland resident James De Boom takes a slice of watermelon from volunteers Molly Hicks and Jenny Johnson at the Bison Burger Picnic and Lawn Concert on Tuesday. Many of those serving also volunteer at the Prairie Heritage Center during its open hours from 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Organization members and volunteers grilled 900 bison burger patties, serving it along with chips, baked beans and watermelon for the donation meal. Money raised goes toward several conservation projects. In years past, funds have been used for new cement pads in Mill Creek Park in Paullina and several campsite playgrounds throughout the county.

This year’s fundraiser on Tuesday drew people from as far away as Okoboji and Council Bluffs. With old familiar favorites from Johnny Cash, the Monkees and Neil Diamond were performed live by Heschke, the event attracted an older crowd of nature lovers, but interactive games like bison chip toss and gunny sack races made it versatile, with something for the youngest of age groups.

Six-year-old Rosie Miller of Council Bluffs and her 8-year-old brother, Simeon, participate in the bison chip toss at the Bison Burger Picnic and Lawn Concert Tuesday.

The Prairie Heritage Center also boasts a wide range of activities. Parents Stephen and Ricquel Shank said they often bring their 16-month-old, JC, to the location because the activities are engaging for him — from petting the different fur on the walls to watching the bison roam. At the event, JC bounced along to the music and walked along the grounds with his family. The mix of activities is intentional; a reminder that one can never be too young or too old to enjoy the outdoors.

The icons for the event were none other than the herd of nine bison that graze in a fenced-off field not far from the building.

This year, the Prairie Heritage Center welcomed three baby calves to the herd — all girls. At the fundraiser, visitors could participate in naming the calves by voting on their favorites. Guests put money in six different jars, marked Penelope, Lavender, Juniper, Honey, Betty and Daisy. At the end of the night, totals were counted and names decided: the winners were Daisy, Betty and Juniper.

Alexis Lenz of Peterson holds 10-month-old Iyla Lewis to see the herd of bison that roam at the Prairie Heritage Center near Sutherland during the Bison Burger Picnic and Lawn Concert on Tuesday.

Hicks said their bison herd is “unique.” The center has been the home for bison for more than 16 years, after they moved in months after the building first opened its doors in 2007. While there are several herds in Iowa, Hicks said the closest bison herd to theirs is at Blue Mounds State Park in Luverne, MN.

Since opening in 2006, the Prairie Heritage Center has added improvements every few years, from the bison statues and covered wagon displays to the observation platform in 2010. The site has seen visitors from all 50 states and almost 30 countries.

One of the fundraiser attendees, Pat Sickelka, has witnessed the Prairie Heritage Center’s growth firsthand. She and her husband, Mark, sold 134 acres in 2014 to create the adjacent Waterman Wildlife Addition, connecting the site to the Little Sioux River. This year, she brought two of her grandchildren from Chicago to the event.

“It’s been fun to see what they’ve done and how they’ve changed it,” she said.

PRIMGHAR—Tjossem Park is seeing new improvements.

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