More people are needed for the Dallas County Conservation Quinzee Building Project.  Naturalist Laura Zaugg says this program is an on-call program meaning that they will contact you when there’s enough snow to build quinzees.  But because of the holiday weekends in December, the Dallas County Conservation won’t be able to start the program until the early part of January.

Zaugg comments that she has done a program like this before in the past with school groups and part of public programs.  It is a cross between an igloo and a snow cave.  They are typically about 10-feet high and around 8-10-feet wide.  You begin by piling snow into a 10-foot heep, then wait about 45 minutes to an hour to let the snow settle and harden.  Then, after you enjoy some hot chocolate, you go back out and dig your way through the 10-foot by 10-foot snow pile until it becomes a hollowed out snow cave.  She points out that the conservation will supply everything and all you’ll need is warm clothes.

Zaugg explains that she has done other “on-call” programs like the salamander watch a couple of years ago.  In the summer, when she noticed salamanders were showing up in greater numbers, she would contact those who signed up and they would assemble together to see all of them.

Registration is required.  To sign up for the quinzee snow building shelters, give the Dallas County Conservation a call at 515-465-3577.  It is free and open to the public.