Dallas County Conservation Board Naturalist Cindy Blobaum — “Critter Cindy” to the youngsters who know her for her wildlife presentations — led a trek Sunday trek along the sandbar and shallows of the Snyder Tract in a search for earthly treasures.
“Every time the waters rise and wash through our river valleys, they uncover and deposit new geologic and human treasures,” Blobaum said. In addition to the wide variety of rocks and minerals, including quartz, chalcedony, chert and jasper, past groups of searchers led by Blobaum and others have found fossil crinoids and brachiopods, arrowheads and spear tips, crockery chunks and other relics, she said.
About 20 participants joined Blobaum for the unarmed hunt, including families from Earlham, Dexter, DeSoto and Des Moines.
“This is perfect high-summer weather,” Blobaum said.
Floyd Spoerry, an Adel native who lived for a number of years in Dexter and now had been in Des Moines for one year, turned over rocks along the river’s edge. He said he has been on many county conservation searches and is also a rock hunter in his spare time.
“Living in Des Moines,” Spoerry said, “every now and then I just need a river day.”
With Spoerry was his son Ethan, a student at Luther College. Spoerry said Ethan has been coming with him on similar hunts since the age of 2 and now is studying to be a park ranger.
“That’s how much he’s come to love this sort of thing,” Spoerry said.
Blobaum said the program depends on river levels, and this morning’s rains made for muddy but otherwise ideal hunting.
