Friends of Dubuque County Conservation is comprised of conservation minded citizens concerned with maintaining and improving our county parks though volunteerism. The Friends Group supports Dubuque County Conservation and along with trained environmental educators they volunteer to provide environmental education classes and outdoor recreation opportunities to schools, summer campers, families, scout groups, and adults interested in furthering their knowledge of the great outdoors. The Friends of Dubuque County Conservation is a non-profit organization supported entirely on memberships, donations, and special event fundraisers. With over 150 volunteers, our organization is able to support and assist with providing top class environmental and outdoor education. Currently the environmental education programs we support are based on natural sciences such as botany, limnology, and ecology. The recreation programs are based on geocaching, hiking, fishing and camping. The Friends of Dubuque County Conservation also plans fundraisers throughout the year to bring the community together for seasonal celebrations. These fundraiser events include the Maple Syrup Pancake Breakfast, Chili Feed, and the Swiss Valley Nature Center Trail Race.