First in the State, Thank you Kay Park and Dubuque County Conservation Board.

 First in the State, Thank you Kay Park Inc. and Dubuque County Conservation Board.

Facilitated by Ursus Iowa, Kay Park donated a Bear-resistant refuse container to the Dubuque County Conservation Board.

Chad DeBoer of Kay Park was on hand to present the container and explain its features to the Board at their monthly business meeting on 14 August 2025. Also present were Urus Iowa board members: Camille Eastburn and John L. Hanson.

DeBoer, Hanson, and Eastburn (L to R)

Dubuque county has the most consistent sighting and transit of black bears in Iowa. This container will serve several purposes. First, it will be a functional tool to thwart animal scavaging, whether bear or raccoon. Second, the container will be a teaching tool to the public alerting them to possible presence of bears as well as seeding their minds with the knowledge of the bears' efforts to recolonize Iowa.

Ursus Iowa was very proud to make this donation happen. We look forward to securing bear-resistant refuse containers for additional counties to use in their parks. The bears are coming back--let's be ready.