August 11, 2025

Community paints birdhouses for Mariposa

By Dustin Teays
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Community members came out to the Armory Building in Newton where they were able to paint birdhouses as part of the National Hot Chocolate Day event put on by Jasper County Conservation. (Dustin Teays)

Hey, any excuse to drink hot chocolate is a good excuse.

In this case, Jasper County Conservation staff requested its guests paint birdhouses Friday evening for Mariposa Park in celebration of National Hot Chocolate Day.

To quash everybody’s winter blues, Jasper County Conservation Assistant Jade Read said staff offered servings of hot chocolate to thirsty attendees while they decorated an abundance of birdhouses for Mariposa Park, which is estimated to open by June 6.

“Since we are opening Mariposa up again ... I wanted to do something fun for that,” Read said.

The birdhouses painted Friday evening will eventually be placed into a nature playscape in Mariposa. Not only will it provide a fun place for families to be outdoors but it will also allow them to find their own birdhouses they painted,
Read said.

Naturalist Katie Cantu added, “I’m excited about the nature playscape trail. We just have some really fun, whimsical things that are going to be along there.”

There were plenty of people packed into the Armory Building eager to get painting on their birdhouses. There weren’t just individuals who attended but there were also families that took turns working on the birdhouse designs.

“This was a great turnout tonight,” Cantu said.

As families painted on their birdhouses – whether they were intricate designs or simply a coat of paint – there was the underlying tone of excitement that, once Mariposa Park opens, families will attempt to locate their hard work in the park.

“Since it is each family doing one, they will get to go out and try to find their family birdhouse when the park opens,” Read said.

“I think that gives them ownership, too, of making sure that they take care of the parks and that they are engaging in their community,” Lynsey Ludwig, of Newton, said.

Mariposa Park is still undergoing its multi-million dollar water improvement project. A lot has been done to Mariposa since it broke ground in 2017 but there is plenty of excitement surrounding its reopening slated for summer this year.

“It’ll be a big free event and a big family event as well and we will have more stuff. It is also free fishing weekend,” Read said.

Contact Dustin Teays at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or dteays@newtondailynews.com