The forecast for the coming days includes a good chance for heavy snow, and while for most people that’s bad news, for Dallas County Conservation it means the activation of a popular program.

As Conservation Outreach Coordinator Ken Keffer puts it, “When it snows, we ski!” Free cross country skiing and snowshoeing is available each winter, though Keffer points out that it’s only when certain criteria is met. “We need about four-inches of snow on the ground to make our trails at the Voas Nature Area really skiable. And so some years we get there, other years we don’t. For that, we do have a few pairs of skis that you can rent for $3 a person, if you have your own bring them on out and ski whenever! We can enjoy these mild winter days, but for some of us winter means cross country skiing and snowshoeing.”

The Voas Nature Area is located just to the west of Minburn. Keffer says the best way to find out if skiing will be happening during the weekend is to put your name on the contact list. Naturalist Cindy Blobaum will then let you know by phone or email if the program is a go. For more information or to sign up, stop in or call Forest Park Museum at 515-465-3577.