The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center will host the Bird City Seed Festival 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5.

There are a number of different programs scheduled for that day, with one of the main highlights of the festival being the declaration of Austin as a Bird City by the Minnesota Audubon Society at 10 a.m. This nature-oriented day will be suitable for school-age through senior citizens. 

Youth sign-up

It’d be nice, in the minds of many, if the warm weather would continue for a while longer. Regardless, the changing of seasons means changing our line of thinking to activities that are in season.

Park and Rec began adult volleyball this past week, and we’re already gearing up for other indoor activities as well. One of those is youth basketball for kindergarten through sixth grade, which will begin Oct. 22, and is scheduled to run most Tuesdays and Thursday through Dec. 5.

Seasonal work

Austin Parks and Recreation has a number of seasonal positions available, including recreation assistant, recreation instructor, arena supervisor, park maintenance, adult volleyball refree, and warming house attendant.

Some of these require a considerable amount of related knowledge and/or skill, while others will require some training, reliability, and solid work ethic.

Interested individuals are encouraged to contact the Parks, Rec, and Forestry office at 1-507-433-1881.

Sola Fide Observatory

Sola Fide Observatory offers public nights on specified Saturdays for those interested to go out and discover fascinating facts about the night sky during free observatory open house hours.

The next scheduled date is 8-10 p.m. on Sept. 28, weather permitting. On such select evenings, Jay C. Hormel Nature Center staff and volunteers are available to assist the public in viewing the night sky.

Deer hunt

The city of Austin’s archery deer hunt is set, and we’ll finalize start-of-season paperwork next week with those hunters whose names were drawn this past week.

A total of 34 qualified hunters submitted their applications. Of those, 31 hunters were drawn to hunt at the total of 31 sites. One additional hunter was added, as two of the hunters, a husband and wife duo, will share a site on an alternating basis.

Approved locations for these selected hunters include Todd Park, Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, Bustad addition (in the city’s green space along Turtle Creek), Cresthaven addition (also in the city’s green space along Turtle Creek), south of the Waste Water Treatment Plant, and one stand within Stiver’s Nursery. This private land site was recently approved by the Park Board, Austin’s City Council and Austin’s police chief).

Austin’s police officers will have copies of the permits, which have been granted to hunters, indicating the areas to which they have been assigned. The city hunt for these approved hunters will be  on Oct. 23.

As a reminder, archery hunters as a whole are generally a very ethical group who will follow the laws and will be respectful of neighbors and properties in the areas in which they are hunting. On the same note, it is expected that non-hunters will exhibit the same courtesy.

In fact, there are laws which protect hunters, and one such is as follows: “A person may not prevent or disrupt another person from taking or preparing to take a wild animal. A person may not disturb wild animals with the intent to prevent or disrupt another person from hunting. Placing bait for the purpose of preventing or disrupting another person from lawfully hunting deer would be considered unlawful under the hunter harassment laws.”

In addition, it is now illegal to feed deer in Mower County (Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations, p. 86). Thank you for your cooperation in assisting the city, the Department of Natural Resources, and the hunters for helping reduce the deer population within city of Austin.

Learn to Play Hockey

The next session of Learn to Play Hockey will run four Mondays, 5:30-6:15 p.m., Sept. 23 – Nov. 14 at Riverside Arena for ages 3 to 8. The cost is $25, and you may register on-line on our city website at, https://cityofapr.maxgalaxy.net/BrowseActivities.aspx and then click on Youth. Available programs will be listed.

Riverside Arena

Upcoming Riverside Arena public skate dates:

• 5-7 p.m., Wednesday.

Stick time dates will be:

• 4:30-6 p.m. today.

Times are added as different opportunities arise, so check the Austin Parks and Rec Facebook page regularly.