4 Cool Things You Should Know About Trumpeter Swans 8/26/2016 11:20:00 AM View Count 13947 Trumpeter swans are majestic birds native to Iowa, but overhunting and habitat loss led to the last nesting pair being documented here in the 1880s. More than 100 years later, diligent conservation efforts started to bring them back. Today, Dave Hoffman, leader of the DNR’s trumpeter swan restoration program in Iowa, says the goal of a self-sustaining population will hopefully be realized in the next 10 years.
7 Tips for Starting a Backyard Pollinator Garden 8/11/2016 2:05:00 PM View Count 38507 Not all wildlife is supersized. Small animals, including insects and hummingbirds, are responsible for the processes that bring us everything from cotton for clothes to the strawberries in the supermarket. According to the American Honeybee Federation, honeybees alone are responsible for up to 90 percent of the pollination of certain crops, and contribute more than a $14 billion value to the U.S. agricultural industry. With the recent declines in honeybee and monarch butterfly populations, you can make an importa...
Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Sept 16-18 at Springbrook Ed Center 8/2/2016 1:40:00 PM View Count 4620 The fall Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) workshop is Sept. 16-18, at the Springbrook Conservation Education Center, adjacent to Springbrook State Park, north of Guthrie Center.
Ospreys Expanding Their Footprint in Iowa 7/19/2016 1:23:00 PM View Count 4987 Iowa’s osprey population has added three new sites in 2016 – Colfax, Norwalk and at Big Creek State Park, near Polk City – bringing the total number of attempted nests to 24.
4 Cool Things You Should Know About Mussels 7/15/2016 9:50:00 AM View Count 27161 Most people have seen the empty shell of a clam or mussel, but significantly fewer have seen the actual animals that live in there. Get a good look before they’re gone – these animals are some of the most threatened by habitat alteration and pollution today.
Black Bear Killed on Allamakee County Highway 6/27/2016 11:11:00 AM View Count 6912 DES MOINES – A young black bear was struck and killed by a truck Friday evening on Highway 76 near the Yellow River Forest in southeast Allamakee County.
Iowa DNR: 30 Years, 30 Natural Resource Successes 6/21/2016 11:23:00 AM View Count 5311 DES MOINES — July 1 marks the 30th anniversary of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, established by the State Legislature when several state agencies consolidated in 1986. To help commemorate the 30th anniversary, the DNR is highlighting 30 success stories for Iowa’s natural resources during the last three decades.
4 Quick Ways to Tell A Wolf from a Coyote 6/8/2016 10:55:00 AM View Count 71705 Iowa hasn’t been a consistent home for many large predators since the early 1900s, but healthy wolf populations from the Great Lakes Region are expanding their ranges. Look for the tell-tale traits below to know just what canine you’ve spotted.
Iowa Raptors Take Center Stage 6/7/2016 1:33:00 PM View Count 4337 Iowa’s 24 active osprey nests will be a bustling with activity this week and next as young ospreys are beginning to hatch. The osprey nest at the Wells Fargo campus in West Des Moines has two young hatching today and can be viewed live online.
7 Cool Things You Should Know About Hummingbirds 6/2/2016 2:46:00 PM View Count 56601 Hummingbirds are some of the most distinctive birds to see in Iowa – if your eyes can keep up. Known for their extremely speedy flight and abrupt stops, these winged gems are fun to spot and easy to attract to your yard or apartment windowsill with a feeder. Look for them over the summer and you might even see a rare species!
Shimek State Forest Puts on Stunning Show of Butterflies and Birds 5/20/2016 11:58:00 AM View Count 9279 This southeast Iowa forest hosts one of our most diverse woodland bird migrations, followed by a stunning summer butterfly show perhaps unequaled anywhere else in the state.
Here's Why Skunk Smell is So Hard to Get Rid Of 5/18/2016 2:49:00 PM View Count 81617 Everything about a skunk says, “don’t mess with me.” Their distinctive black and white stripes show they don’t need to hide for safety. If a curious predator doesn’t get that message, the skunk employs an intimidating foot-stamping. If a threatening animal still doesn’t respond to an obvious tail-lifting, the skunk lets loose.
Loess Hills Wildlife Area and State Forest Becoming a Bird Conservation Area 5/17/2016 12:21:00 PM View Count 7055 CASTANA, Iowa – A public ceremony to dedicate the Loess Hills Wildlife Area, Loess Hills State Forest, Preparation Canyon State Park, and a 42 mile section of the Loess Hills (including the Loess Hills National Natural Landmark) as Iowa’s newest Bird Conservation Area (BCA) will take place on Friday, June 3 at 3 pm.
Meet Sparky, a Bison Lucky to Be Alive 5/17/2016 11:15:00 AM View Count 24476 In rare cases, an animal can survive a lightning strike, like a bison struck in 2013 at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City. This bison earned his new nickname “Sparky” the hard way.
Iowa's Osprey Population Continues to Expand 5/10/2016 12:02:00 PM View Count 15073 Des Moines and Cedar Rapids can lay claim to nesting sites for Iowa’s big three raptors–peregrine falcons, bald eagles, and recently, ospreys. The re-appearance of the fish-eating osprey has continued to slowly expand its presence in Iowa from the initial release of a five 42-day-old chicks at Lake Macbride in 1997 by the Macbride Raptor Project and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
7 Cool Things You Should Know About Squirrels 5/6/2016 11:52:00 AM View Count 121996 In Iowa it’s hard to go outside without at least glimpsing a squirrel. This nimble and common wildlife family is well known for its acrobatic tendencies and potential as a garden or birdfeeder thief. But do you know all the facts about your fuzzy neighbors?
Leave Wildlife Babies Where They Belong - In the Wild 5/3/2016 1:29:00 PM View Count 20189 It's as predictable as August heat. From border to border, the Wildlife Baby Season has arrived in Iowa. From May until at least mid-June, DNR field offices across the state will be inundated with hundreds of phone calls and scores of deliveries regarding "orphaned wildlife."
Trumpeter Swans to be Released at Adams County's Lake Icaria 4/26/2016 7:45:00 AM View Count 4557 The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will release two trumpeter swans at Lake Icaria Recreation Area, near Corning, rain or shine at 1 p.m. Thursday, May 12.
Osprey Nesting Underway 4/12/2016 7:39:00 AM View Count 4650 Iowa’s osprey population is inching higher with 22 known nesting attempts in 2015, including three new sites: near Colfax, Independence and the Wells Fargo West Des Moines Campus in West Des Moines.
Trumpeter Swans to be Released at Wayne County's Coffey Marsh 4/12/2016 7:36:00 AM View Count 4582 The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will release two trumpeter swans on Coffey Marsh rain or shine at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21. The release site is located 2-1/2 miles north of Promise City on blacktop S56 at the parking lot on the east side of the road,just south of the river bridge.
Food Plots for Pheasants and Quail Provide Needed Shelter 4/12/2016 7:35:00 AM View Count 10626 Boone – Each winter, food plots of corn, sorghum, or other grains are used by all kinds of wildlife for survival.
Plant.Grow.Fly. and Mayor Cownie Encourage Iowa’s Mayors to Sign Monarch Pledge 3/24/2016 8:50:00 AM View Count 11503 DES MOINES, Iowa (March 23, 2016) – Des Moines’ Mayor, Frank Cownie, became the first mayor in Iowa to take the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge.
13th Annual Prairie Chicken Day April 2 3/22/2016 8:34:00 AM View Count 6204 Kellerton, Iowa - The Kellerton Grasslands Bird Conservation Area in southeast Ringgold County will be the site for the 13th annual Prairie Chicken Day on April 2, beginning at 6 a.m., at the booming ground viewing platform.
Fire Helps Manage Iowa's Grasslands 3/11/2016 9:18:00 AM View Count 9421 The work to improve Iowa’s prairies takes center stage each spring when agencies and private landowners use fire to manage their grasslands and improve their value for wildlife.
Spring Outdoors Woman Workshop Ready for Registrations 3/8/2016 6:38:00 AM View Count 4406 The popular Iowa Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program is taking registrations for its third annual workshop at Honey Creek Resort State Park. The two-and-a-half-day event will be held April 28 - May 1, 2016.
Late Winter is Best Time to Manage Roadsides 3/8/2016 6:34:00 AM View Count 9096 Iowa has more than 1.6 million acres of road right-of-ways and when properly managed these roadsides provide important nesting, roosting, and escape habitat for pheasants, partridge, quail, ducks, rabbits and many different songbirds.
Land Donors Honored During Reception in Des Moines 3/8/2016 6:31:00 AM View Count 3665 DES MOINES – More than 4,500 acres of Iowa land in 15 counties with an estimated value of more than $10 million was permanently protected through donations for conservation.
Two Canines Shot Test Positive as Wolves 3/4/2016 4:20:00 AM View Count 10439 Test results conclusively identified two large canines shot this winter in Osceola County and Van Buren County as wolves, likely originating from the Great Lakes population in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The samples were tested at the University of California-Davis.
Meeting Set to Discuss Proposed Bird Conservation Area in Loess Hills 3/1/2016 9:31:00 AM View Count 4411 PISGAH, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will discuss the proposed designation of the region including Loess Hills State Forest, Preparation Canyon State Park, and Loess Hills Wildlife Management Area as a state Bird Conservation Area (BCA) at a public meeting on March 16. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Loess Hills State Forest Visitor Center in Pisgah, two blocks west of State Hwy. 183, at 206 Polk Street.
State Forest Nursery and Reiman Gardens Team Up to Promote Butterfly and Bird Habitat 3/1/2016 9:29:00 AM View Count 4720 DES MOINES –The Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ State Forest Nursery and Reiman Gardens are teaming up to promote butterfly and songbird habitat. Customers who order a Butterfly and Bird packet before March 25 will receive two free passes to Reiman Gardens in Ames.
Partnership Provides Hands-On Experience for College Students, Helps DNR Data Collection 3/1/2016 9:26:00 AM View Count 4157 Forty students made their way into the main building on Hawkeye Community College’s farm lab in Waterloo on Wednesday morning where they joined staff from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources unloading a trailer of bobcats and otters for the day’s hands-on biology lesson.
Cool Things You Should Know About Golden Eagles 2/18/2016 8:50:00 AM View Count 40351 Once thought as wanderers from the Rocky Mountains and western states, research shows Iowa’s wintering golden eagles travel thousands of miles from the far, far north.
A Return to Glory Days at Little Storm 2/17/2016 9:47:00 AM View Count 10763 Longtime Storm Lake Mayor Jon Kruse remembers the glory days of waterfowl hunting in Little Storm Lake during the 1960s and’70s, but by the early ‘80s the ducks were gone. The marsh became a silt-filled carp nursery with little vegetation.
Chickadee Tax Check-Off Seeking Rise in Donations on 2015 Tax Forms 2/16/2016 8:19:00 AM View Count 4761 Last year, roughly 7,500 out of 1.5 million Iowa taxpayers helped boost wildlife conservation with donations to the Fish and Wildlife Fund on their state tax form. This marks the first year in the last five where contributions and the number of contributors to the Fish and Wildlife fund have gone down. Donations to all the state tax form check-offs were down on 2014 returns.
Des Moines to Host Two Bald Eagle Events 2/9/2016 6:24:00 AM View Count 4423 Two events this week will help Iowans to better acquaint themselves with bald eagles. Both events are free and open to the public.
Natural Resource Commission to Meet February 11 in Des Moines 2/4/2016 9:12:00 AM View Count 3822 DES MOINES – The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will meet at 9:30 a.m., on Feb. 11, in the fourth floor conference room, Wallace State Office Building, in Des Moines. The meeting is open to the public.
Iowa Citizens Playing Key Role in Tracking Imperiled Wildlife 2/2/2016 7:16:00 AM View Count 4556 Peering through binoculars, a citizen scientist is watching a huge nest in a tree that is home to two bald eagles and their young, or are there three young in that nest? Hard to tell and a follow up visit will be needed; in the meantime, notes are taken and a peaceful hour is spent watching one of the most spectacular birds in North America.
Golden in Search of Wings: Iowa's Golden Eagles 1/28/2016 9:26:00 AM View Count 44271 Once thought as wanderers from the Rocky Mountains and western states, research shows Iowa’s wintering golden eagles travel thousands of miles from the far, far north.
49th General CRP Signup Underway 1/21/2016 6:55:00 AM View Count 4916 DES MOINES – Late in December the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the 49th general signup for the popular Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
8 Festive Birdfeeders to Make This Winter 1/19/2016 9:58:00 AM View Count 12522 While you may deal with this cold season by filling up on holiday treats and game day goodies, winter can be a lean time for Iowa wildlife. To help your feathered friends find a meal, take a few minutes to create one of these festive feeders for your yard, or make a fancy batch as a gift.
Contributions to Chickadee Check-Off on State Tax Form Continues Its Modest Rise 1/19/2016 7:26:00 AM View Count 5314 Last year, roughly 7,500 out of a total 1.5 million Iowa taxpayers helped boost wildlife conservation with donations to the Fish and Wildlife Fund on their state tax form. This marks the first year in the last five where contributions and the number of contributors to the Fish and Wildlife fund have gone down. Donations to all the state tax form check-offs were down on 2014 returns.
How to Tell a Golden Eagle from a Bald Eagle 1/19/2016 4:50:00 AM View Count 49780 Differentiating between a golden eagle and an immature bald eagle can be challenging. But sharp-eyed observers can tell the differences in the wings.
Natural Resource Commission to Meet January 20 in Des Moines 1/15/2016 5:34:00 AM View Count 4081 Des Moines – The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will meet 1 p.m., Jan. 20, in the second floor north conference room, Wallace State Office Building, in Des Moines.
Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Commissions Will Meet Jointly January 20 1/15/2016 5:29:00 AM View Count 4110 DES MOINES – The Environmental Protection Commission and the Natural Resources Commission, both of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, will meet jointly Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. at the Wallace Building second floor north conference room at 502 E. Ninth St. in Des Moines. Each commission will present its annual report followed by reports of mutual interest from DNR staff.
Trumpeter Swan Soiree in Polk County Jan 30 1/12/2016 10:16:00 AM View Count 8833 The public is invited to a Trumpeter Swan Soiree, celebrating North America’s largest waterfowl species, at the Des Moines Dale Maffitt Reservoir and at Walnut Woods State Park lodge on Saturday, Jan. 30.