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Leave wildlife babies where they belong -- in the wild

Leave wildlife babies where they belong -- in the wild

  • 4/14/2020 2:23:00 PM
  • View Count 4163
It's as predictable as May flowers - from border to border, the Wildlife Baby Season has arrived in Iowa. From now 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."
Iowans can do their part in helping the Monarch habitat grow

Iowans can do their part in helping the Monarch habitat grow

  • 4/14/2020 2:21:00 PM
  • View Count 6018
The recent news from the World Wildlife Fund and Mexico’s Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas on monarch wintering numbers was an eye opener  – the butterflies covered an estimated seven acres of forest canopy in Mexico – less than half of last year’s population. Experts estimate a long-term average of 15 acres of occupied forest canopy is necessary to sustain the eastern North America monarch population.
Caves at Maquoketa Caves State Park to remain closed through at least April 30

Caves at Maquoketa Caves State Park to remain closed through at least April 30

  • 4/14/2020 2:16:00 PM
  • View Count 2760
MAQUOKETA - The caves at Maquoketa Caves State Park will remain closed through April 30, in accordance with Governor Reynolds’ social distancing efforts. The trail system for the park’s most popular caves involves narrow boardwalks and handrails, making it difficult for visitors to maintain physical distances of at least six feet. Visitors can access the rest of the park while the caves are closed. 
8 cool things you should know about peregrine falcons

8 cool things you should know about peregrine falcons

  • 4/14/2020 2:05:00 PM
  • View Count 25127
It’s spring, and one of Iowa’s most fascinating and rare birds of prey is currently getting down to the serious business of nesting! Do you know these facts about one of the fastest animals on the planet?
Caves closed seasonally for bat hibernation at Maquoketa Caves State Park

Caves closed seasonally for bat hibernation at Maquoketa Caves State Park

  • 3/24/2020 12:05:00 PM
  • View Count 4678
MAQUOKETA - The caves at Maquoketa Caves State Park will reopen to the public after bat hibernation season on April 15. The popular caves are closed annually from Oct. 15 to April 15 to protect hibernating bats. Visitors have access to the rest of the park while the caves are closed. 
Iowa DNR to begin annual spring burning

Iowa DNR to begin annual spring burning

  • 3/17/2020 2:36:00 PM
  • View Count 2580
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be conducting prescribed burns this spring on wildlife management areas managed by the Iowa DNR’s Iowa River Wildlife Unit in Linn, Johnson, Benton, Iowa, Tama, Poweshiek, Cedar and Mahaska counties.
Prairie Chicken Day is April 4

Prairie Chicken Day is April 4

  • 3/12/2020 12:23:00 PM
  • View Count 3020
KELLERTON, Iowa - The first rhythmic and haunting cooing can be heard as the night sky fades and sunrise begins. The short grass prairie booming grounds prepares for a display found nowhere else in Iowa.
Natural Resource Commission meeting moved to March 17, held via teleconference

Natural Resource Commission meeting moved to March 17, held via teleconference

  • 3/11/2020 11:36:00 AM
  • View Count 2106
Des Moines, Iowa – The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has rescheduled its monthly meeting to 8:30 a.m., on March 17, and will meet via teleconference originating from the fourth-floor west conference room, in the Wallace State Office Building, 502 East Ninth Street, in Des Moines.
Land donors honored during reception in Des Moines

Land donors honored during reception in Des Moines

  • 3/10/2020 11:41:00 AM
  • View Count 2244
DES MOINES, Iowa – More than 3,800 acres of Iowa land in 24 counties with an estimated value of nearly $4.8 million was permanently protected through donations for conservation.  
Natural Resource Commission to meet March 12 in Des Moines

Natural Resource Commission to meet March 12 in Des Moines

  • 3/9/2020 8:19:00 AM
  • View Count 2242
Des Moines, Iowa – The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will meet at 9:30 a.m., March 12, in the fourth-floor conference room, in the Wallace State Office Building, 502 East Ninth Street, in Des Moines.
DNR to host public meetings to discuss chronic wasting disease

DNR to host public meetings to discuss chronic wasting disease

  • 3/5/2020 2:32:00 PM
  • View Count 3037
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has scheduled public meetings in Leon, West Union and Decorah after hunter harvested deer in Decatur, Fayette and Winneshiek counties tested positive for chronic wasting disease. It is the first time deer have tested positive in these counties.
7 Iowa Wildlife Comebacks

7 Iowa Wildlife Comebacks

  • 3/2/2020 3:43:00 PM
  • View Count 15023
In the last few centuries, a number of Iowa wildlife species have been extirpated from the state - but some have seen successful comebacks, too. Check out these seven animals that have made a comeback in Iowa:
8 cool things you should know about Canada geese

8 cool things you should know about Canada geese

  • 2/24/2020 2:12:00 PM
  • View Count 150738
Canada geese can be seen all across Iowa. These big birds, who can be spotted flying in their well-known V formations, have some pretty interesting features. Check out these fun facts about Canada geese: 
3 ducks you may not know live in Iowa

3 ducks you may not know live in Iowa

  • 2/11/2020 10:15:00 AM
  • View Count 9400
Some ducks in Iowa aren’t as common as mallards, wood ducks or blue-winged teals. Check out these duck species you might not know live here:
Trumpeter swan soiree returns to central Iowa Feb. 15

Trumpeter swan soiree returns to central Iowa Feb. 15

  • 2/9/2020 2:05:00 PM
  • View Count 2368
West Des Moines, Iowa - The public is invited to a Trumpeter Swan Soiree, celebrating North America’s largest waterfowl species, on Feb. 15, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Walnut Woods State Park, in West Des Moines.
Opportunity to help DNR track frog and toad populations

Opportunity to help DNR track frog and toad populations

  • 1/28/2020 3:34:00 PM
  • View Count 4677
It’s 10 o’clock on a summer night along a gravel road anywhere in Iowa. In the farm pond next to the road, a raucous chorus of male frogs are making themselves heard as they vie for mates. A volunteer stands clipboard in hand, ear cocked, mentally sorting out each of the calling species which are using this seemingly ordinary pond.   
DNR assistance available for landowners interested in CRP

DNR assistance available for landowners interested in CRP

  • 1/28/2020 3:32:00 PM
  • View Count 2360
Landowners interested in enrolling a portion of their land into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general signup have until Feb. 28 to write an offer. The general signup came out of the 2018 Farm Bill that increased the cap of acres enrolled from 22 million acres to 27 million.
Meet Iowa's smallest owl

Meet Iowa's smallest owl

  • 1/24/2020 9:41:00 AM
  • View Count 7998
What has bright yellow eyes, weighs less than a lemon, and winters in Iowa? The northern saw-whet owl!
Chickadee tax check-off donations continues downward trend in 2018

Chickadee tax check-off donations continues downward trend in 2018

  • 1/21/2020 2:07:00 PM
  • View Count 3717
Last year, more than 7,200 Iowa taxpayers helped boost wildlife conservation with donations to the Fish and Wildlife Fund on their state tax form, which is roughly 300 fewer donors than in 2017. Donors represent about 0.5 percent of total tax payers in Iowa.
Bald Eagle shot, killed in Ankeny; public’s help sought

Bald Eagle shot, killed in Ankeny; public’s help sought

  • 1/21/2020 1:33:00 PM
  • View Count 25820
ANKENY, Iowa -- On January 3, 2020, the Ankeny Police Department contacted a DNR Conservation Officer and a Wildlife Rehabber about a mature Bald Eagle that was not acting normal and sitting on the ground near Northeast Trilein Drive and East 1st Street.
Swan Soiree rescheduled for Feb. 15

Swan Soiree rescheduled for Feb. 15

  • 1/15/2020 3:00:00 PM
  • View Count 2980
West Des Moines, Iowa - The Trumpeter Swan Soiree, originally scheduled for Jan. 18, has been rescheduled to Feb. 15 due to anticipated winter weather.
CRP signup has begun

CRP signup has begun

  • 1/14/2020 2:47:00 PM
  • View Count 2876
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is opened general signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through February 28, 2020. Farmers and ranchers who enroll in CRP receive a yearly rental payment for voluntarily establishing long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees (known as “covers”) to control soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat on marginally productive agricultural lands.
Pollinators, wildlife benefit from landowners bringing prairie back to the landscape

Pollinators, wildlife benefit from landowners bringing prairie back to the landscape

  • 1/14/2020 2:45:00 PM
  • View Count 4758
Virginia Ekstrand is always in motion. From taking ‘ology trips out west with her grandkids to learning how to become a master naturalist, this retired school teacher never stops moving. On this late August morning, she is firing on all cylinders when talking about her latest project of reconstructing a 16-acre prairie on her heritage farm in Henry County.
Trumpeter swan soiree returns to central Iowa

Trumpeter swan soiree returns to central Iowa

  • 1/2/2020 6:58:00 AM
  • View Count 4548
West Des Moines, Iowa - The public is invited to a Trumpeter Swan Soiree, celebrating North America’s largest waterfowl species, on Feb. 15, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Walnut Woods State Park, in West Des Moines.
Study aims to shed light on reclusive mudpuppy

Study aims to shed light on reclusive mudpuppy

  • 12/17/2019 1:05:00 PM
  • View Count 5400
Guttenberg, Iowa - Kevin Hanson had to throttle back his heavy flat-bottomed aluminum boat as he began to break up a thin layer of ice that had formed overnight on the slack water in Pool 11 of the Upper Mississippi River.
Otter Creek Marsh Wildlife Area refuge opens Dec. 13

Otter Creek Marsh Wildlife Area refuge opens Dec. 13

  • 12/5/2019 9:00:00 AM
  • View Count 2282
The 450-acre wildlife refuge section of Otter Creek Marsh Wildlife Area in Tama County will be open for public use, including hunting and trapping, beginning Dec. 13. 
Special $10 offer for Iowa Outdoors magazine

Special $10 offer for Iowa Outdoors magazine

  • 11/29/2019 2:47:00 PM
  • View Count 2807
Do you know someone who loves the outdoors? Give the gift that lasts all year long. Iowa Outdoors is an award-winning magazine filled with beautiful photography, interesting articles and expert tips about hunting, fishing, nature destinations, hiking, camping, outdoor cooking and much more! 
Three men charged with illegally taking trumpeter swan

Three men charged with illegally taking trumpeter swan

  • 11/20/2019 4:16:00 PM
  • View Count 10127
MUSCATINE COUNTY, Iowa -- On November 17, 2019, DNR Conservation Officers received a TIP that a trumpeter swan had been shot at Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Management Area in Muscatine County.
Fort Atkinson State Preserve receives national preservation grant

Fort Atkinson State Preserve receives national preservation grant

  • 11/5/2019 3:30:00 PM
  • View Count 3035
FORT ATKINSON, Iowa – The National Park Service (NPS) has awarded Fort Atkinson State Preserve in Winneshiek County with a $497,500 grant as part of its Save America’s Treasures program. The grant award was announced by the NPS in September.
What makes an animal albino?

What makes an animal albino?

  • 10/29/2019 9:45:00 AM
  • View Count 40440
If you’ve ever spotted an abnormally white critter, or taken notice of its pink eyes, you may have seen an albino animal! From snails and fish to robins and deer, albinism has been observed in a wide range of Iowa animals. 
DNR Conservation Officer helps rescue duck hunters

DNR Conservation Officer helps rescue duck hunters

  • 10/20/2019 4:17:00 PM
  • View Count 3249
MONONA COUNTY, Iowa -- On Sunday October 20, at approximately 10:57 AM, Monona County dispatch received a call that Decatur Fire and Rescue was en-route to Tieville Bend Wildlife Management Area for a call of two hunters whose boat was sinking. 
Turin Wildlife Area is another Loess Hills treasure

Turin Wildlife Area is another Loess Hills treasure

  • 10/15/2019 11:32:00 AM
  • View Count 4103
Turin, Iowa - Just north of the small town of Turin in central Monona County is a place where the threatened plains pocket mouse lives with legendary Iowa stags, rare plants and animals can be found, and volunteers come to help restore the landscape to more closely resemble what was here when western Iowa was settled.
With its premier location on the migration superhighway - Otter Creek Marsh is about to get busy

With its premier location on the migration superhighway - Otter Creek Marsh is about to get busy

  • 10/8/2019 11:42:00 AM
  • View Count 3483
Chelsea, Iowa - The viewing platform on County Road E66 can be a busy place when the annual migration is on. Looking out at the 3,800-acre Otter Creek Marsh, the platform offers and excellent view of tens of thousands of waterfowl, raptors and other birds as they zero in on this perfectly placed oasis during their journey each spring and fall.
Iowa DNR, Imagine Iowa Great Lakes launch seawall repair project

Iowa DNR, Imagine Iowa Great Lakes launch seawall repair project

  • 9/24/2019 12:55:00 PM
  • View Count 2838
Okoboji, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Imagine Iowa Great Lakes began work this week to repair the seawall at Arnolds Park. The project will stabilize the foundation of the sidewalk and ultimately serve as a platform for the beautification work led by Imagine Iowa Great Lakes.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Donor Network launch new donor registry

Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Donor Network launch new donor registry

  • 9/5/2019 8:07:00 AM
  • View Count 3075
DES MOINES, IA— The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Donor Network launched a new organ, eye, and tissue donor registry on Wednesday, September 4th. The new registry makes it possible for Iowans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors when obtaining a hunting, fishing or fur harvester license.
Water pump repaired at Riverton Wildlife Area

Water pump repaired at Riverton Wildlife Area

  • 9/3/2019 12:23:00 PM
  • View Count 2325
Riverton, Iowa - The main pump at the Riverton Wildlife Area began pumping water again to the wetland on Aug. 27, after staff with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Nishnabotna Unit was able to clear the pump intake and get it running.
Natural Resource Commission to meet Sept. 12 in Clear Lake

Natural Resource Commission to meet Sept. 12 in Clear Lake

  • 9/3/2019 7:55:00 AM
  • View Count 2357
Des Moines, Iowa – The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will meet at 8:30 a.m., Sept. 12, at the Lakeview Community Center, 10 North Lakeview Drive, in Clear Lake.
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