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Archive by tag: pollinatorReturn
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Meet Phyllis Kimball, a Monarch Champion

Meet Phyllis Kimball, a Monarch Champion

  • 6/22/2020 2:33:00 PM
  • View Count 6521
Phyllis Kimball, of Creston, enrolled 160 acres in CRP pollinator mix in Ringgold County. Kimball had been away from the farm for more than two decades but returned to manage the day to day operations after an agreement with a local farmer was voided. What she found upon returning was failing terraces and trees that had taken over the valley. She stopped on the gravel road and cried at seeing what had happened to her land.
6 tips for soaking up more stormwater in your yard

6 tips for soaking up more stormwater in your yard

  • 4/20/2020 1:44:00 PM
  • View Count 9373
Not that long ago, Iowa consisted of nearly 80 percent prairie with plants and soil that could easily soak up stormwater with little to no runoff after heavy rains. Today, with drastic changes in land use, things have changed. With so many impervious surfaces (surfaces that shed water, such as roofs and concrete), runoff is forced quickly down storm drains and straight into local water bodies. Here are some ways to soak up more water in your yard to help prevent erosion and flooding in your lawn and home, as well a...
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 6381
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.
6 ways to help monarchs in your own backyard

6 ways to help monarchs in your own backyard

  • 7/5/2019 4:52:00 PM
  • View Count 11984
One of the most recognized pollinators, monarchs travel more than 3,000 miles each year to come visit Iowa for the summer. With declining numbers over the last decade, here are some ways you can help these beautiful orange and black butterflies:
Join the search for Iowa's endangered bumble bee

Join the search for Iowa's endangered bumble bee

  • 8/7/2018 3:24:00 PM
  • View Count 17969
The rusty patched bumble bee was designated as endangered by the federal government in 2017, after determining that the population had declined 87 percent in the last 20 years and is only present on 0.1 percent of its historic range.
Blank Park Zoo Monarch Festival

Blank Park Zoo Monarch Festival

  • 9/12/2017 2:53:00 PM
  • View Count 3574
A celebration of the monarch’s journey from Canada, through Iowa, to Mexico, will be held Sept. 17, from Noon to 4 p.m., at Blank Park Zoo, in Des Moines.
Spreading monarch-saving seed balls

Spreading monarch-saving seed balls

  • 9/6/2017 9:30:00 AM
  • View Count 17103
Milkweed Matters began in 2014 when group founder Kelly Guilbeau began throwing loose milkweed seeds along the RAGBRAI route. The following year, seed ball dispersal began with 2,000 thrown during the ride in collaboration with another organization; Monarchs in Eastern Iowa. Last year the number of seed balls jumped to 58,459—made at 79 different events statewide by 3,406 people. 
7 Tips for Starting a Backyard Pollinator Garden

7 Tips for Starting a Backyard Pollinator Garden

  • 8/11/2016 2:05:00 PM
  • View Count 39544
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...
Edible Outdoors Coming to Des Moines Social Club March 24

Edible Outdoors Coming to Des Moines Social Club March 24

  • 3/10/2016 7:45:00 AM
  • View Count 4960
DES MOINES - A new venture in the metro is connecting adults with Polk County’s natural resources where they learn to forage, hunt and fish. Edible Outdoors Des Moines is kicking off on March 24, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Des Moines Social Club for anyone interested in learning more about the program. Join us and try your hand at fly tying, build a seed ball to attract pollinators to your neighborhood, and create a beeswax candle all while enjoying delicious wild game hors d’oeuvres.
Bee Beautiful – 5 Tips to Attract Pollinators to Your Backyard

Bee Beautiful – 5 Tips to Attract Pollinators to Your Backyard

  • 4/29/2015 10:29:00 AM
  • View Count 27030
One out of every three bites of food we eat relies on pollinators, mostly insects, to reproduce. Unfortunately, bees (colony and solitary), butterflies and moths, bats, birds and beetles are facing challenges due to habitat loss, disease, parasites and pesticides.