The Beautiful Pond Decades ago, some abused and eroded cropland began a journey to Eden, thanks to foresight and effort to restore and beautify. Then a magical pond would make lasting memories. Story by Lon Drake
Night of Owls After a day in the office, biologists statewide work overnight under the moon to survey owls and nightjars by ear. Story by Brian Button; Photos by Eric Burson
King of Spring A century after vanishing for the Hawkeye State, the wild turkey again reigns supreme. A favored spring hunt, new challenges face this iconic bird. Story and Photos by Eyad Yehyawi
A Force of Nature In 1901 Iowa's second Fish and Game Warden, the fearless George A. Lincoln, wasn't a man to mess with. His legacy lives. Story by Lori A. Smith
Spring Readers See how a few photos lead to six years of work and a beautiful wildflower guide.
Outdoor Skills Learn about survivor trees, odd places for morels and the ingenuity of wrens.
Together Learn to make homemade paper, then use if for Japanese-inspired fish prints. Head west to appreciate unique spaces and ecology with hands-on learning under the sky.
Lost in Iowa Discover byway roadtrips for parks, scenery, fishing and Iowa-style Americana.
Flora & Fauna Neither plant, animal, fungi or bacteria-learn about this blob with a witchy past.
Wild Cuisine Consumed by ancients to modern kings, after first taste, you'll want to forage more.
Notes from the Field Tag along to investigate the mysterious cause of diesel and oil reported in local waters.
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Pawpaws to the Rescue To reproduce, zebra swallowtail butterflies depend on one tree-the pawpaw. Come see what happens when an Iowan establishes pawpaws on his property. It's a unique native tree with tropical-like edible fruit. Story by Lon Drake; Photos by Jim Boles, Mark Madsen and Kate Sulentic
The Coffee was Bitter A century ago, an Ernest Hemingway short story left a mark. It follows a lone angler on an outing after WWI and the loss of a friend. It impacted writer John Chalstrom and one of his fishing buddies, too. Discover here how time spend outdoors is about so much more than fish. Story by John Chalstrom
Flight of Dragons As the dealiest of Earth's predators, its unparalleled flight interception skills may hold the secret to better computing and missile defence. Or you can simply enjoy their beauty after learning the wonders of dragonaflies. Story by Brina Button; Photos by Dr. Greg Courtney
Honoring Greatness A special museum at Backbone State Park pays tribute to the young men of the 1930s that built many enduring park structures across Iowa and the nation. See why volunteers here stepped up to help out, too. Story by Jacquie McTaggart; Photos by Abigail Fantz, Nathan Detrich and DNR archives
A Century of Pheasants This fall marks 100 years of pheasant hunting in Iowa and birds are putting on a show with statewide populations at 20-year highs. Story by Mick Klemesrud; Photos by Eric Burson
Ghost Herons of the Cedar Lagoons Tall tale, lore, truth, part truth or hoax? Regardless, old stories of strange sightings make for interesting reading-especially near Halloween-and offer insight into how people historically perceived their surroundings. Story by Charles Monson
Outdoor Skills As days get shorter, don't miss the magnificence of night skies. Its easy to identify stars, planets and more in real time just by pointing your phone at the sky.
Lost in Iowa Dollier Memorial State Park celebrates 100 years since its dedication, yet people have been here for thousands of years. Find out why you should come here, too.
Notes from the Field See why protecting Iowa's air, water and land takes a team made of many actors and how cooperation leads to success.
The Staggering Secrets of Buffalofish (11.24 MB) .pdf Recently discovered as one of Earth's longest living animals, native buffalofish defy notions of aging by physically improving with time as they reach extreme ages. Story by Brian Button; Photos by Stuart Black
Project AWARE Since its inception in 2003, thousands of volunteers have helped remove trash from Iowa rivers with this annual event slated to clean the Winnebago and Shell Rock rivers this summer. Get involved, donate or paddle along by learning more at iowaprojectaware.org Story by Brian Soenen
Knitting it Together Kalsow Prairie in Pocahontas County is a remnant, a fragment of something formerly complete that made up most of Iowa's natural landscape–the tallgrass prairie. Equally important are re-created and restored prairies large and small. Hear the story from the first refuge biologist at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. Story by Pauline Drobney; Photos by Kristie Burns
Giving a Hoot (10.04 MB) .pdf Their nest tree cut down, can two great horned owlets survive? Volunteers, wildlife rehabilitators and good samaritans give it their all. Story by Brian Button; Photos by Eric Burson and RARE staff
Hiawatha Point Walleye Revisit a quieter 1950s-era lake Okoboji and a boy's first walleye catch made from a hand-built wooden rowboat as dad works the oars. Story by Bill Klein
Jackson County Relics (17.31 MB) .pdf Get a peek into some of the most unique natural areas around and gain appreciation for those who labor to resotore and rejuvenate the lands and species they care for. Story and Photos by Tony Vorwald
Mythbusters Let's jump into all things sunny–do days really get longer in summer? Can "civil twilight" help you plan more time outside?
Lost in Iowa Union Grove State Park near Tama boasts a beautiful lake, wooded trails and lots of bird watching. And with just two cabins and 11 campsites, peace and quiet rule the day.
Curiosity of Summer Get out to search warm, still waters for freshwater jellyfish. Very rarely seen, these small creatures are harmless to people and likely more common than previously thought. Several were spotted here last year. Can you find any?
Wild Cuisine Here is a crispy, flaky method to enjoy catfish without the heavy oils. Air-fried catfish offers a healthier way to enjoy the hearty, savory flavor of this favorite summertime catch.
Flora & Fauna Despite stunning color, scarlet tanagers can be hard to spot. Use these tips to learn more of their habits and songs to find them.
Notes from the Field An odd set of tips lead DNR specialists to a blackened stream where fortunately, a beaver dam prevented a manure leak from reaching a larger river. Come along as specialists track down the mysterious underground route the manure traveled.
Take the Tackle (19.49 MB) .pdf Fishing doesn't require a fancy, special trip or a whole day outing. Pack the tackle to keep in your vehicle to wet a line wherever you go for spontaneous fun. Story by Shannon Hafner and DNR biologists
Artist Journey (371.76 KB) .pdf Meet a self-taught artist from Atlantic and absorb the nature inspired stories behind his award-winning paintings. Story and Photos by Timothy F. Pross
Man Among Giants (32.32 MB) .pdf Meet a man obsessed by big trees. Since the 1970s, he's steadfastly crisscrossed Iowa in search of ever bigger specimens and kept tabs on big trees he first measured in boyhood. Story by Brian Button; Photos by Mark Rouw
Nomad No More Woodlands came to life with soft melody of songbirds, rustle of squirrels and fleeting whistle of wood ducks. Spring turkey bowhunters are nomadic by nature, but the secret to success may be just the opposite. Story and Photos by Eyad H. Yehyawi
Record Trees (9.23 MB) .pdf See an annotated list of some of Iowa's biggest trees, then get motivated to learn more about finding, nominating and measuring Iowa's arboreal giants. Volunteers are needed to learn the art and science of big tree hunting.
Outdoor Skills Learn to protect trees from oak wilt, restore boot leather and protect scenic natural areas.
Ask the Experts Find out why this substance absorbs so much heat energy before its temperatures even begin to rise. Beware-it makes for colder than expected springtime activities.
Together Get out of the house to find spring wildflowers or meet others excited to learn at two popular annual events in Kalona and Ames.
Lost in Iowa (996.18 KB) .pdf Its the Crinoid Capital of the World, Iowa's Big Tree Capital and a small city loaded with some of the state's deepest history. Come to Burlington and nearby Geode State park to take advantage of their early spring, flowering trees, bird song, long hikes and amazing architecture.
From Our Archives What a difference 80 years make. See the odd spring happenings from a different era.
Flora & Fauna Meet a highly skilled aviator that uses its aerial pursuit prowess to feast on other birds.
Notes from the Field Tag along as DNR specialists investigate the source of a mysterious blue liquid. Sometimes progress comes with questions unanswered.
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