Iowa Fisheries Biologist Recognized for Excellence in Research 7/5/2016 12:28:00 PM View Count 5370 Iowa fisheries research biologist Jonathan Meerbeek was recognized as the Fisheries Biologist of the Year by the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (MAFWA) at their annual meeting last week in Saint Louis.
Heavy Rainfall Closes Shooting Range At Hawkeye Wildlife Area 6/22/2016 1:55:00 PM View Count 4812 IOWA CITY - The Tim Dorr rifle and handgun range at the Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area is closed after a nearly six inch rainfall Tuesday night damaged the recently completed renovation on the popular shooting range.
Loess Hills Wildlife Area and State Forest Becoming a Bird Conservation Area 5/17/2016 12:21:00 PM View Count 7177 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.
Leave Wildlife Babies Where They Belong - In the Wild 5/3/2016 1:29:00 PM View Count 20460 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."
Late Winter is Best Time to Manage Roadsides 3/8/2016 6:34:00 AM View Count 9182 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.
Meeting Set to Discuss Proposed Bird Conservation Area in Loess Hills 3/1/2016 9:31:00 AM View Count 4516 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.
Chickadee Tax Check-Off Seeking Rise in Donations on 2015 Tax Forms 2/16/2016 8:19:00 AM View Count 4933 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.
Iowa Citizens Playing Key Role in Tracking Imperiled Wildlife 2/2/2016 7:16:00 AM View Count 4645 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.
Contributions to Chickadee Check-Off on State Tax Form Continues Its Modest Rise 1/19/2016 7:26:00 AM View Count 5403 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.
Wastewater Discharge Reaches Little Storm Lake Wildlife Area; Heavy Rain Causes Discharges Throughout State 12/14/2015 10:23:00 AM View Count 3953 DES MOINES – Heavy rainfall throughout much of the state has overloaded many wastewater treatment systems in Iowa, causing wastewater discharges.
12 Tips for Better Wildlife Photography 12/11/2015 9:34:00 AM View Count 38350 Anyone can take a picture of an animal, but it takes skill to get a good one. Whether you’ve got a secondhand point-and-shoot camera or a top-of-the-line DSLR, remember these tips to help you get your best wildlife shots this season.
This is What the Fox Says (and Other Cool Things About Foxes) 10/9/2015 12:00:00 PM View Count 57328 Foxes live all over the world, and Iowa is home to two of those species. How well do you know them?
Wounded Swan Captured in Scott County 10/9/2015 3:57:00 AM View Count 4592 DAVENPORT – A Trumpeter swan wounded last weekend at Princeton Wildlife Area has been captured and will soon be on its way to a wildlife rehabilitation facility.
Lake Sugema and Lacey-Keosauqua State Park Becoming a Bird Conservation Area 9/29/2015 12:00:00 PM View Count 5131 KEOSAUQUA – A public ceremony to dedicate Lake Sugema Wildlife Management Area, Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, Shimek State Forest Keosauqua Unit, and a portion of the Fox River watershed as Iowa’s newest Bird Conservation Area (BCA) will take place on October 15 at 1:30 pm. at the Lacey-Keosauqua State Park Lodge.
Helpful Identification Guides for Iowa Plants, Wildlife 9/9/2015 12:00:00 PM View Count 51936 If you’re the curious type that likes to know the name of the spider you found on your porch or just what that prairie-looking flower is that came up in your garden, you’ll appreciate these online identification resources.
5 Cool Things You Might Not Know About Otters 9/9/2015 12:00:00 PM View Count 52814 While assorted species of otters live on all but two continents, the only species we have in Iowa today is the North American river otter. These chummy, playful mammals are characterized as clever and mischievous, but there’s a lot more to an otter than that!
Hawkeye Wildlife Refuge Open for Special Urban Canada Goose, Teal Season 9/3/2015 12:00:00 PM View Count 4536 The Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area participates each year in a special urban Canada goose season designed to reduce local populations of giant Canada geese before other subspecies of Canada geese migrate through Iowa in the fall. This year’s season is Sept. 5 – 13.
Effort to Curb Illegal Activities Results in Arrests at Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area 8/31/2015 12:00:00 PM View Count 4981 IOWA CITY – A year-long effort to curtail illegal activities at the Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area in Johnson County has resulted in multiple charges being filed over the weekend by law enforcement officers for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Wildlife Rehabbers: What it Takes 6/19/2015 11:07:00 AM View Count 24291 A summer storm. A crack of lightning. A thick tree limb crashes to the ground. From a cavity, once 20 feet above ground, high pitched “chirring” and scratching can be heard. A couple whiskered noses poke out, just ahead of the oh-so-familiar black masks. A litter of raccoons is displaced. Now what?
Go Afloat with the Corps of Discovery: Lewis and Clark State Park 6/10/2015 9:51:00 AM View Count 11507 “Cast away! Cast away!” With that resounding command, bellowed stem to stern o’er land and water, the stunning 55-foot reproduction of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s Missouri-wending keelboat, Discovery, gingerly takes leave of the shores at which the explorers’ expedition arrived on Aug. 10, 1804.
Leave Wildlife Babies in the Wild 4/17/2015 8:05:00 AM View Count 15927 If you find an animal baby that appears to be on its own, don’t worry. Generally, one of its parents is nearby, watching.
Finding Injured Wildlife: What to Do 4/3/2015 7:52:00 AM View Count 39435 When Pete Vande Poppe spotted a great horned owl along Highway 60 near Alton about a month ago, he knew something wasn’t right. He swung by home to tell his wife, Gretchen. She grabbed the camera and off they went, finding the owl in the grass alongside the road.
Jump Into Winter Wildlife Tracking 2/25/2015 3:28:00 AM View Count 19565 Kids (of all ages!) love discovery, and what better way to feed that need than by turning snowbound winter days into a fun family or couple’s outing. Better yet, set aside time for regular outdoor jaunts to create a memorable tradition.
Best Iowa State Parks for Fall and Winter Wildlife Viewing 11/14/2014 9:18:00 AM View Count 8547 Cooler temperatures in Iowa don’t have to mean hibernation – if you like watching Iowa’s wildlife, there are still sights to be seen in late fall and winter! Grab the binoculars and camera and get ready for a quiet drive or crisp hike to watch birds, waterfowl, deer and turkey.