DNR demos backyard wildlife at state fair

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has several new exhibits this year at its building at the Iowa State Fair. Ross Harrison, chief of the D-N-R Communications Bureau, says one of the most interesting is a backyard pond, stream and courtyard development area in which they’ll teach people how to develop their backyard for wildlife. Another D-N-R addition is a mobile display. It’s a semi to show energy efficiency and ways to deal with waste in your community. Another feature is on the ceiling of the D-N-R’s building — maps that depict different resources that’re in Iowa. Harrison says the fair exhibits teach, while D-N-R staff listen. The popular fish exhibit is back again this year, showing the various scaled inhabitants of Iowa’s streams, rivers and ponds. The D-N-R building is just inside the Grand Avenue enterance of the fair and is open 9 a-m until 8 p-m.