With the unofficial first weekend of summer behind us, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is reminding Iowans about the multitude of state and county parks that offer camping options. DNR wildlife biologist Matt Dollison says the more prominent and popular campsites often fill up quickly, … [Read more...]
Volunteers needed in some counties for bat monitoring program
Volunteers are needed once again this summer to drive around and track the bat population. DNR wildlife diversity biologist, Stephanie Shepherd, says the volunteers record the noises bats make as the fly through the night. "Echolocation is what they're doing. It's how they find their prey, while … [Read more...]
Opportunities for bird watching increase with warm weather
This is prime time for Iowa bird watchers as spring migration season is bringing all sorts of unusual feathered travelers to our backyards, well beyond the everyday robins, sparrows and blue jays. Avian ecologist Steve Kolbe is working to raise awareness about migratory birds as they help provide … [Read more...]
Smoke from distant fires creates colorful sunrise in Iowa
Iowans who happened to be up for sunrise today got a rare treat. Smoke from wildfires in Alberta, Canada, is filtering high over Iowa and it's making the sun appear as a golden-reddish-orange ball. Meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff, at the National Weather Service, says the phenomenon should be … [Read more...]
ISU Extension provides tips for growing sweet corn
Iowa is the nation's top corn grower, with more than 13 million acres devoted to the vegetable, but some Iowans are planting their first small crops of -sweet- corn this spring. Aaron Steil, consumer horticulture specialist at the Iowa State University Extension, says if you'd hoped to have sweet … [Read more...]
Retiring researcher writes book on water quality in Iowa
A scientist who's monitored Iowa's water quality in the public and private sectors for 36 years is retiring this week, while also publishing a book about what he says are the reasons our waterways are dying. Chris Jones has run the state's largest water sensor system at the University of Iowa's … [Read more...]
Brush up on state fishing regulations before you head out
Warmer weather is finally here and Iowans who love to fish are getting out on -- or beside -- their favorite bodies of water, casting lines and seeing what they can catch. Nate Carr, a state DNR conservation officer from Eldora, says besides your fishing pole and the tackle box, there's one other … [Read more...]
Ornithologists in Iowa celebrate 100 years of protecting birds
The Iowa Ornithologists’ Union is celebrating its 100th anniversary at its spring meeting which opens today. There are nearly 400 members in the group, which promotes interests in the identification, study and protection of birds in the state. Union president Dennis Thompson says one of the … [Read more...]
New campground now a reality for Osborne Park near Elkader
A campground is returning to Osborne Park south of Elkader after the state Destination Iowa program provided a $345,000 grant for the project. Osborne used to have a campground along the floodplain, but it was removed about two decades ago. Clayton County Conservation Board Director, Jenna … [Read more...]
Iowans are snapping up free DNR litter bags by the thousands
Thanks to a sudden social media buzz, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is seeing a renewed surge in demand for its big, blue, recyclable litter bags -- which are free. Todd Robertson, the DNR's river programs outreach coordinator, says the effort was launched 14 years ago and was … [Read more...]