Natural
Iowa
Fall 2015
Herıtage Protecting and restoring Iowa’s land, water and wildlife
For Our Land’s Health and Legacy
OPENING THOUGHTS
Conservation happens in so many ways. It can be relatively simple, like planting native pollinator-friendly plants on your land (page 6). It can be complex, like the Grimes family’s decades-long partnership with INHF to bring a natural education area to Marshall County (page 8). Or it can be something in between, like the land the McQuillens restored to a more natural state and permanently protected with a conservation easement in Delaware County (page 12). But it all adds up, and it often begins with private landowners. When people care about the natural health and legacy of their land, it makes all the difference. INHF works with landowners in so many ways. We offer advice on sound land stewardship practices. We buy land from willing sellers that are often happy to see their land protected. We work side by side with landowners to create a conservation easement that makes sure their special natural land is preserved forever. We help people through the process of donating their land for public benefit and enjoyment. As often as possible, we foster a community of conservation. A great example of this on the grassroots level is the Madison County group, For Lands Sake! (page 7). In this issue you’ll read about decisions made by landowners, big and small, that are creating a better future for Iowa’s land, water and wildlife — and in turn, all Iowans. We appreciate your partnerships and your commitment to Iowa’s natural resources. We are all in this together, and with your help we are making a difference.
Joe McGovern President Ross Baxter Land Projects Specialist Andrea Boulton Trails Coordinator Jered Bourquin Blufflands Field Assistant Brian Fankhauser Blufflands Director Marian Riggs Gelb Public Policy Director Cheri Grauer Major Gifts Steward Diane Graves Administrative Assistant
and Receptionist
Erin Griffin Events Coordinator and Development Specialist
Lisa Hein Program and Planning Director Joe Jayjack Communications Director Heather Jobst Land Projects Director Melanie Louis Land Stewardship Assistant Laura McVay Finance Director Stacy Nelson Membership Coordinator Anita O’Gara Vice President and Development Director
Andrea Piekarczyk Program and Development Assistant
Mary Runkel Volunteer Coordinator Tylar Samuels Land Stewardship Specialist Duane Sand Floodplain Outreach Coordinator Ryan Schmidt Land Stewardship Specialist Kerri Sorrell Digital Outreach Assistant Tim Sproul Loess Hills Land Conservation
Consultant
Erin Van Waus Land Stewardship Director Kari Walker Administration Director Mark Ackelson President Emeritus
Office
505 Fifth Ave., Suite 444 Des Moines, Iowa 50309-2321 Phone: 515-288-1846 E-mail: Info@inhf.org Website: www.inhf.org Facebook.com/iowanaturalheritage Iowa Natural Heritage is published quarterly by Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation for its members and friends. Circulation: 10,000 Articles appearing in Iowa Natural Heritage may be reprinted with permission of the publisher. Publisher: Joe Jayjack Editor: Lori Howe, Share Marketing Designer: Brian Shearer, Plum Communications
Sincerely, Joe McGovern, INHF President
Our Mission
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation protects and restores Iowa’s land, water and wildlife. 2
Iowa Natural Heritage • Fall 2015
On the cover
Photographer Jack Venden Heuvel used a wide angle lens to bring the beauty of the virgin prairie into view along with the monarch butterly (Danaus plexippus). Kothenbeutal Heritage Prairie just east of Sheffield in Franklin County.
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contents
4 Be Still and Listen
Nature speaks to us in a myriad of ways.
6 Diversity Creates a Haven for Pollinators M.J. Hatfield devotes her time to studying the function of insects — specifically pollinators — and the prairie habitat she has created in Winneshiek County.
7 For Lands Sake!
The Madison County group of like-minded neighbors and friends come together for a common cause to share with one another what they have learned about sustaining healthy lands.
8 Sharing Their Love for Land Leonard and Mildred Grimes’ dream to share their Marshall County woods and prairies, teach children about conservation and showcase the value of responsible farming practices is now fully realized.
12 Matt Caring for the Land, One Piece at a Time McQuillen had a plan when he purchased 300-plus acres of upland woodlands interspersed with small areas of reconstructed prairie in Delaware County — to restore and protect the land so future generations can walk its hills and enjoy its beauty.
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14 Vitamin N: Cedar Rock State Park
People come from all over to tour the main feature of Cedar Rock State Park — the red-tile residence designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Guests learn about Cedar Rock’s natural features, Iowa history and Wright’s architecture at Cedar Rock’s visitor center.
15 Looking Out for Iowa
Develop a green thumb. Save a raptor. Attend a REAP Assembly. Take action for conservation.
12 Iowa Natural Heritage • Fall 2015
3
Spring Creek, Fort Defiance State Park, Emmet County
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Iowa Natural Heritage • Fall 2015
W
hen I hike through woods, soothed by the music of leaves dancing on the breeze, I find peace.
As I bike along a trail, first chatting with the friend beside me, then hollering ahead to another, and eventually savoring the silence and the beauty of Iowa’s textured landscape, I feel joy. Be still and listen. The prairies and trees, wetlands and streams, and the wildlife are gently guiding you to share their gifts with others. At some point, we all start to think about our legacy — a meaningful way of giving something that lives on and lasts. Something that brings smiles to more faces of all ages. Something that helps make our corner of the world a bit better. For me, that “something” is protecting and sharing nature. Perhaps nature is your “something” too.
Photo: Daniel Ruf
Be still and listen. By Lori Southard Howe, contributing writer
Iowa Natural Heritage • Fall 2015
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M
.J. Hatfield planted her fake prairie in 1996. “That’s what one of my biologist friends called it, anyway,” the Plymouth Rock resident said. “It was planted with all native seed and plants, but I planted it on crop ground. It wasn’t remnant anything.”
Above: Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed plants, which are also a favorite source of nectar for Monarch butterflies. Below: The Syrphid fly, which mimics the look of a bee, is one of many insects that help to pollinate blooming spiderwort.
Hatfield did more than just steward her land in Winneshiek County, she and her husband, Richard Mercer, permanently protected the planted prairie and woodland with a conservation easement held by Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. Under her management, every year brought surprises to the 35 acres of “fake” prairie. Then one humid summer day, Hatfield heard frogs calling from the bottom wet field for the first time. “I realized … the frogs don’t know it’s fake. It got me thinking about what else could live in the prairie.”
This realization was the beginning of a new calling for Hatfield. “I got into insects to see if there was function on those planted prairies. Could a fake prairie function like a real prairie?” She returned to Iowa State University to study entomology and now devotes her time to unraveling the mysteries of Iowa’s least-known residents. For Hatfield, understanding insects is essential to understanding and appreciating the natural world. Recent declines in pollinator populations underline the importance of insects and their connection to the rest of life. “We depend on pollinators,” she observed. “If we had to do our own pollination, it simply wouldn’t get done.” The Monarch butterfly and honey bee are the popular faces of the movement focused on saving pollinators, but thousands of pollinators in Iowa — including beetles, flies and moths, as well as other species of butterflies and native bees — are just as threatened. The key, Hatfield said, is appropriate, diverse habitat. Native plants are best for pollinators, and there simply aren’t enough of them.
Diverse habitat required for pollinators to thrive
Want to learn more about insects? Day of Insects — April 9, 2016, Reiman Gardens in Ames Enjoy a day filled with presentations from professionals, academics, advocates, and enthusiasts. From beginners to seasoned veterans, Day of Insects has something for anyone interested in or involved with insects. Iowa Insects Mailing List http://bio.cgrer.uiowa.edu/herbarium/InsectMaList.htm
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For those looking to take more specific action, the pollinators in the most trouble are those that have a narrow range of native plants upon which they depend. The bee species Andrena geranii, for example, requires the pollen of Iowa’s native wild geranium to develop properly. But for many pollinators, Hatfield believes what you plant doesn’t matter much as long as you’re bringing native diversity to the landscape. “Nature abhors a monoculture,” she said. “That’s why they’re so difficult to maintain.” Instead of a vast expanse of mowed grass, plant prairie. Or just plant native prairie plants you like. “Make your yard or land an attractive haven for insects and birds,” Hatfield recommends. “Plant it, and they will come.” By Andrea Piekarczyk, Program and Development Assistant
Photo Left: Gary Hamer Photo Above: Ron Huelse
Diversity creates a haven for pollinators
Photo: Anna MacDonald, Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District
For
Land’s Sake T he threat of an early evening thunderstorm didn’t keep the small band of Madison County landowners from scrambling onto the wooded hillsides above Clanton Creek. They were richly rewarded for their efforts. One step into the woodland and they were greeted with an explosion of color and texture — green dragon, hoary puccoon, leather flower, yellow pimpernel and bastard toadflax blanketed the woodland floor.
Suppressed by years of intensive livestock grazing and a tangle of multi-flora rose, iron wood and osage orange, native plant species were provided the chance to thrive again. Removal of livestock, careful thinning of the invading woody species and a late-winter prescribed burn were important steps to improving the privately owned woodland’s health. This was woodland restoration in progress. The tour of this woodland was hosted by For Lands Sake!, a community group taking root in Madison County. Local landowners and conservation professionals are coming together to learn more about the unique natural heritage of Madison County. Their goal is to share knowledge, experience and expertise about how they can nurture and preserve that heritage as individuals and as a group.
Of the same mind and heart — for nature The initial idea for the group is credited to Nancy Forrest, who has lived on an acreage in Madison County for 20 years. Forrest has moved from vegetable and ornamental gardening to restoring woodlands and reconstructing prairie on the land she and her husband, Michael, own. Call it serendipity or synergy, she
began to meet more and more like-minded and likehearted people, including her mentor in native plants and landscapes, Roslea Johnson, who for 30 years has owned land with her husband, Bob, in southern Madison County. Both life-long educators, Forrest and Johnson naturally want to share what they learn through study and personal experience about how to create and sustain a healthy natural habitat. Collaborators by nature and profession, they understand that creating the opportunity for people to come together for a common cause — in this case, land restoration and stewardship — can build community and yield benefits that ripple out beyond this time and place. For Lands Sake!, though still a fledgling organization, provides a platform for people desiring support for leaving a legacy of diverse, healthy land. Their vision: active land management for healthier ecosystems becomes the standard in Madison County. Members view themselves as land restorationists and stewards actively working to foster and sustain a balanced ecology for themselves and future generations.
Above: Madison County landowners share land stewardship experiences during hike through a privately owned woodland.
By Cheri Grauer, Major Gifts Steward
Iowa Natural Heritage • Fall 2015 | 7
Sharing Their
Love for G
Above: Leonard and Mildred Grimes, Hilltop Prairie; 2003. Below: Spectacular views await visitors when they reach the third level of Mildred’s Tower at Grimes Farm and Conservation Center.
athered around the Hill House dining table, the stories flowed about Leonard and Mildred Grimes. “I think Mom was the visionary and Dad was more the implementer” was quickly followed by, “Yet, Dad had vision, too.” A third sibling adds, “And, Mom was out there working right alongside Dad.” Three of Leonard and Mildred’s children and their spouses wove a rich tale of their parents’ journey to create a nature oasis just west of Marshalltown.
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Left: Mildred’s Tower and one of the trails that winds through woodlands and prairies on Grimes Farm. Below: The Conservation Center includes conservation exhibits, meeting space and a kitchen. Nature Discovery Series classes offered at the Conservation Center introduce outdoor enthusiasts to ecology, outdoor cooking, orienteering and a variety of indigenous plants.
Photo Top Left: Courtesy/Grimes Family All Others: Lori Howe
Land Known as the Grimes Farm and Conservation Center, this oasis is managed by the Marshall County Conservation Board (MCCB). The evolution of Grimes Farm was fueled by Leonard and Mildred’s vision and realized through their determination. Engaging Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and MCCB as partners to advise and work alongside them, Leonard and Mildred relied on the expertise and experience the partnership provided.
Love, nature and the seeds of vision In a schoolhouse near Green Mountain, just northeast of Marshalltown, Leonard Grimes met Mildred Hach. “Mom said when she was a first-grader our dad, a red-headed, frecklefaced kid, started kindergarten, and they were life-long friends ever since,” said Carrie, the youngest Grimes daughter.
Grimes Farm and Conservation Center Marshall County Land: 160 acres with
education center; oak, hickory, maple and mixed woodlands; wetlands and prairies; hiking trails and Mildred’s Tower. Connected to Marshalltown bike trail system — part of the American Discovery Trail system linking California to Maryland. Partners: INHF, MCCB and Friends of Grimes Farms For more information about Grimes Farm, visit http://bit.ly/1NCNdOs and www.grimesfarm.org
Iowa Natural Heritage • Fall 2015 | 9
Right: Mildred Grimes leads a group of area school children through one of the prairies.
Leonard and Mildred had much in common: curiosity, intelligence and an appreciation for working hard. Mildred and Leonard married shortly after both graduated from Green Mountain High School. The next few years took them across the country. After being stationed in New Hampshire while serving in the Marines during World War II, Leonard earned his bachelor’s degree at Dartmouth College, followed by a law degree at Harvard University. The couple returned home to Iowa, and Leonard began practicing law at the firm known today as Grimes, Buck, Schoell, Beach and Hitchins in Marshalltown, where he specialized in estate law. Believing that moving to the country would benefit their younger children, Leonard and Mildred searched for the right property.
From eroded land to natural gem In 1964, they purchased 160 acres of treeless farmland etched with gullies. Where their parents saw the land as a business venture with little chance of profitability,
Leonard and Mildred saw potential for natural beauty. Their goal was clear: restore most of the land to its original prairie and woodlands, while farming the land suitable for crops in a responsible manner. They purchased adjacent parcels of land as they became available, eventually owning nearly 600 acres. The work was grueling and seemed never-ending. Yet they experienced great joy in improving the land and imparting their love of land to their children and grandchildren. Working side by side, their children pitching in, they first cleared the land of outbuildings, cars and debris. Over the next several years, Leonard and Mildred led their family in hand planting and nurturing over 200,000 oak, walnut and hickory trees. In 2006, Mildred wanted to try her hand at creating an “instant forest.” Fifteen kinds of tree seeds were spread thickly over 12 acres. Based on a survival of the fittest theory, the most healthy seedlings grew straight and strong. Many of these trees now stand over 25 feet tall in Instant Forest 1. Instant Forest 2 was seeded in 2008 and includes eight acres of healthy trees. With the instant forests, Roger Grimes believes the family has planted over one million trees. There are also four restored prairies on Grimes Farm: Island, Horseshoe, Upper Hilltop and Lower Hilltop. Today, 300 tillable acres are sustainably farmed, with the remaining 300 acres supporting woodlands, wetlands and prairies and serving as the site for the Grimes Farm and Conservation Center.
A passion to teach Mildred had a teacher’s heart. She worked as a music teacher and later as a librarian in Marshall County schools. “From the start, Mom always had the dream of sharing their land to ensure kids had the chance to learn about nature and how the land sustains us all,” said Roger. Mildred initiated a program with area schools to bring elementary children to Grimes Farm. On these field trips, Mildred would lead the way through prairies and woods, delighting when children oohed and ahhed at nature’s wonders. Carrie continues the nature education tradition, regularly participating in reading programs at the Conservation Center. Mildred’s Tower, erected in 2006 as a memorial to
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Photo Left Bottom: INHF staff Photo Left Top: Lori Howe Photo Right: Courtesy/Grimes Family
Below: Mildred and Leonard Grimes; Grimes Farm and Conservation Center.
Mildred who passed away the same year, offers visitors to Grimes Farm views as far as the Story County wind turbines and Marshall County Courthouse. Mildred’s Tower stands 40 feet tall and is the second highest point in Marshall County.
Vision realized with astute planning Leonard and Mildred wanted to provide 160 acres of their land as a place for area citizens to enjoy woodlands and prairies, and learn about nature and responsible farming. They designed a long-term plan with INHF to accomplish this. First, they donated the land to INHF in four transactions in 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997. This allowed Leonard and Mildred to spread the benefits of tax deductions over several years, and to retain lifetime use (known as “reserved life estate”) of the cropland and their home site. During those same years, Marshall County conservation leaders and donors were working with the family to plan and raise funds for the education center. INHF transferred to MCCB the portion of land for the building and natural areas. The final piece of the plan is now in process. With Leonard’s passing earlier this year, the cropland and home site will now transfer from INHF to Marshall County. INHF has been able to help MCCB investigate ways to demonstrate conservation farming. After a 25year relationship with this family and this place, INHF is
pleased to have helped bring their vision to reality. In a note to the MCCB and INHF dated Jan. 13, 1993, Mildred wrote: “We have been applying many conservation measures to our farm to try to sustain that topsoil for the future. These practices have been of sufficient measure to cause the schools of Marshall County to use the farm as an example when teaching conservation. Hundreds of children have tramped the hillsides as they ‘experienced’ conservation…. “Living on the land, close to Nature, and raising our children with those special opportunities has been a privilege for us. May our efforts to preserve, conserve and even restore this farm be of value to those who seek a quiet place for relaxation, contemplation, inspiration and joy.” By Lori Southard Howe, contributing writer
Reserved Life Estate Benefits When you donate your land with a reserved life estate, you commit to the gift, while retaining the use of the land during your lifetime. You can: • live on the land • use the land • obtain income from the land • designate immediate family members as “life tenants” • receive potential tax deductions For more information, visit www.inhf.org/reserved-life-estate.cfm. To discuss how a reserved life estate may benefit you and your family, contact Anita O’Gara, VP and Director of Development, at 800-475-1846 or aogara@inhf.org.
Iowa Natural Heritage • Fall 2015 | 11
Caring for the land, McQuillen Easement Delaware County Land: 139 acres in donated
conservation easement
Special features: Upland
woodland, reconstructed prairie and a large watershed that empties into the Maquoketa River www.inhf.org/fall-2015magazine.cfm
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M
att McQuillen steers his Ranger around his Delaware County property, taking inventory after being away for a while. His wife, Beth, and daughter, Maggie, ride in the bed as their dog runs ahead, knowing the way. There’s the hilltop prairie he planted last year. It’s not coming in as well as he hoped, but he thinks a good prescribed burn will help. There’s the sloped former crop field he spent last summer repairing and replanting with native prairie species. “There were gullies up to here,” he says, his hand up to his chest. The damage from water runoff had been filled in and the new growth was starting to take hold. There’s the exposed limestone hillside where a previous owner had done some excavation
Photos: Joe Jayjack, INHF
one piece at a time
to sell the rock. “I didn’t even want to get it tested,” he says, lest he find out the rock was valuable and be tempted to do more of the same. The McQuillens bought this property, a little over 300 acres along the Maquoketa River, in 2013. It is made up mostly of mature upland woodland, interspersed with reconstructed prairie. They have done a lot of work to bring it back to a more natural state.
Putting in place permanent protection The biggest step the McQuillens took in protecting the land’s natural resources didn’t involve moving dirt or spreading seed. Last year, they donated a 139-acre conservation easement on the site to Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. The agreement is binding for the McQuillens and all future owners of the property, allowing them to know the land will be permanently protected. But Matt thinks it will be a while before there are any other owners. “Maggie said to me, ‘You’ll never sell this place, will you, Dad?’ I said, ‘No, and neither will you.’” Matt said they may protect more of the property through easements in the future. The staggering of the easements allows the McQuillens to take full advantage of the tax credits available through the federal Conservation Easement Incentive Act and the Iowa Charitable Conservation Contribution program. Matt’s background as an attorney and certified accountant certainly help him to grasp the financial side of the agreement, but money is far from the only reason he’s protecting the land.
A heritage of doing the right thing Matt grew up in nearby Monticello — living in town but always appreciating the outdoors, especially the Maquoketa River greenbelt that runs along the city’s northeast side. He wouldn’t call his parents conservationists, but they definitely contributed to his conservation ethic. “They always taught me that if you do the right thing for the right reason, things tend to work out.” His love of hunting blossomed into years of conservation work. Matt and the Twin Rivers chapter
of Pheasants Forever have worked to protect numerous sites in the area for habitat, including some in which they partnered with INHF. In 2007, Field & Stream magazine named the Twin Rivers Pheasants Forever chapter its Conservation Chapter of the Year. And earlier this year, Matt was recognized at the National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic as one of seven Conservation Faces of Iowa for his habitat work both on his own land and other sites now open to the public. He has facilitated more than 12 land acquisitions for animal habitat, including Scotch Grove Prairie and Muskrat Slough in Jones County. Yet, Matt certainly doesn’t crave the attention. “Jeff Joens and Bob Sheets — biologists with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources — helped sink in the message that it doesn’t matter who gets the credit as long as the work gets done,” Matt said. This is the second conservation easement the McQuillens have donated to INHF. In 2013, the family protected 95 acres farther down the Maquoketa River in Jones County. They have since sold the property, and feel a real sense of satisfaction knowing that the protections remain in place — with the new owners and all future owners.
Above, Left to Right: Beth, Maggie and Matt McQuillen trek through a prairie they have restored.
By Joe Jayjack, Communications Director
What’s a conservation easement? Conservation easements allow landowners to maintain ownership and certain rights on the land, but prohibit certain practices — such as development, mining or commercial agriculture — that could damage the site’s conservation value. The agreement is binding for current and all future owners. The difference in land value before and after the easement is a charitable contribution. For more information, visit www.inhf.org/conservation-easement-basics. cfm, or contact Heather Jobst at hjobst@inhf.org or 515-288-1846.
Iowa Natural Heritage • Fall 2015 | 13
N
Cedar Rock State Park
Overlooking the Wapsipinicon River, the main attraction at Cedar Rock State Park sits unassumingly on a limestone bluff. Designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the Lowell and Agnes Walter Estate — Cedar Rock — seeks harmony with nature.
Cedar Rock State Park Buchanan County Land: 134 acres of state park,
149 acres of adjacent Wildlife Management Area
Managed by: Iowa DNR Special features: Frank Lloyd
Wright-designed house, woodland, wetlands www.inhf.org/fall-2015magazine.cfm
T R I B U T E IN MEMORY OF Elizabeth Barry Ben Richard Berneman Dean R. Betts Richard Brown George Cenovich Susan K. Connell-Magee Laura Conrad Johnston Judge George Fagg Delbert “Flick” Flickinger Roland Fox James W. French Merle Garman Hubert Gent
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Though he worked on other homes in Iowa, only Cedar Rock bears Wright’s famous red tile signature, signifying he was completely satisfied with every detail of the house. Only 16 other surviving Wright-designed structures across the country include the signature tile. Upon his death in 1981, Lowell left Cedar Rock to the Iowa Conservation Commission so that Iowans could enjoy the beauty of the architecturally important home integrated with Buchanan County’s woodlands.
Protection of natural land Since then, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has helped the Iowa Department of Natural Resources secure 150 acres of land, including woodland and wetlands, to expand the park and protect its natural resources. The park’s mixed woodland includes basswood, bitternut hickory and bur oak trees. The Wapsipinicon River flowing through the
park is the longest state-designated Protected Water Area and includes 183 miles of statedesignated water trail. Together with the Friends of Cedar Rock and the Iowa DNR, INHF has helped permanently safeguard Cedar Rock State Park’s natural beauty.
Visitors welcome Cedar Rock State Park offers ample opportunities for wildlife viewing, picnicking, food foraging, hunting, fishing, hiking and birding. Birders will find over 100 species of birds, including rare Canada warblers, brown creepers and Acadian flycatchers. Guests learn about Cedar Rock’s natural features, Iowa history and Wright’s architecture at Cedar Rock’s visitor center. Schedule a tour of the house by calling 319-934-3572 or emailing cedar_rock@dnr.iowa.gov. By Taylor Eisenhauer, Communications Intern
G I F T S Ilo Glawe Evelyn Hack Lucas Haller Elizabeth A. Halverson Ruthanne Harstad Douglas L. Hearn Herbert Raymond Heinicke James Henderson Richard Hoppin Gertrude Hughes John C. Hunter Evelyn Koepke Dick Lesch Catharine E. Licht Darrell Lundy
Iowa Natural Heritage • Fall 2015
Charles and Helen McLaughlin Anna Mae McMullen Gunnar Mossblad Kenneth Murphy John Nachtman Virginia and Roland Nelson Tim Oberfoell Gene Olson Kenneth Reese Arthur C. Rich Gregory A. Robbins Truman Rosedale Mary E. Ross Doug Rossman
Kent Sheeley Claude & Lois Smith Pat St. Germain Robert “Bob” Stedman Lizzie Sytsma Mary Sytsma Murry Sytsma Kazu Tagami Carol Taylor Matthew Vandiver Arlene E. Varcoe Joyce Widmer Melvin Wiebel James Wilson Robert L. Wolter
IN HONOR OF Vi Baker Alan Bowles Ann Burns Bruce Ecker Robert Fanter David Ferree Steve Herwig Joanne Johnson and Mark Bennett Roger and Barb Kueter Jan Lovell Carol and John McNamara Susan Salterberg Susan Shullaw
Tim Sproul Terry and Marj Taylor Stephanie and Kevin Techau Karla West Travis Young
Photo: Iowa DNR
VITAMIN
Keep exploring online at
LOOKING OUT FOR
www.inhf.org/lookingoutforiowa.cfm
IOWA
Take action for conservation Garden like a master Gardeners can attend training sessions at over 40 locations around the state — through Iowa State University — to cultivate gardening best practices and attain Master Gardner designation. Online webinars also count toward the 40 hours of training required. Master Gardners have opportunities to share their expertise to combat invasive plant species, encourage sustainable gardening and instill a passion for conservation in fellow gardeners. http://www.mastergardener.iastate.edu/become.html
Sponsor a raptor If you’re looking for a new way to support conservation in Iowa, try sponsoring a raptor! Endangered or disabled raptors, such as hawks, eagles and falcons, are rehabilitated and featured in educational programs across Iowa. Various organizations have adoption or sponsorship opportunities for anyone interested in getting involved. Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center: vetmed.iastate.edu/vmc/wildlife-careclinic/donations-adoptions McBride Raptor Project: recserv.uiowa.edu/mrp Raptor Resource Project: www.raptorresource.org/us.htm Saving Our Avian Resources (SOAR): www.soarraptors.org/help.html
Photo Top: INHF Staff Middle: Kip Ladage
Attend a REAP Assembly Every two years, Iowans have the chance to learn about and influence the impact of Iowa’s Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program through 18 regional REAP assemblies around the state. REAP assemblies provide Iowans the opportunity to learn about the impact REAP has had in their region, as well as suggest future projects for REAP consideration and changes to REAP policy, programs and funding. Your participation in the assemblies will show your support for the program and help encourage the Iowa Legislature to fully fund REAP. Find the assembly schedule here: iowadnr.gov/Environment/REAP
Iowa Natural Heritage • Fall 2015
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PAID
DES MOINES, IA PERMIT NO. 1713
505 Fifth Avenue, Suite 444 Des Moines, Iowa 50309-2321 Change Service Requested
Photo: Ron Huelse
Leave a legacy of clean water, healthy soil and beautiful outdoor places for those who follow.
To see how estate giving through INHF can help make your vision for Iowa a reality, contact Cheri Grauer at cgrauer@inhf.org or 800-475-1846.
Most people are never fortunate enough to see the elusive green heron (Butorides virescens) in their wetland habitat. Green herons are excellent fishers, using their superior intelligence to select bait and lure their prey close enough to spear them with their sharp bills. Please share this publication with friends, and visit our website at www.inhf.org.