We were founded in 1999 and originally affiliated with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, providing services in Boone, Hardin, Hamilton, Marshall, Story, and Webster Counties. Now as an independent nonprofit organization, our programs have expanded to cover more of the state. While our mix of programs have changed in response to changing community needs and funding opportunities, everything we do relates to our mission and core values.
Our Achievements Include:
- Helping landowners, producers, and local government improve soil health and reduce nutrients and harmful bacteria in our rivers and streams. We wrote the very first grant to begin watershed planning for the Raccoon River Watershed in the early 2000s.
- From 2013-2019, we supported the Ioway Creek Watershed Management Authority with planning and implementing a watershed project.
- Partnering with local citizens, city, county, and government officials to preserve and interpret the historic Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway (LHHB) and the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway (IVSB).
- Today, we have over 50 project partners supporting our work on the byways.
- We have worked on the LHHB since 2008!
- Educating landowners, producers, government officials, and organizations to install new or improve existing native plantings to create habitat for pollinators and wildlife.
- We have also supported school gardens, outdoor learning environments, built Iowa oak log cabins in county parks, and supported the statewide Grow Your Small Market Farm business planning program.
Want to see more of what we do? Check out our Achievements and Completed Projects Page.
Our Board of Directors
Elaine Edwards
President
Elaine grew up on a farm in Humboldt County and lives in Ames with her husband, Mark. A 33-year agricultural communications professional, she managed communications units at Iowa State University Extension and Kansas State University Research and Extension. After buying a bed and breakfast in Lanesboro, Minnesota, in 2015, she retired to Ames in 2022. She serves on the Association for Communications Excellence board and has chaired several nonprofit boards. Elaine values Prairie Rivers of Iowa’s conservation work.
Rob Davis
Vice President
Rob is the Watershed Program Manager at the Iowa Soybean Association’s Research Center for Farming Innovation, where he leads the development of place-based watershed plans that pair conservation practices with sustainability and productivity goals. He works with farmers, landowners, and other stakeholders to coordinate planning and secure funding for on-the-ground conservation.Originally from Solon, IA, Rob holds a Master of Science in Biology from the University of Notre Dame.
Rick Dietz
Secretary
Rick retired from City of Ames Electric Services in 2015 and now volunteers with many organizations, including Story County Conservation, Story County Sheriff’s Dive Team, Project AWARE, and INHF. His interest in prairies began at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. A recipient of INHF’s Hagie Heritage Award, Olav Smedal Conservation Award, and a Story County Citizen of the Year. His public service includes serving in the Army National Guard from 1988-1993. He now lives north of Ames with his wife, Carol, overlooking the Skunk River Valley.
Dr. Mark Rasmussen
Treasurer
Mark is a retired microbiologist, most recently in a leadership role at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. He spent four years at the USFDA, including two as a supervisory microbiologist and division director. He spent 18 years as a microbiologist and researcher with the USDA, Animal Research Service, and the National Disease Center in Ames. He also researched animal nutrition at Eastman Chemical Company. He has received the Secretary of Agriculture’s Award for Food Safety and a few U.S. patents.
Bob Ausberger
Bob grew up on a farm north of Jefferson, IA, and taught 7th and 8th graders for four years after graduating from the University of Iowa. He then returned to Greene County to farm, adopting no-till in the late 1980s. His son, David, now works the 100% no-till farm, which also uses terraces, cover crops, wetlands, and compost. Bob and his wife Joyce also have a daughter, Susan, who married a Calhoun County farmer. Since 1990, Bob has promoted the Lincoln Highway and helped form the Greene County Lincoln Highway Association, the Iowa Lincoln Highway Association and the national Lincoln Highway Association.
Jim Colbert
Jim grew up in Cedar Rapids, IA, exploring Prairie Creek and the Cedar River. He earned a biology degree from Iowa State University in 1978, then an M.S. and Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After starting his faculty career at Colorado State University in 1985, he joined Iowa State in 1988, where he researched plant and fungal biology and directed the Undergraduate Biology Program. He led the “Skunk River Navy” stream cleanup initiative. Jim is an “outdoors guy” who has enjoyed hiking, canoeing, camping, bird watching, fishing, and hunting. He shares his thoughts on the natural world on Substack.
Reed Riskedahl
Reed has served on the Board since 2011, including as secretary, treasurer, and president. Originally from rural southern Minnesota, he and his wife, Rita, have lived in Iowa for over 42 years with a majority of that in Marshalltown, IA. They have two daughters and two grandsons. Retired from careers in retail, manufacturing, construction, and real estate, he holds a business degree and Master Gardener and Conservationist certifications from ISU Extension and Outreach.
Jeff Kopaska
Jeff became Executive Director of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) in 2024, after serving as Fisheries Biometrician for the Iowa DNR. He holds a B.A. from Dordt University, an M.S. from Iowa State University, and is a Certified Public Manager. As longtime AFS member, he has served as various rolls including president of the North Central Division, Iowa Chapter, and Data and Technology Section and president elect of the Fisheries Management Section. He has also served on the Story County Conservation Board, leadership council at his church, and the Ames Girls Softball Association board.
Jim Richardson
Jim is a grain farmer from Webster City, IA, and a longtime board member who has served as president, treasurer, and secretary. He also sits on the Hamilton County Conservation Board. He holds a B.S. and M.S. from Iowa State University in Ag Education and Professional Ag, and brings experience as an Air Force pilot, agricultural banker, sales manager, and college professor. He and his wife, Donna, have two sons and four grandchildren.
Wes Wiese
Wes Wiese grew up on a dairy farm near Parkersburg, IA and studied environmental studies at Iowa Lakes Community College and natural history interpretation and biology at the University of Northern Iowa. He worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Montana and as a resort naturalist for the U.S. Forest Service in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Since his return to Iowa he has served Hardin County Conservation, becoming director in 2007. He lives with his wife, Pam, on his grandparents’ acreage.
Doug Cooper
Doug lives in Cambridge, IA and is retired from Iowa State University Extension Communications, where he directed Market News and radio/audio, and co-hosted WOI radio’s Midday program from 1990 to 2010. He later worked with WHO Radio’s farm department and was a farm director at radio stations in Spencer, Fort Dodge, and Omaha. He is an Air Force veteran with an Iowa State journalism degree, and he has earned an ACE Award of Excellence for reporting on the changing conditions in Russian agriculture in 1992. He and his wife, Dianne, have a daughter living in Brooklyn, NY.
Our Staff
Kristine Micheletti
Executive Director
Kristine Micheletti joined Prairie Rivers of Iowa in April 2026, following an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education fellowship with the USDA Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, where she evaluated informational resources on climate and their value to the agricultural industry. She completed her PhD at Iowa State University in 2025, where she focused on capacity building of agricultural and environmental educators to effectively engage with underserved communities.
Growing up in Illinois, her passion for natural resources began in her youth with visits to parks, zoos, and family fishing trips. Her passion continued as she studied zoology and psychology at Drake University for her undergraduate years. She began exploring the human and cultural aspects of conservation when she studied the relationship between people and chimpanzees in Senegal for her master’s, which she completed at Iowa State University.
She has been involved with conservation and education in central Iowa for years, serving as an environmental education intern at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, an assistant naturalist at Polk County Conservation, and a conservation coordinator at Blank Park Zoo. In these roles, she developed and delivered programs and initiatives focused on sustainability, waste reduction, native habitat restoration, wildlife conservation, and outdoor recreation – helping individuals connect everyday actions at home with broader environmental stewardship.
Kristine is well-positioned to lead Prairie Rivers forward in its mission of natural resource conservation and community-based environmental stewardship. She brings a strong vision for strengthening and advancing community access to Iowa’s agricultural and environmental resources.
Jeanie Hau
Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway and Iowa Valley Scenic Byway Coordinator
Jeanie Hau joined Prairie Rivers of Iowa in 2023. As the coordinator for the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway and Iowa Valley Scenic Byway, she works with communities across the state to preserve their historic landmarks and natural beauty and promote their unique businesses and attractions. A favorite part of the job is travelling the byways and seeing the reactions on Facebook to the treasures she encounters along the way!
Jeanie has a background in landscape architecture, with experience writing cultural landscape histories for the National Parks Service and facilities planning at Iowa State University. Before joining PRI, she raised her children Arabella, Audrey and Joshua and volunteered in her community (Madrid). In her spare time, she applies her landscape design skills to her flower garden and also enjoys reading and thrift shopping.
Katelyn Rinicker
Pollinator Conservation Specialist
sKatelyn Rinicker joined Prairie Rivers of Iowa in July of 2024. She is working with the City of Ames and volunteers to implement the Pollinator-Friendly Community Plan. She is excited to educate the public on how every individual can be active in conservation!
Katelyn graduated from Bemidji State University with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies with an emphasis in ecosystems and minors in GIS, sustainability, and Indigenous Sustainability. Following college, she joined the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa, collecting data on Monarch butterflies, harvesting seed from prairie plants, and restoring native habitat. In her free time, Katelyn likes to visit breweries, go for nature walks, and work on home improvements with her husband—including restoring their backyard to prairie!
Casey Greufe
Water Quality Specialist
Casey Greufe joined Prairie Rivers of Iowa in May of 2026 to support the Watersheds and Wildlife program. Prior to joining the team, he conducted research on water quality and nutrient management at the University of Maryland, where he worked with farmers to reduce nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. He is passionate about building community through environmental stewardship and is especially excited to return to his home state to work on water quality issues that affect all Iowans.
Casey grew up in Davenport and is a loyal Hawkeye, though he is not ashamed to root for Cy. He enjoys all things outdoors, talking science, and getting his hands dirty at work.
Laura Johnston
Office Manager
Laura Johnston joined Prairie Rivers of Iowa in July 2026. She brings several years of experience in environmental health, with a background in onsite wastewater systems, private wells, water quality, watershed monitoring, and public health education. She holds the Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS) credential, along with certifications in onsite wastewater, private wells, and site and soil suitability.
Throughout her career, She has enjoyed bringing organization to complex projects and helping technical teams focus on the work that has the greatest impact. She is proud of her work expanding participation in Iowa’s Private Well Grant Program through outreach and education. She looks forward to keeping projects, grants, partnerships, and daily operations running smoothly so staff can spend more time in the field and working directly with communities.
Laura was born and raised in rural southern Iowa and now lives outside Ogden with her family and pets. She has four children. Growing up in rural Iowa fostered a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors and the importance of conserving the places that make Iowa unique, and that perspective continues to shape both her work and interests. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time at her family’s cabin in northern Minnesota, fishing, walking creek beds, and exploring the outdoors. She and her younger daughters are avid reptile enthusiasts and are often out searching for snakes and turtles. She is also a fan of The Office and Harry Potter and enjoys learning about pharmacology just for fun.