How to Have a Delightful Halloween Hike

How to Have a Delightful Halloween Hike

As the rays of summer creep towards the embers of autumn, now is a great time to go on a long walk to breathe in the changing of the seasons. While most people will be putting up lights and hoarding candy for Halloween, you can hit the trails to see some of the most interesting and spooky beings found naturally, right here in Iowa! Here we compile all things October to give you the best time to hike, where to find fairy fires and ghostly plants, and facts about curious birds this autumn.

Fantastic Foliage and When to Find It

To enjoy the best fall leaf display, the best practice is to go for a walk each day. If this is impossible, or you love planning, check the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Fall Color Report online (or sign up for email updates on their report page).

Toadstools at Twilight

Did you know that Iowa is home to glowing mushrooms?! The Jack-O’-Lantern mushroom (Omphalotus illudens) is pumpkin-orange in daylight, and lights up at night! Its light, also called fox fire or fairy fire, is created through bioluminescence. Remember that mushrooms are merely the reproductive parts of fungi. The majority of the fungus is actually underground. To find Jack-O’-Lantern mushrooms, search forests during the day for orange, classic-shaped mushrooms at the base of trees, and then return to areas where you found them on a dark night (with a friend for safety!). Give your eyes time to adjust after you put your lights out – the glow comes from the gills (on the underside of the mushroom) and will be faint. Please don’t harvest the mushrooms – they are poisonous.

Glowing Jack-O-Lantern

Glowing Jack-O’-Lanterns on a dark night

Peculiar Plants

Some native plants you can see now in central Iowa, with quintessential Halloween-like names, include “false boneset,” “doll’s eyes,” and “ghost plant.” False boneset (Brickellia eupatorioides) is named for the fact that its bone-colored flowers and plant structure resemble “true” boneset flowers. However, it is in a different genus of plants. False boneset is an important late-blooming flower for pollinators, and has a fluffy white display after flowering. It also does not spread aggressively, making it a great addition to pollinator gardens.

Sweetheart Underwing Moth

False boneset in bloom

“Doll’s eyes” (white baneberry, Actaea pachypoda), is native to eastern Iowa. This small shrub produces white berries with a large black spot in the center, looking eerily like doll eyes. Adding to this eeriness, the “eyes” are poisonous to mammals, including humans. The closely related red baneberry (Actaea rubra) is native to central Iowa and sometimes produces white berries as well. Berries of both plants are eaten by birds, who don’t digest the poisonous seeds. You can find both plants in forested, shady areas with deep leaf layers.

Reversed Haploa Moth

Doll’s Eyes keep watch in the forest

Ghost plants (Monotropa uniflora) are the star of our peculiar plant category. This plant is truly ghostly white, containing no chlorophyll (read: no green color) for photosynthesis. So how does it get its nutrients? It steals it from fungi! The fungi (specifically, mycorrhizae) share nutrients with neighboring tree roots, and the ghost plant taps into this nutrition-sharing system to help itself. October is near the end of this plant’s flowering season, but the best chances of finding it are in undisturbed forest areas with a deep organic layer.

Common Buckeye

Pale Ghost Plants on the forest floor

Alluring Animals

The harbinger of spooky season is the caw of the crow. Though present year-round, they are more appreciated during the twilight of the year. Seemingly ominous with their dark feathers and willingness to scavenge, these birds are in fact quite endearing. Not only are they intelligent enough to create and use tools to get food, but their offspring, once grown, normally return the next year to help tend to their younger siblings! Maybe groups of crows should be called “families” rather than “murders.” Lastly, how can you tell the difference between a crow and a raven? Firstly, ravens aren’t really found in Iowa – the closest area of their range is in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Secondly, the classic “caw” sound is distinctly crow, while ravens croak instead.

Swallowtail Caterpillar

A crow perches in a young tree

October is a lovely time of year, providing unparalleled weather and colors to enjoy Iowa’s outdoors. It is easy to agree with Aldo Leopold’s musing, that “…other months were constituted mainly as a fitting interlude between Octobers.” May you soak up this golden month of the year, and all it has to offer!

Monarch Magic in Ames Was a Day of Adventurous Fun!

Monarch Magic in Ames Was a Day of Adventurous Fun!

Prairie Rivers of Iowa hosted the family-friendly event Monarch Magic on Saturday, September 9, at Ada Hayden Heritage Park in Ames. Attendees had the experience of tagging a monarch butterfly to help scientists track their migration and participated in many fun activities to learn more about this butterfly and other pollinators.

Over 300 individuals were in attendance and participated in diverse activities that ranged from navigating an obstacle course where kids had fun while learning caterpillar and pollinator survival tactics to helping local scientists and naturalists weigh, measure, tag, and release monarchs. One hundred and forty-six monarchs were tagged during the event.

Besides the primary goal of tagging monarchs to aid in tracking their migration to Mexico, pollinator education was front and center as well. Raising Readers in Story County gave away over 200 pollinator-themed books. Other partners like Story County Conservation, the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach /4-H Youth Development, and Bird Friendly Iowa shared their knowledge throughout the delightful adventure.

Monarch being release after tagging during Monarch Magic event.

Prairie Rivers of Iowa Pollinator Conservation Specialist Jessica Butters said it best, “The magic of the event was seeing a kid holding an insect, some for the first time, and participating in community science by tagging a monarch and setting it free!”

The ISU Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, ISU Entomology, and Prairie Rivers of Iowa board members were on hand to share their expertise while helping with tagging.

This event would not have been possible without the support of Alliant Energy, the City of Ames, the Outdoor Alliance of Story County, and the Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park.

Welcome Center On Unique Five-Mile Stretch

Welcome Center On Unique Five-Mile Stretch

Lincoln HighwayHeritage Byway Coordinator Jeanie Hau also contributed to this article.

Currently, the Lincoln Highway Traveling Exhibit is at the Harrison County Historical Village and Welcome Center located three miles northeast of Missouri Valley, Iowa. So we thought there was no better time to tell you about this exceptional complex. Owned and operated by Harrison County Conservation, the welcome center is on a unique five-mile stretch where three of Iowa’s Scenic and Heritage Byways coexist — the Western Skies Scenic Byway, the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway, and the Prairie Rivers of Iowa-managed Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway. Furthermore, the complex is listed as a welcome center for the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

omplex and conservation area which includes: a historical village, a playscape incorporating the Lincoln Highway theme, an old gas station turned into picnic shelter, one of Iowa’s 99 Freedom Rocks, an original Lincoln Highway Marker in its original location, and a mile long concrete and limestone hiking trail through a portion of Loess Hills. To top off the view from the complex, there is a balcony spelling out, “Lincoln Highway” and a station to take a selfie at.

The complex and conservation area includes a historical village, a playscape incorporating a Lincoln Highway theme, an old gas station turned into a picnic shelter, one of Iowa’s 99 Freedom Rocks, a Lincoln Highway Marker in its original location, and a mile-long hiking trail through a portion of Loess Hills. To top off the view from the complex, there is a balcony spelling out, “Lincoln Highway” and a selfie station. It’s wonderful to fill visitors in about the highway and how it got started,” boasts Welcome Center Program Director Kathy Dirks, “The center’s auditorium showcases historical photos of the Lincoln Highway many of which depict locations a traveler can still see today.”  Some Lincoln Highway in Iowa images that are on display include the First Seedling Mile, the Honey Creek Cut, the Iowa Lincoln Highway Bridge in Tama, and Lincoln Way in Ames that many visitors find it hard to believe was once a muddy road Dirks remarked.

Harrison County Welome Center Playscape
Welcome Center Lincoln Highway Viewpoint
Old Gas Station Picnic Shelter

The Magic of Monarchs

The Magic of Monarchs

A male monarch on swamp milkweed.

Last weekend Prairie Rivers of Iowa hosted Monarch Magic, an activity-filled monarch butterfly tagging event, at Ada Hayden Heritage Park in Ames. During this three-hour event, at least 100 families and groups collectively tagged 146 monarch butterflies! Many who had never experienced the magic of holding and tagging a monarch butterfly got to experience this thrill for the first time, and were able to buy a tee shirt to commemorate the experience!

In case you missed the event, or just want to refresh your monarch knowledge, we discuss here why we tag monarchs during their migration south, and review some interesting monarch facts!

The magic of monarch tagging

There are few things that feel as special as holding a monarch butterfly and setting it free with a tag! The “tags”, in this sense, are small stickers. Tagging only occurs in late summer, during the monarch migration to Mexico. To tag a monarch, you gently hold a monarch’s wings together and place a tag on one of the monarch’s hind wings. Next, you place their feet on your hand or on a flower, and release their wings, watching them take off on their way to Mexico! Each tag has a unique sequence, allowing us to identify individual monarchs. People tagging monarchs report the tag sequence they used for each monarch, along with the date and location they tagged the monarch. This information then gets reported to a database. Anyone who sees a tagged monarch can report the sequence on its tag to the database, and can learn where the monarch was originally tagged!

The magic of releasing a tagged monarch!

What does tagging tell us?

Scientists and community members tag and report monarchs to track their migration. The tags and their database are provided and managed by Monarch Watch, a nonprofit research program based at the University of Kansas. Since 1992, Monarch Watch has tracked monarch migration to understand the timing of their migration, their migration routes, mortality rates during migration, the pace of migration, and more! Tagged monarchs that make it to Mexico are recaptured in tagging programs based in Mexico, and are reported to Monarch Watch. Understanding details such as timing of migration and which states and counties are along the migration route can help us determine the most effective ways to support monarch butterflies.

A lucky four-leaf clover.

Tagging a monarch butterfly!

Luna Moth

A monarch butterfly visiting blazing star.

Are monarchs endangered?

Monarchs are not currently considered endangered by the US federal government. They are, however, a “candidate species”, meaning that the government has determined that federal protection for monarch butterflies is warranted. Unfortunately, other species in the US are struggling even more than monarchs, and therefore take priority for the time being. The government will review the status of monarchs annually until they are able to create a proposal to officially list monarch butterflies as a species needing government protection. Until then, participating in monarch tagging events, reporting tagged monarch sightings, and planting native, pesticide-free gardens are the best ways to help monarch butterfly populations!

Monarch Facts!

While their populations are threatened, monarchs are truly incredible insects! For us, seeing migrating monarchs and tagging a few is a magical experience. However, migration is an arduous journey for monarch butterflies, which lends them some interesting traits!

  • The species name for the monarch butterfly is Danaus plexippus.
  • There are two main populations of monarchs – an eastern and a western.
  • Eastern monarchs call Iowa and other states east of the Rocky Mountains home. This population makes the miraculous trip to Mexico!
  • A single monarch can fly up to 3,000 miles from Canada to Mexico.
  • The peak monarch migration time in Iowa is September 3rd to September 15th.
  • A monarch butterfly is about the same weight as a paper clip!
  • The monarchs that migrate to Mexico can live up to eight months!
  • Monarchs overwinter in very specific habitat: the oyamel fir forests on Mexico’s mountaintops.
  • Oyamel fir forests provide cool temperatures and constant moisture to help monarchs survive the winter.
  • The oyamel fir forests are becoming scarce due to habitat loss from logging and farming.
  • Monarchs roost in trees for protection from wind, rain, and snow.
  • Monarch caterpillars can only eat milkweed, but adult monarchs will sip nectar from almost any flower!

Monarchs roosting in a tree!

Pale coneflower provides nectar for monarchs.

How can you help monarchs at home?

There are a few easy steps you can take to help monarchs all year round, and a few flower species that are especially good for helping monarchs on their journey to Mexico in September!

  • Plant milkweed and provide native flowers for nectar year-round:
    • Spring: Hoary vervain (Verbena stricta), pale coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)
    • Summer: blazing star (many Liatris species)
    • Fall: goldenrod (many Solidago species), sunflowers (Helianthus species), and asters (Silphium species).
  • Be sure to plant late-blooming plants to help migrating monarchs fuel up on their way to Mexico!
      • Some of their favorite fall plants are:
        • Compass plant (Silphium laciniatum)
        • Goldenrods (Solidago species)
        • Sawtooth sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus)
        • False boneset (Brickellia eupatorioides).
      • Planting these fall flowers will also help our other native pollinators, especially bumble bees!

The magic of seeing the bright orange monarch soar in the blue September sky, the magic of holding and tagging a monarch to help understand them, and the joy they bring to all of us, is truly inspirational.  Have a truly Magical Monarch Migration Season!

>> Buy a Monarch Magic shirt to support more Prairie Rivers of Iowa events! https://www.bonfire.com/monarch-magic/  <<

The Historic Lincoln Highway Bridge Is In Danger!

The Historic Lincoln Highway Bridge Is In Danger!

The Lincoln Highway Bridge in Tama, IA, once again needs your help to survive. Due to severe deterioration, engineers say it should be replaced if it’s going to continue serving as a truck route. The Tama City Council is holding a public hearing Monday, August 21, at 5:30 pm, at the Tama City Auditorium to hear comments on whether to repair or replace the bridge.

If you can attend the meeting and speak, please do so. If you can’t attend, you can send comments to tamacityclerk@tamacityia.gov , and / or make a comment below and we’ll pass it along to make sure you are heard.

Lincoln Highway Bridge in Tama, IA needs your help!

If you commented before, feel free to recycle your earlier comments. Possible topics include but are not limited to: What does the Tama Bridge mean to you? What special memories of the bridge, do you have? What would be lost if the bridge were replaced? 

Two ways to save the bridge the Council might consider are 1) Make the LH Bridge a pedestrian-only bridge and create a new truck route, and 2) Redesign the replacement bridge with modern safety railings and include the historic railings and lamp posts as design elements. Option 1 is the most likely to keep the bridge on the National Register of Historic Places and maintain its historicity.

Prairie Rivers of Iowa would like to collect as many comments as possible to make sure the messages are delivered. 

Prairie Rivers of Iowa Now Managing the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway

Prairie Rivers of Iowa Now Managing the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway

It seems a good fit that Prairie Rivers of Iowa has embarked on the management of the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway under a new contract from the Iowa Department of Transportation. Especially since the 77-mile Byway intersects with the 460-mile Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway that we’ve been managing for a number of years.

For a stretch of roadway from approximately Le Grand, IA to Belle Plaine, IA, the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway and the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway intersect, cross, and are often on the same route. The Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway continues to traverse east to the Mississippi River and west the Missouri while the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway dips south through the river valley to the communities of Marengo, Homestead, and the Amana Colonies.

The Iowa Valley Byway takes you through rural agricultural land, the Iowa River wetlands/prairie, and a diverse cultural palette of Native American, Czech, and German heritages. There are trails, museums, tournaments, and festivals to teach and engage the traveler on all of the qualities which contribute to the significance of the area as a Scenic Byway of Iowa.

The Iowa Valley Byway takes you through rural agricultural land, the Iowa River wetlands and prairie, and showcases a diverse cultural palette of Native American, Czech, and German heritages. There are trails, museums, tournaments, and festivals to teach and engage the traveler on all of the qualities which contribute to the significance of the area as a Scenic Byway of Iowa.

It is anchored by two distinct cultures. At the western end of the byway is Iowa’s only Native American community, the Meskwaki Settlement. Visit the cultural center and museum, attend the annual powwow, or try your luck at the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel anytime.

At the eastern end are the Seven Villages of the Amana Colonies. The Amana Colonies were created as a communal society in 1855 by Germans fleeing religious persecution. There you can find Iowa’s oldest winery, oldest microbrewery, a woolen mill, a furniture shop, a lot of great food, festivals, and a cluster of quality antique shops.

Our audio tour is a wonderful way to discover and connect with 40 special places along the Byway. It features well-known attractions, locations and unique curiosities, all of which tell an authentic, place-based story of the Iowa River Valley.

Download the audio tour brochure here to have handy on your phone or print it and take it with you as you explore the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway. Or if you prefer, listen to it via podcast here.

Visit our Byway page here to learn more and download a map and itinerary. And be sure to follow our Facebook and Instagram pages for the latest updates. See you along the Byway!