Conservation Connection
10 Native Shade Plants for Your Yard
Native plants are a wonderful addition to any landscape. Here in Iowa, we often times focus on tallgrass prairie plants. This is because historically, most of Iowa was just that; a tallgrass...
Mussel Relocation at Hannum’s Mill Dam
Buttons and Pollution: Mussels in Peril Fresh water mussels are among the most threatened group of animals on earth. In North America, over 70% of the continent's roughly 300 species are threatened,...
Pollinator Week: Its History & Why it Still Matters
Support pollinators during “National Pollinator Week”. This international celebration happens every year!
Frequent Fliers: Birds on the Move
This is perhaps my favorite time of year! Flowers are blooming. Trees are getting their leaves back. The weather is getting nicer. Animals are emerging. And one of my favorite things…the birds are back! I absolutely love waking up in the morning to the birds chirping.
Iowa Women In Conservation
March was not only Iowa History Month, but also Women’s History Month! While women have not always had recognition for their efforts, they have always been involved.
The 2026 Impaired Waters List
St. Patrick’s Day is the only day of the year it’s acceptable to have bright green water. It’s also the last day to make public comment on Iowa’s 2026 Impaired Waters List, which features some waters that sometimes turn green for other reasons.
Lost Lakes and Found Lakes
March is Iowa history month and that’s a good opportunity to dust off some material from the archives to share the history of lakes in Iowa, some lost and some found.
Nitrate testing tips for cold weather
Nitrate test strips tend to read too low in cold weather, but there are ways to improve accuracy.
End the No Swim Era
If you went to a beach at an Iowa state park last summer, you had a 1 in 4 chance of seeing a “Swimming Not Recommended” sign. 2025 was also a bad year for E. coli in the waters we monitor locally. What do we do about it?