Hello Mike,

Message from our Board of Directors

We say hello...

Please welcome our new Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Katelyn Rinicker! Katelyn joined us at the beginning of this month and has already proven herself to be a wonderful addition to our team. 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. She minored in sustainability, indigenous sustainability, and GIS.

Following college, Katelyn joined the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa. This is when she discovered her love of pollinators while collecting data on Monarch butterflies. Her next term with CCI was spent with Polk County Conservation's Natural Resource Department, where she fostered her love of prairie plants and seed harvesting and gained further knowledge of habitat restoration.

In her free time, Katelyn likes to visit breweries, go for nature walks, and tackle the never-ending projects that come with home ownership! She lives with her boyfriend, his dog, and her cat. They are currently restoring his backyard from an invasive plant wasteland to a functional native prairie landscape.

Welcome, Katelyn!

...and say goodbye

We mourn the deaths of two members of our Board of Directors: Chuck Stewart died on June 25 and Erv Klaas died on July 6. Below we link to an article that describes Chuck's conservation efforts on his land, and share six birding memories that recall different aspects of Erv's life and legacy. We are proud to continue that legacy of conservation, and are grateful to Chuck, Erv, and their families for all they have contributed to this organization and the larger community.

Birds from Erv:

A tribute to Erv Klaas

by Dan Haug

How to plant a prairie strip:

A tribute to Chuck Stewart

by Jessica Butters

Byway Buzz

From “Green Corn Dance” to “Powwow:” the Meskwaki Nation’s End of Summer Tradition

by Byways Coordinator Jeanie Hau

The Meskwaki Nation located in Tama County has celebrated the end of summer every year for over 100 years with the Meskwaki Annual Powwow.

2 Minute Read

Iowa Lincoln Highway Association Flashback to 1995

Bob Ausberger

Revisiting the first Iowa Lincoln Highway Association Newsletter with first Iowa LHA President, Bob Ausberger. Read about all of the accomplishments that first year!

3 Minute Read

Conservation Connection

Pollinator of the Month:

Leafcutter Bee (Megachilidae)

by Pollinator Conservation Specialist Katelyn Rinicker

Leafcutter bees are native to Iowa! Most have huge jaws that help them cut pieces of leaves to line their nests. They nest in hollow stems and may utilize your bee hotels. Please remember to put your bee hotels in the shade to help prevent death due to high temperatures.

While some people may think of the round holes left by the bees as annoying, it rarely hurts the plant. Instead, think of these bees as artists! So next time you see a constellation of small circles cut out of a leaf, think of the Leafcutter Bee!

Say No to Neonics

by Pollinator Conservation Specialist

Katelyn Rinicker

Neonicotinoid pesticides are detrimental to pollinator health. If you have never heard of Neonics, and aren’t sure why you should care; I urge you to keep reading.

4 Minute Read

Water Quality Snapshot Results from May 2024

by Water Quality Specialist Dan Haug

This interactive map provides a "snapshot" of water quality around the state on a particularly stormy day this spring. This coordinated effort included Polk County Conservation, the Committee to Save Bloody Run, the Panora Chapter of the Izaak Walton League, Prairie Rivers of Iowa, and Story County Conservation. Volunteers tested 145 sites in 8 counties!

View the map

Story County Water Quality Update

by Water Quality Specialist Dan Haug

Almost every site we tested in July exceeded the drinking water standard for nitrate and the recreation standard for E. coli. This has been an especially bad year for water quality. The nitrate levels recorded in the South Skunk River this spring didn't set a record, but were the highest they have been since 2013.

View the latest data

Watershed and Wildlife Events

Monarch Magic

Saturday, September 7, 10am-1pm

Ada Hayden Heritage Park, Ames

A free, family-friendly event for all ages taking place at Ada Hayden Heritage Park. Experience the magic of tagging a monarch butterfly to help scientists track their migration. Participate in many fun activities to learn more about this butterfly and other pollinators.

Iowa Water Summit

Tuesday, October 8, 9am to 4:30pm

Izaak Walton League Des Moines Chapterhouse

This one-day gathering will focus on volunteer water quality monitoring, facilitating the sharing of ideas and the strengthening of relationships between groups and individuals that collect and utilize water quality data across Iowa. While we scheduled this event to complement the Iowa Nature Summit, you will need to register separately (just $20).

Byway Events

Iowa State Fair August 8-18. The Iowa Byways will not have a booth this year, but come see Jeanie at the Iowa Questers’ Booth at Pioneer Hall on Aug 13^th from 9-2 and the Iowa Tourism Booth in the Varied Industries Building on Saturday August 17^th from 9-2:30.

Events on the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway

Meskwaki Annual Powwow August 8-11. Grand Entry 1 pm and 7 pm daily. Is now available to livestream!

Festival of the Arts Aug 10, 9 am- 4 pm in the Marketbarn, Amana. Fun for the whole family!

Family Fun Day and Street Dance Aug 24, 11 am-11 pm in Ladora. Peppy’s Ice Cream, the music of Standing Hampton, food, raffle and more.

Events on the Lincoln Highway National Heritage Byway

Lisbon Sauerkraut Days Aug 15-17. Movie night, Ice Cream Social, fireworks, teen dance, Parade, food, carnival rides and more! Don’t miss the Cabbage Head Car Show or the Bathtub races!

Calamus-Wheatland Community Fun Days Aug 23 -25. The Classic Car Cruise is Aug 24^th and the Lincolnway 5K will be Aug 25^th.

Lincoln Highway Days Aug 23-24, Nevada. The Lincoln Highway Dash begins at 8:30 am on Sat and ends at the Parade Route which begins at 10 am. The Lincoln Highway Days Car Show begins at noon and the Nevada Community Rodeo is at 6:30 pm. And so much more!

Cedar County Heritage Day Aug 24, 9 am -2 pm, Cedar County Historical Museum and Prairie Village, south of Stanwood, in Tipton. Model T and Model A car rides, kids tractor pull, games, and food!

Crawford County Museum Crawl Aug 24 10 am- 4 pm, Dow City, Manilla, and Denison. Visit the Dow House, the Klondike Hotel (you may experience the paranormal), and the McHenry House (where there is a 1928 Lincoln Highway marker) in one day! The small fee will benefit the Bell Log Cabin restoration project.

Farm Progress Show August 27-29, Boone, Iowa. The Nation’s Largest Outdoor Ag Show!