Hello Mike,

Welcome to Our Newest Board Members!

Jim Colbert

Jim Colbert grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he spent much of his time in and along Prairie Creek and the Cedar River. He earned a degree in Biology from Iowa State University in 1978, followed by an M.S. and Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Jim started his faculty career in 1985 at Colorado State University, and returned to Ames in 1988 to join the faculty at Iowa State University.

Jim’s research focused on plant and fungal biology. For 15 of his 33 years at Iowa State, he served as the director of the Undergraduate Biology Program. During that time, Jim led the “Skunk River Navy”, an educational stream cleanup initiative that engaged students in hands-on conservation.

Jim is an “outdoors guy” who at various times has enjoyed hiking, canoeing, wilderness camping, rock climbing (not anymore!), winter camping, bird watching, moss and lichen watching, fishing, and hunting. He occasionally shares his thoughts about the natural world in this newsletter and on Substack.

Jeff Kopaska

Jeff Kopaska was selected to serve as the Executive Director of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) in 2024. Prior to that, he served as the Fisheries Biometrician for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Jeff holds a B.A. from Dordt University, an M.S. from Iowa State University, and is a Certified Public Manager.

A long-standing and active AFS member, Jeff has held leadership roles across the organization, including President of the North Central Division and the Iowa Chapter, President of the Data and Technology Section, and President Elect of the Fisheries Management Section. He has served on numerous committees—often as chair—and on both the AFS Governing Board and Management Committee.

Jeff is active in his local community, having served on the Story County Conservation Board, the leadership council at his church, and the Ames Girls Softball Association board. He has also volunteered with Ames High athletics and coached youth sports through AGSA, Iowa Heart Volleyball, and Ames Middle School.

Byway Buzz

Summer Along the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway

by Jeanie Hau, Byway Coordinator

Summer along the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway includes wildlife, prairie, and community.

2 Minute Read

2025 LHA Middle Third Tour Goes Through Iowa

by Jeanie Hau, Byway Coordinator

Hot off the highway from the Lincoln Highway Association Annual Conference in Ogallala, Nebraska, June comes to an end.

2 Minute Read

Conservation Connection

Pollinator of the Month:

Blue Mud Wasp (Chalybion californium)

by Katelyn Rinicker, Pollinator Conservation Specialist

You will fall in love with the beautiful blue coloring of this month’s pollinator, I know I did! The Blue Mud Wasp is native to all of the contiguous U.S. and is most prevalent in Michigan and the Great Lakes Region. It is a shiny blue/black with a thread-like ‘waist’. They are only 10 to 23 millimeters or ⅜ to 1 inch long. They are a solitary wasp, meaning that they don’t live in a hive or with a colony. They live on their own in nests that are abandoned by other insects. The Blue Mud Wasp then uses water to soften the walls of the nest so that they can reshape as they so please.

The adults feed on nectar and pollen and prefer flowers with wide umbels, like Golden Alexanders. These wasps catch spiders by stinging them and then feed the spiders to their young. Don’t worry, though; these little guys are rarely aggressive and don’t want to hurt you. They just want to kill your spiders and pollinate your flowers. So look for these little guys this summer!

Thirsty Wings: How to Add a Pollinator Oasis to Your Garden

by Katelyn Rinicker,

Pollinator Conservation Specialist

Pollinators and wildlife get thirsty too! Find out how to help them during these hot, dry months.

3 Minute Read

A Good Day For Volunteerism,

A Bad Day For Water Quality

by Dan Haug, Water Quality Specialist

On May 20, volunteers tested water quality at 162 sites in central Iowa! We backed that up with lab testing and measured the highest nitrate levels that have been seen in South Skunk River for a decade.

3 Minute Read

Story County Water Quality Updates

by Dan Haug, Water Quality Specialist

E. coli and nitrate were high almost everywhere when we tested in June, but patchy rain meant that some creeks were chocolate brown and others were crystal clear.

View the Latest Data

Can Things That Don't Matter

Make a Difference?

Guest Post by Jim Colbert, Board Member

The “Skunk River Navy” removed 80 tons of trash from rivers in central Iowa from 1998-2017. Trash isn’t the main problem affecting streams, so these kinds of efforts may not “matter” in the big picture but they can inspire us to work together to make a difference.

5 Minute Read

Watersheds and Wildlife Events

Iowa Project AWARE

July 13-15 at East Park in Mason City

July 16-18 at Tosanak Recreation Area

This year, paddle the Winnebago River and Shell Rock River as part of Iowa's largest volunteer river cleanup event.

Registration and details here

You do not have to participate in the cleanup to attend the educational programs. Bring a lawn chair and don't miss Dan Haug's talk about impaired waters ("Paddling While Impaired") at 7:30pm on July 14, at East Park in Mason City.

Byway Events

Iowa Valley & Lincoln Highway Events

July 4^th Celebrations: Everywhere!!

Lincoln Highway Nitty Gritty: Friday, July 4^th, 7 am-4 pm Music and Vintage Items fill the streets of Mount Vernon.

Toledo Stoplight Festival

Friday, July 11, 5 pm Music, food vendors, community.

Meskwaki Nation Day

Sunday, July 13, This day commemorates the Meskwaki Nation’s purchase of land, establishing their settlement.

Crossroads Festival

Friday-Sunday, July 11-13, Colo 5:30 Friday at Hickory Grove Park; Sunday at City Park.

County Fairs:

Carroll: July 8-14^th, Greene: July 8-14^th, Cedar: July 9-13^th , Central Iowa (Marshall): July 9-12^th , Tama: July 14-20^th , Clinton: July 16-20^th, Crawford: July 16-20^th, Iowa County Fair:July 16-20^th, Marengo, Story 4-H: July 16-20^th, Pottawattamie: July 16-21^st, Boone: July 17-20^th, Harrison: July 23-27^th