|
The
recent study by the Mexican government released
on Feb. 9 found the monarch butterfly population wintering in Mexico dropped by
27 percent this year, returning its population to historically low levels.
Roughly
40 percent of all butterflies that overwinter in Mexico are estimated to come
from the Midwest, and Iowa is at the center. Work to reverse this trend
by improving monarch reproduction and survival has been underway in
Iowa for the past few years. This effort became more formalized with the
creation of the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium in 2015.
“We
didn’t get to this point overnight and we are not going to solve it overnight.
We have a really strong group across many different backgrounds working
together to improve the outlook for the monarch in Iowa and beyond,” said Chuck
Gipp, director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
In
Iowa, experts from Iowa State University, the Iowa Department of Agriculture
and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources have been
looking at ways to help the local monarch population and to improve and expand
the refueling areas for monarchs migrating through. Researchers in Iowa
as well as nationally have identified the need to add significantly more
habitat in the Upper Midwest for the monarch population to recover.
“The consortium and the strategy being released lay out a road
map for how this can happen in Iowa," Gipp
said.
Those
opportunities include using the resources in the federal Farm Bill to establish
monarch breeding habitat to increase the number of milkweeds and
nectar-producing plants; working with landowners who want to voluntarily add
monarch habitat on their farm as a demonstration project; using
monarch-friendly weed management recommendations for odd areas, roadsides and
other rights-of-way that offer opportunities for miles of monarch habitat; and
establishing a monarch waystation – a garden with both nectar plants and
milkweeds where monarchs can find nectar and reproduce.
The
Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium was created to enhance monarch
reproduction and survival in Iowa through collaborative and coordinated efforts
of farmers, private citizens and their organizations.
The
consortium was established through the efforts of Iowa State University’s
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Iowa Department of Agriculture
and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. It is
supported by agricultural organizations, conservation organizations, energy
industry, universities and state and federal agencies and is partners with
national conservation groups like Monarch Watch, Pheasants Forever and Sand
County Foundation.
The
group has created a framework strategy to help increase the number of monarch
butterflies at www.iowamonarchs.info.
Members
of the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium
•
Iowa State
University
•
Iowa Department of
Agriculture and Land Stewardship
•
Iowa Department of
Natural Resources
•
Alliant Energy
•
Bayer CropScience
•
Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines
•
DuPont Pioneer
•
Iowa Cattlemen’s Association
•
Iowa Corn Growers Association
•
Iowa County Conservation System
•
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
•
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
•
Iowa Nature Conservancy
•
Iowa Pork Producers Association
•
Iowa Soybean Association
•
Iowa Turkey Federation
•
ITC Midwest
•
Monsanto
•
North Central and Southeast Iowa Research
Association
•
Northwest,
Northeast and Western Iowa Experimental Association
•
Muscatine
Island Research Farm Association, Fruitland, Iowa
•
Practical
Farmers of Iowa
•
Soil
and Water Conservation Society
•
USDA
Agricultural Research Service, Corn Insects and Crop Genetic Research Unit
•
Wallace
Foundation for Rural Research and Development, Lewis, Iowa
•
Luther
College, Decorah
•
Central
College, Pella
•
University
of Northern Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Center, Cedar Falls
Monarch Conservation Consortium National
Partners
•
USDA Farm Service
Agency and NRCS
•
US Fish and
Wildlife Service
•
Monarch Watch
•
Pheasants
Forever
•
Sand County
Foundation
•
Environmental
Defense Fund
Media Contact: Karen Kinkead, PhD, Wildlife Diversity Program
Coordinator, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-432-2823 ext 115 or
712-330-8461; or Stephanie Shepherd, Wildlife Diversity Biologist, Iowa
Department of Natural Resources, 515-432-2823 ext 102.
Deer hunters
reported harvesting 101,397 deer during the 2016 Iowa deer hunting season,
which is about 3,000 fewer than were reported in 2015, but nearly identical to
the 2014 harvest.
"This harvest is consistent with our management goals and is
indicative of a stable deer population in Iowa," said Tyler Harms,
wildlife researcher with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Hunters
participating in the early deer seasons battled unseasonably warm weather, a
significant factor that likely contributed to the lower overall harvest. Hunters
in the early muzzleloader season reported 600 fewer deer and youth hunters reported 400 fewer deer than the 2015 season.
The Iowa DNR
has a goal to manage for a deer population that can provide a harvest of
between 100,000 and 120,000 deer each year, based on the recommendations agreed
upon by the state deer task force.
In 2005, the
DNR working in collective agreement with the Legislature and stakeholders to
develop a plan to reduce the deer herd to the levels found in the middle 1990s.
This state deer task force continues to meet annually prior to any deer season
or license quota recommendations are proposed.
"We will continue to monitor Iowa's deer population and may adjust
management efforts locally in response to varying conditions in different areas
of the state,” Harms said.
Media Contact: Tyler Harms,
Wildlife Research Biometrician, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-432-2823
ext 112.
Hunter
Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified
volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation
Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held
over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must
attend all sessions and pass the final exam.
Iowa
law requires that anyone born after January 1, 1972 must be certified in hunter
education before they are eligible to purchase an Iowa hunting license.
Upcoming
Hunter Education Classes
March 2, Indianola, Izaak Walton League
March 4, Chariton, Pin Oak Lodge
March 7, Ottumwa, Izaak Walton League
March 7, Toddville, Wickiup Hill Learning Center
March 7, Winterset, Pammel Park Nature Center
March 7, Birmingham, Southeastern Iowa Sportsman’s
Society
March 9, Muscatine, Monsanto Recreation Building
March 10, Des Moines, Izaak Walton League
March 11, Oxford, Kent Park Environmental
Education Center
March 11, Waterloo, Hawkeye Community College
March 11, Mount Pleasant, Henry County Nature
Center
March 11, Montrose, Lee County Conservation Board
March 13, Cresco, Prairie’s Edge Nature Center
March 13, Anthon, Anthon Shelter House
March 14, Clarion, Lake Cornelia Shelter House
March 16, Corning, Corning Gun Club
March 16, Knoxville, Marion County Sportsman Club
March 18, Ventura, Iowa Regular Baptist Camp
March 18, Maquoketa, Hurstville Interpretive
Center
March 18, Sioux City, Scheels
March 20, Burlington, Starr’s Cave Nature Center
March 20, Grimes, Grimes Community Complex
March 20, Clarinda, American Legion
March 21, Dubuque, EB Lyons Interpretive Center –
Mines of Spain
March 23, Central City, North Linn Fish & Game
Club (full class, waiting list available)
March 23, West Des Moines, Raccoon Park Nature
Center
March 23, Iowa City, Fin and Feather
March 25, Elgin, Fayette County Conservation
Board, Gilbertson Nature Center
March 25, Fairfield, Southeast Iowa Skeet Club
March 25, Vinton, Izaak Walton League
March 25, Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon Fire
Department
March 25, Victor, Knights of Columbus
March 27, Oxford Junction, Oxford Junction Fire
Station
March 28, Dyersville, Dyersville Fire Department
March 30, Ionia, Twin Ponds Nature Center
March 30, Tipton, Cedar County Conservation Board
Office
April 1, Red Oak, Wolfe Nature Center
April 1, Solon, Solon Middle School
April 1, Decorah, Northeast Fox and Coon Club
April 1, Sergeant Bluff, Sergeant Bluff Fire
Station
April 3, Peosta, North Iowa Community College
April 18, Ames, Izaak Walton League
April 18, DeWitt, Wapsi Valley Ikes
For
more information on these and other hunter education opportunities, go to www.iowadnr.gov/huntered
The Iowa Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) State Parks Bureau is looking for job applicants for summer
recreational aide openings in several parks around the state.
Jobs duties will include assisting
park staff in patrolling the park, helping visitors, monitoring reservations,
registering campers and doing seasonal park maintenance such as mowing,
trimming, trail work and facility repair and cleaning.
The State Parks Bureau is also
looking for someone to provide customer service to campers using the online
reservation system and support to field staff. This position will be located in
the DNR’s Des Moines office.
Recreational aide applications need
to be made through the individual parks. For a list of parks with openings and
their contact information, and contact information for the Des Moines position,
visit www.iowadnr.gov/Employment
|
