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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2018
Several Iowa state parks are hosting spring clean-up events to get
ready for the summer season this April and May. Events will be tailored to each
park’s needs and could include activities such as litter and branch pick-up,
painting, trail work, and clipping back limbs and plants.
“We greatly appreciate the time and energy our volunteers provide
to help take care of Iowa’s parks.” said Todd Coffelt, State Parks bureau
chief. “Even if you haven’t visited one of these parks, we invite you to come
out for an event and spend time outdoors lending a hand.”
Here’s a list of some of the state park volunteer events for April
and May:
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Walnut
Woods State Park, Polk County – April 7, 9:00 a.m. to noon. Help pick up
branches and limbs to get ready for the mowing season. Volunteers should dress
for the weather and wear sturdy boots/shoes. Meet
at the bird blind parking area just behind park office. Participants
may help during all or any portion of the time frame. Contact Tim Gedler at
515-285-4502.
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Lake
Anita State Park, Cass County – April 20, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Join a
DNR naturalist on an earth hike to pick up litter. Participants can also make
plant pots from recycled newspaper to plant milkweed seeds and take home. Meet
in the campground near the popcorn stand. Contact Anne Riordan at (641)
747-8383.
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Springbrook
State Park, Guthrie County – April 21, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Help remove
weeds and a newly established pollinator plot. Activities that day will also
celebrate Earth Day week, including art projects and family activities. Meet at
the campground gazebo. Contact Anne Riordan at (641) 747-8383.
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Bellevue
State Park, Jackson County – April 21, 9:00 a.m. Help paint picnic tables and fire
rings, remove vegetation on trails, and more. Dress appropriately for outdoor
work. Volunteers can bring their own tools such as rakes, clippers and paint
brushes; tools will also be provided by park staff. Meet at the Dyas
Unit shower building. Contact Andy Roach at (319) 201-9235.
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Elk
Rock State Park, Jasper County – April 21, 8:00 a.m. Join the Friends of Elk Rock State Park for a trail
clean up and park work day. Dress for the weather and bring work gloves. Meet
at the equestrian campground. Contact Chad Rowson at (641) 842-6008.
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Walnut
Woods State Park, Polk County – April 22, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Participate
in a hike to pick up trash and work in a pollinator plot at Purple Martin Lake.
Family activities will include art projects and making pots from recycled
newspaper to plant milkweed seeds and take home. Meet in the campground.
Contact Anne Riordan at (641) 747-8383.
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Brushy Creek State Recreation Area, Webster County – April 28, 9:30 a.m. Pick up sticks and
garbage in the campgrounds, picnic areas, fishing areas and on trails. Bring
gloves and water, wear long pants and sturdy shoes. Prizes for the greatest
quantity of trash and the most interesting piece of trash. Meet at the park office. Contact Amber O’Neill at (515) 543-8298.
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Palisades-Kepler
State Park, Linn County – May 12, 10:00 a.m. – Join the Friends of
Palisades-Kepler in several activities such as tree clean-up, leaf raking and
trash pick-up along trails. Wear long sleeves and pants, and bring gloves and
extra rakes if possible. Meet at the park lodge. Please register your
attendance by emailing: palsofpalisades@zoho.com.
Contact Jim Hanson at (319) 895-6039.
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Bellevue
State Park, Jackson County – May 19, 10:00 a.m. Beautify and clean up the
Butterfly Garden in the Nelson Unit. Volunteers can bring gloves and any of
their own garden tools and/or seeds to help replant plots at the butterfly
garden. Meeting at the Bellevue State Park Nature Center. Contact Andy Roach at (319) 201-9235.
After a long, cold winter and cool and wet spring so far, Iowa paddlers are
ready to put an end to their “cabin fever”.
The fluctuation in air temperatures have made the warming of water temperatures
a much slower process, and it take several weeks before rivers and lakes are at
the ideal temperature for water recreation.
While late winter and early spring paddling can
provide solitude, exercise and an opportunity to see amazing wildlife, it also
must be done with safety in mind.
“Many paddlers, especially those just starting out,
fail to realize that although temperatures may be above average during some of
the winter, the water is still dangerously cold and you
must be prepared,” said Todd Robertson, certified paddling instructor
at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “The general rule
of thumb is that if the water and air temperature does not equal 120 degrees,
you are at risk for hypothermia and cold water shock.”
Safety Tips for Paddling in Cold Water
Conditions
Always wear a life jackets. Not only does the life jacket
help keep your head above water, it helps to keep your organs warmer.
Dress for the water temperature, not the air
temperature. Plan as if you were to be in the water at some point.
A wet suit or dry suit is a must. Dress in layers so you can peel a layer off
if you get overheated.
Consider attending classes to improve boat control skills
before heading out in cold water.
Stay away from strainers, wood/branch piles that can pull a
paddler under. These are usually found on outside river bends where the current
is going and are deadly hazards that must be avoided.
Don’t paddle alone, especially when cold water is present,
use a buddy system. Go with a small group of paddlers and know which paddler
has the most experience.
Bring along a dry bag with extra clothing to change into
should you get wet. Get out of wet, cold clothing as soon as possible. Having
the right gear and understanding the stages of hypothermia is crucial for
remaining safe.
Have a float plan. Let others know where you
are paddling and when you are expected to return.
Media contact: Todd Robertson, DNR, 515.243.3714, Todd.Robertson@dnr.iowa.gov.
Ordinarily, a slow moving vehicle at
night in the Iowa countryside spotlighting deer, raccoons or coyotes would send
Iowans to their phone, speed-dialing their local conservation officer, but in
this case, it may be the officer doing the shining.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources
annual spring spotlight survey is underway with Wildlife and Law Enforcement
staff conducting nighttime counts of all furbearing animals, and white-tailed
deer.
The survey begins in early spring an
hour after sunset, preferably on a night with a clear sky, low wind and high
humidity. Each county has a preselected route covering 50 miles of varying
habitat. Surveyors will follow the route
driving below 20 miles per hour, shining spotlights from both sides of the
vehicle.
But step one for the survey is to
alert the local county sheriff of the activity, in case they get any suspicious
vehicle calls.
“This is a big effort,” said Tyler
Harms, wildlife researcher with the Iowa DNR who collects the data from all of
the routes. “This survey is the primary way we count deer and a major source of
population data for our skunks, badgers, opossum, red fox, coyotes and other
furbearers.”
The survey routes were designed to
include all types of habitats found on the Iowa landscape in an effort to not
skew the number of animals counted in either way.
“We include river bottoms, prairie
habitat, farm fields, pastures, timber stands and acreages on our routes, so we
can collect information on which habitat types these species prefer most,” said
Harms.
The spring spotlight survey began in
the late 1970s as a raccoon-only survey to determine if there was any impact of
increased harvest on the population during a time of high pelt prices. Over
time, it transitioned to include all furbearers and deer.
“Data collected from this survey are
used as one factor to estimate deer populations and provide valuable
information for making management decisions for our furbearer species,” Harms
said.
Media Contact: Jim Coffey, Wildlife Research Biologist, Iowa
Department of Natural Resource, 515-774-2958.
INDIANOLA
– A family trout fishing event will be held at Banner Lake South at Summerset
Park, north of Indianola, this Saturday, April 7 at 11 a.m. The Iowa Department
of Natural Resources (DNR) will release 1,400 rainbow trout.
Anglers must have a valid
fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout. The daily
limit is five trout per licensed angler with a possession limit of 10. Children
age 15 or younger can fish for trout with a properly licensed adult, but they
must limit their catch to one daily limit. The child can buy a trout fee which
will allow them to catch their own limit of five trout.
The
Warren County Izaak Walton League will provide a free lunch for approximately
the first 100 anglers.
The free
event is sponsored by the Warren County Izaak Walton League and the Iowa DNR.
Media Contact: Ben Dodd, Fisheries Biologist,
Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-432-2823.
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