Carmen A. 

Category III (Grades 6-8) 

1st Place Winner

Iowa Kids “Take It Outside” with IDNR Art Contest

To view all of the winning posters visit the IDNR Education Competitions:

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/ForTeachers/EducationCompetitions.aspx

Over 1800 Iowa students, ranging from Kindergarten to grade 12, participated in this year’s Iowa Department of Natural Resources “Take It Outside” Art Contest. Entries showcased children enjoying their favorite natural places in Iowa – from prairies and forests to lakes and streams.

This year art contest participants were asked to portray their favorite natural place to “take it outside”. They were asked to show what makes the place special to them. From hiking, fishing, hunting, reading under a tree to bird watching, lying in the grass, and climbing trees – this year’s participants showed us the wonderful ways they like to enjoy Iowa’s natural resources!

Iowa is abundant with wonderful natural resources and natural areas are found throughout the state. Natural places can be public, such as state parks and recreations areas, or private, such as farms and backyards. Regardless of size or location, natural places connect us to the outdoors and enrich our lives.

Schools were asked to submit posters in the following categories: Kindergarten-Grade 2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12. All categories were for original hand-drawn artwork. Winners were selected based on portrayal of theme, creative expression, originality, visual appeal, and artistic merit. 

Individual winners (by category):

Category I: Grades K-2

1^st Place – Emma F., Homeschool

1^st Place – Ethan H., Homeschool

Best Use of Color – Krystal W., Benton Community Schools

Category II: Grades 3-5

1^st Place – Nathan P., Mid-Prairie HSAP

Best Use of Theme – Rebecca U., Pleasant Valley Schools

Most Creative – Molly S., South Tama Schools

Best Use of Color – Amelia J., Des Moines Catholic Diocese

Category III: Grades 6-8

1^st Place – Carmen A., Benton Community Schools

Most Creative – Tyler P., Ames Schools

Best Use of Color – Emily P., Southeast Polk Community Schools

Category IV: Grades 9-12

1^st Place – Gabby R., West Marshall Schools

Best Use of Theme – Tessa M., North Polk Schools

Individual artists who placed first in each category received a prize package of exploration and/or outdoor recreation supplies. Every participant received a certificate from the IDNR. Winning entries will be displayed during the Iowa State Fair at the DNR building.

Grant for natural resources-based recreation experience

Each school that submitted art contest entries was entered in a drawing to receive a grant (total of 4 grants awarded) for a fishing field experience at a local outdoor recreation area.

Thank you again for all of the entries!    We enjoyed the opportunity to view all of the wonderful artwork and creativity of the students!

MEDIA CONTACT: Shannon Hafner, DNR, at (641) 747-2200 or shannon.hafner@dnr.iowa.gov

Iowa Fish

What is a fish? Fish are animals that live their lives in water. Fish are cold-blooded, which does not mean that their blood is cold but rather that their body temperature changes with the temperature of the water around them. Fish are also vertebrates - they have a backbone and an internal skeleton made of cartilage or bone. 

Since fish are animals they must breathe oxygen just like other animals - but how do they breathe oxygen under water? With their gills! Gills make it possible for fish to breathe oxygen under water by absorbing the dissolved oxygen in water.

Fish also have fins and scales. Fins are how fish move around in the water. Different fish have different fin shapes and sizes. Scales cover fish and protect them. Most fish have scales but some, like catfish, are covered with tough skin.

There are 148 species of fish in Iowa.

Creature Feature – American Brook Lamprey (Lampetra appendix)

American brook lamprey are listed as THREATENED in Iowa.

American brook lamprey are long, cylindrical fish averaging 5 to 8 inches long. They have a long dorsal (upper) fin which is divided into two parts and extends around the tail. They do not have fins on the sides of their bodies. Adult american brook lamprey’s bodies are olive green to brown fading to lighter below. Immature American brook lamprey are smaller and have lighter colored bodies.

American brook lamprey are non-parasitic (until like many lampreys that use their mouths to attach to hosts and live off of their blood).

American brook lamprey live most of their life in their immature form, called ammocoetes. Ammocoetes live in burrows in the sand and silt in small streams in northeast Iowa. They eat small plants, animals, and bits of organic matter. Ammocoetes mature into adults after 3 to 7 years at which time they will no longer have a functioning digestive system and do not eat. Adult American brook lamprey spawn and die shortly after reaching maturity.  

During spawning the male and female construct a small nest by picking up small pebbles with their mouths and moving them to form a rim around a small depression on the stream bottom. The female then deposits the sticky eggs in the nest and they adhere to the sand and gravel.

American brook lamprey are listed as threatened in Iowa. Their numbers are low due to loss of spawning habitat due to siltation, and channelization.

Conservation Messaging

Use Aquatic WILD’s “Conservation Messaging” to create a public service announcement informing the public about actions they can take to conserve the American brook lamprey. Students should research threats to the American brook lamprey, explain what can be done to conserve and restore aquatic habitats, and use their research to create their PSA.

Extension

Focus on other species. What other threatened or endangered Iowa wildlife species can you create PSA for as a class?

Book List

Amdahl, P. 2000. The Barefoot Fisherman: A Fishing Book for Kids. Clearwater Publishing.

Burger, C. 1960. All About Fish. Random House.

Parker, S. 2005. Fish. DK Publishing, Inc.

Schaefer, L.M. 2001. What Is a Fish?. Coughlan Publishing.

Links

IDNR: Fishes of Iowa

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/IowaFishSpecies.aspx

American brook lamprey

http://hatch.cehd.umn.edu/research/fish/fishes/American_brook_lamprey.html

Wikipedia: Lampetra appendix

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_brook_lamprey

For factsheets, activity sheets and MORE visit:

IDNR: Education – Classroom Resources (go to the Document Library at the bottom of the page for fact sheets and activity sheets!)

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/ForTeachers/ClassroomResources.aspx

Iowa Invertebrates

More than 97% of the animal species on Earth are invertebrates. Invertebrates are small animals that do not have backbones. There are many types of invertebrates, from fluid-filled jellyfish, and squishy earthworms to hard shelled insects like beetles, and eight-legged arachnids. This fascinating and diverse group of animals spans the globe – invertebrates live on every continent and in every body of water!

BrainPOP: Invertebrates

http://www.brainpop.com/science/livingsystems/invertebrates/

Science for Kids: Invertebrates Poem

http://www.science-for-kids.net/invertebrates.html

Creature Feature – Prairie Crayfish (Procambarus gracilis)

Crayfish are usually associated with aquatic habitats such as ponds and creeks. The prairie crayfish is one crayfish species that breaks that mold! Prairie crayfish, as their name implies, live in prairies and other grassland. However, since so little prairie remains in Iowa, they are frequently found in ditches or poorly drained pasture land. They dig deep burrows, over 6 feet deep, and leave a distinguishing “chimney” of mud around the entrance. Their burrows are usually below the water table and water-filled.

Prairie crayfish are bright red to reddish-brown with a high-domed shell. Their pincers are large with many bumps. Adults may be up almost 3 inches long. Their gills are able to obtain oxygen from the air for extended periods of time as long as conditions are moist. Prairie crayfish live for 3 or 4 years.

Prairie crayfish are secretive and nocturnal, coming out of their burrows only at night or during heavy rains. They can often be seen crossing roadways or walking in flooded roadside ditches during the spring and summer months. Prairie crayfish feed on plants, insects, and pretty much anything they can find, dead or alive.

Mating occurs during the spring and after the female lays her eggs she carries them under her abdomen. She will carry them through hatching and until they grow large enough to care for themselves at which time she will leave them in a suitable habitat.

Missouri Department of Conservation: Prairie Crayfish

http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2011/08/plants-animals

Vanishing Prairies

Iowa was once covered by vast acres of rolling prairies. It is estimated that less than 0.1% of Iowa’s original prairie remains. Although some species, such as the prairie crayfish, have adapted and continue to thrive without vast prairie land, other species have not been so lucky. Research other native prairie wildlife species. What are some features of wildlife species that have adapted well to prairie destruction? What are some features of species that have not?

For factsheets, activity sheets and MORE visit:

IDNR: Education – Classroom Resources (go to the Document Library at the bottom of the page for fact sheets and activity sheets!)

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/ForTeachers/ClassroomResources.aspx

Iowa Reptiles and Amphibians

There are a wide variety and number of amphibians and reptiles that make Iowa their home. People are often surprised to learn of the variety of amphibians and reptiles we have in Iowa. Many of these animals are secretive and come out only at night and may not be easily observable. “Herps” is the names given to the large group of amphibians and reptiles and the study of them is called herpetology.

Herps are cold-blooded, which does not mean that their blood is actually cold. Cold-blooded animals are animals that do not generate their own body heat but rather rely on the ambient temperature surrounding them (air, water, soil, etc) to regulate their body temperature. This is why you see snakes and turtles basking in the sun or hiding in the shade – they are regulating their temperature.

Unlike amphibians, reptiles are not tied to water to lay their eggs and for their young to develop. Reptile eggs have tough leathery skins that do not dry out and their young are developmentally identical to adults and do not go through metamorphosis. Below we take a closer look at one of Iowa’s rarest reptiles – the Blanding’s turtle!

Creature Feature – Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)

Blanding’s turtles are listed as THREATENED in Iowa and ENDANGERED over much of their range elsewhere. Their population is declining as their habitat is being destroyed. It is illegal to kill, collect, or possess them. Any sightings in Iowa should be reported to the IDNR and/or the Iowa HerpNet at REPTILIA74@aol.com.

Blanding’s turtles are named after Dr. William Blanding, the American naturalist who discovered the species in 1838. The Blanding’s turtle ranges in size from 5 to 10 ¼ inches long. The carapace (upper shell) has a high dome and looks like a helmet. It is black or dark gray with yellow dots or markings. The plastron (lower shell) is yellow with a large black blotch on the edge of each scute. Blanding’s turtles have hinged plastrons which allow them to pull their head and limbs inside their shell and completely close the front of their shell.  Male Blanding’s turtles are larger than females. In addition, females have striping on the upper jaw while the male’s upper jaw is plain black giving the appearance of a moustache.

Blanding’s turtles live in marshes, ponds, or wetlands. They prefer water that is less than four inches deep with emergent vegetation and a mud bottom. They are primarily aquatic turtles but they are often found on land not far from water. They hibernate in the mud at the bottom of the water body where they live. They emerge from hibernation in April and return to the bottom of the marsh to hibernate in October.

Blanding’s turtles feed on a variety of plants and animals with crayfish being their favorite. They also eat earthworms, slugs, snails, fish, aquatic insect larva, frogs, tadpoles, plant material and berries.

Breeding occurs April through May. The female will lay 6-15 eggs in a nest she digs in the soil. The young hatch in about 60 days. Upon hatching they make their way to the marsh. Hatchlings are not as vividly marked as adults and their carapace is not as domed. As with most turtles, the young are not cared for by the adults. Blanding’s turtles may live up to 80 years and do not reach maturity until 14-20 years of age.

Iowa HerpNet: Blanding’s Turtle

http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=40

Threatened and Endangered Species in Iowa

Use Project WILD’s “Back from the Brink” to explore the issue of endangered and threatened species. Students are given background information on the recovery of wildlife species and are then asked to analyze the issue and make recommendations for the resolution. Make the Iowa connection and have students choose an Iowa species to research. Guide students as they choose a species, develop a recovery plan, and present their findings to the class. Something to think about: How could the local community and citizens be involved and help resolve any conflicts of interest?

IDNR: Iowa’s Threatened and Endangered Species Program

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/ThreatenedEndangered.aspx

U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species: Iowa

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/Lists/iowa_spp.html

Book List

Bang. M. 1997. Common Ground: The Earth We Share. Blue Sky Press.

Burns, D. and L. Garrow. Frogs, Toads, and Turtles (Take-Along Guide). NorthWord Books for Young Readers.

Crump, D.J. 1987. Wildlife: Making a Comeback. National Geographic Society.

Dinsmore, J.J. 1994. A Country So Full of Game: The Story of Wildlife in Iowa. University of Iowa Press.

Dinsmore, S. 1995. Iowa Wildlife Viewing Guide. Falcon.

Gibbons, W., J. Green, and C. Hagen. 2009. Turtles: The Animal Answer Guide. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Goodnough, D. 2001. Endangered Animals of North America. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.

McClung, R.M. 1993. Lost Wild America: The Story of Our Extinct and Vanishing Wildlife. Shoe String Press, Incorporated.

Prelutsky, J. 1997. The Beauty of the Beast: Poems from the Animal Kingdom. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Pringle, L.P. 1990. Saving Our Wildlife. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.

Reading, R.P. 2000. Endangered Animals: A Reference Guide to Conflicting Issues. Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated.

For factsheets, activity sheets and MORE visit:

IDNR: Education – Classroom Resources (go to the Document Library at the bottom of the page for fact sheets and activity sheets!)

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/ForTeachers/ClassroomResources.aspx

Iowa Birds

Iowa is home to an impressive number of bird species - from seasonal migrants to species that make Iowa their home year round. Bird watching is a wonderful hobby enjoyed by many Iowans young and old! Birds are interesting and abundant making them wonderful wildlife to observe and study with children.

Creature Feature – Yellow-Headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)

Yellow-headed blackbirds are medium-sized birds with stout bodies, large heads, and long, conical bills. The males of the species have striking yellow heads and chests with black bodies and white patches on the bend of their wings. Females are brown instead of black and have duller yellow heads.

Yellow-headed blackbirds are neotropical migrants. Neotropical migrants are birds that spend their summers in a breeding range in North America and migrate to Central or South America for the winter (see below for more information on neotropical migrants).

Yellow-headed blackbirds live in natural lakes and marsh habitats.  They rest in reeds and cattails over the water. Their song is a drawn out “krick” or “kack” that is often said to sound like a rusty old gate.

Yellow-headed blackbirds eat insects, grain, and seeds. They form large flocks in the winter and flock to farm fields eating left-over grain.

Male and female yellow-headed blackbirds migrate separately with the males arriving in Iowa for the breeding season as early as April. The males stake out breeding territories in wetlands as they wait for the arrival of the females in early May. Males defend a territory and will have as many as eight females nesting within his territory. He may help feed the young of the first nest for a short time but otherwise the females care for the young on their own.

Nesting occurs in May and June. Nests are built by the female. She weaves long strands of vegetation around the upright stems of cattails. Nests are built over the water. Females lay 2-5 grayish to greenish white eggs with brown or rofous splotches. She will incubate the eggs for approximately 12-13 days. The young are born altricial, or helpless, and are cared for by the female. They fledge, or leave the nest, at about 2 weeks of age.

Yellow-headed blackbirds begin their fall migration south as early as July. They are often in large flocks with their smaller cousins, red-winged blackbirds.

All About Birds: Yellow-headed Blackbirds

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/yellow-headed_blackbird/id

Neotropical Migrants

There are 386 bird species on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act bird list. Many of the birds on this list are also listed as threatened or endangered. Neotropical migrants are particularly vulnerable to habitat destruction as they face a lack of habitat in their summer breeding grounds, their winter non-breeding grounds, as well as long their migration routes.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Bird List

http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NMBCA/Birdlist.shtm

North America Migration Flyways

http://birding.about.com/od/birdingbasics/ss/North-America-Migration-Flyways.htm

How Birds Migrate

http://birding.about.com/od/birdbehavior/a/How-Birds-Migrate.htm

How You Can Get Involved!

While we cannot directly influence the loss of habitat for neotropical migrants in their tropical winter habitat we can do our part here in Iowa! As a class “adopt” your schoolyard and make it a Schoolyard Habitat. Schoolyard habitats benefit wildlife AND children as they plan, build and LEARN. Learn more about planning a schoolyard habitat project:

National Wildlife Federation Schoolyard Habitats

http://www.nwf.org/How-to-Help/Garden-for-Wildlife/Schoolyard-Habitats.aspx

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Schoolyard Habitat – Stewardship through action

http://www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/schoolyd.htm

Book List

Arnosky, J. 1993. Crinkleroot's 25 Birds Every Child Should Know. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Arnosky, J. 1992. Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Birds. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Bailey, D. 1992. Birds: How to Watch and Understand the Fascinating World of Birds. DK Publishing, Inc.

Boring, M. 1998. Bird, Nests, and Eggs. T&N Children's Publishing.

Burnie, D. 2004. Bird. DK Publishing, Inc.

Chu, Miyoko. 2007. Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds. Walker & Company.

Davies, J. 2004. The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon. Houghton Mifflin Company.

DeGraaf, R.M. 1995. Neotropical Migratory Birds: Natural History, Distribution, and Population Change. Cornell University Press.

Faaborg, J.R. 2002. Saving Migrant Birds: Developing Strategies for the Future. University of Texas Press.

Fitcher, G.S. 1982. Birds of North America. Random House, Incorporated.

Gans, R, Mirocha, P. 1996. How Do Birds Find Their Way? HarperTrophy.

Hume, R. 1993. Birdwatching. Random House, Incorporated.

Johnson, A. 2005. Iowa Birds. Lone Pine Publishing.

Kavanagh, J. 2001. Iowa Birds. Waterford Press Ltd.

Knight, T. 2003. Marvelous Migrators. Heinemann.

Kress, S.W. 2001. Bird Life. Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press.

Peterson, R. T. and L. A. Peterson. 2010. Peterson Field Guide to the Birds of North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Robbins, C.S. 2001. Birds of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press.

Rylant, C. 2006. The Journey: Stories of Migration. Blue Sky Press.

Sibley, D. A. 2000. National Aububon Society: The Sibley Guide to Birds. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

Stokes, D. and L. Stokes. 2010. The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America. Little, Brown & Company.

Tekiela, S. 2001. Birds of Iowa: Field Guide. Adventure Publications.

Weidensaul, S. and T. Taylor. 1998. Birds (Audubon Society First Field Guide Series). Scholastic, Inc.

For factsheets, activity sheets and MORE visit:

IDNR: Education – Classroom Resources (go to the Document Library at the bottom of the page for fact sheets and activity sheets!)

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/ForTeachers/ClassroomResources.aspx

Iowa Mammals

Mammals are warm-blooded, have a back-bone, are hairy, and have mammary glands that produce milk to feed their young. Mammals live on all continents and in all oceans.  Iowa has 40 species of mammals that are considered common in the state. Iowa’s mammals live in woodlands, prairies, waterways, farm fields, and towns. They are adapted to a wide variety of habitats.

Iowa Wildlife Series – Iowa Mammals

https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/ian601-pdf

Creature Feature – Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)

The big brown bat is the most widely distributed bat in Iowa. Big brown bats live in a variety of places including urban and rural areas in attics, barns, caves, mines, bridges, and trees. They hibernate during the cold winter months.

Big brown bats average 3 ¾ - 5 inches in length including their tail. They have a brown body and brown-black wings and ears. They have a broad, round tragus (membranous projection) in their ear.

Big brown bats, like all Iowa bat species, are insect eaters. They are often seen in yards as they forage for food. Bats are very beneficial - a single a bat can eat as many as 3,000 mosquitoes in a single night! Big brown bats prefer moths and beetles although they do eat their fair share of mosquitoes too! Bats are nocturnal and emerge from their roosts each night at dusk to eat.

Like most bats, big brown bats use echolocation to navigate in the dark and to locate food. Bats produce high-frequency sound waves using their nose or mouth.  When the sound hits an object an echo bounces back to the bat's large funnel-shaped ears.   The bat can instantly identify an object by the sound of the echo. Bats can even tell the size, shape and texture of even a tiny insect from the echo.  Although bats rely on echolocation they are not blind as is commonly believed.

All bats are members of the order Chiroptera - which is the second largest mammalian order in the world.  Bats are long-lived animals despite their small size. Big brown bats can live up to 20 years although their average life span is in the wild is shorter than that.

Links

IDNR: Education – Classroom Resources (go to the Document Library at the bottom of the page for fact sheets and activity sheets!)

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/ForTeachers/ClassroomResources.aspx

Birds of Iowa: Bats of Iowa – Big Brown Bat

http://www.birdsofiowa.com/bats/eptesicus%20fuscus.htm

IDNR: White-Nose Bat Syndrome

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/IowasWildlife/WhiteNoseBatSyndrome.aspx

Bat Conservation International

http://www.batcon.org/

Book List

Ackerman, D., and M. D. Tuttle. 1997. Bats: Shadows in the Night. Random House Children’s Books.

Altenbach, J. S., T. L. Best, and M. J. Harvey. 2011. Bats of the United States and Canada. John Hopkins University Press.

Bash, B. 2004. Shadows of the Night: The Hidden World of the Little Brown Bat. Sierra Club Books for Children.

Carney, E. 2010. National Geographic Readers: Bats. National Geographic Children’s Books.

Carson, M. K., and T. Uhlman. 2010. The Bat Scientists. HMH Books for Young Readers.

Haffner, M., and H. B. Stutz. 1998.  Bats!: Amazing and Mysterious Creatures of the Night. Cengage Gale.

Jennings, J. F. G., and L. A. Hoehn. 1996. Bats: A Creativity Book for Young Conservationists. Bat Conservation International.

Tuttle, M. D. 2005. America’s Neighborhood Bats: Understanding and Learning to Live in Harmony with Them. University of Texas Press.

Tuttle, M. D., M. Kiser, and S. Kiser. 2005. The Bat House Builder’s Handbook. Bat Conservation International.

Get wild with National Wildlife Week March 17-23!!

Celebrate this wild week with us by learning about Iowa’s wildlife! Each day our blogs will feature information about different Iowa wildlife species.  Check every day to get Iowa species facts, classroom activities, books lists and MORE!

Wildlife Week Blog Schedule

Day 1 (March 17) - Mammals
Day 2 (March 18) - Birds
Day 3 (March 19) - Herps
Day 4 (March 20) - Invertebrates

Day 5 (March 21) - Fish

IDNR Education Blogs

Exploring Iowa’s Natural Resources blog

http://iowaprojectswildplt.blogspot.com/

Outdoor Explorations for Early Learners blog

http://outdoorexplorationsforearlylearners.blogspot.com/

Take it Outside: Fish Iowa!

http://takeitoutsidefishiowa.blogspot.com/

IDNR: Education – Classroom Resources

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/ForTeachers/ClassroomResources.aspx