Students Recognized for Iowa State-Fish Drawings

1st place Grades 4-6

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources partnered with the Wildlife Forever® State-Fish Art® Contest to host an Iowa State-Fish Contest in conjunction with the annual “Take It Outside” Art Contest.

The State-Fish Art Contest uses art to ignite children’s imagination while teaching them about fish and fishing. Entries showcased students’ favorite Iowa fish in its natural habitat. All entries were original hand-drawn artwork. Winners were selected based on portrayal of theme, creative expression, originality, visual appeal, and artistic merit. 

1st place Grades K-3

Individual winners:

Grades K-3

1^st Place – Emma F., Homeschool

2^nd Place – Jonah V., Homeschool

3^rd Place – Carley F., Adair-Casey Community Schools

Grades 4-6

1^st Place – Benjamin S., Homeschool

2^nd Place – Nathan P., Mid-Prairie Home School Assistance Program

1st place Grades 7-9

3^rd Place – Anessa S., Benton Community Schools

Grades 7-9

1^st Place – Helen H., Ames Community Schools

2^nd Place – Gretchen M., North Polk Community Schools

3^rd Place – Carmen A., Benton Community Schools

Grades 10-12

1^st Place – Hunter F., Twin Cedars Community Schools

1st place Grades 10-12

Artists who placed first in their age group are invited, along with their families, to attend the 17^th Annual State-Fish Art Expo held in conjunction with FLW during the Forrest L. Wood Cup bass world championship on August 21-22 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Every participant received a Certificate of Recognition. Winning entries will be displayed during the Iowa State Fair at the DNR building.

Endangered Species Day

Celebrate Endangered Species Day (May 15) by learning more about Iowa endangered and threatened animals and plants. Printable fact sheets are available on the DNR Education website.

Iowa’s wildlife has changed tremendously since Euro-American settlement (160 years ago). Many species have been extirpated. Others’ populations have dwindled to the point they now are listed as endangered. Still others have increased in number and range size. Many once extirpated have been reintroduced and now have stable populations. Wide ranging species (e.g., black bear, wolf, mountain lion, moose) occasionally reappear in Iowa as their populations in nearby states increase.

In Iowa, 47 animals and 64 plants are listed as endangered (populations are low, scientists feel the species could become extinct). Another 89 plants and 35 animals are listed as threatened (populations are declining, may become endangered). A species can be listed as endangered or threatened at the state or federal level, depending on the extent of the area where the population is declining. Federally endangered species found within a state’s borders automatically are placed on the state list. Endangered species lists constantly change.

Many endangered or threatened species are specialists (have very restrictive habitat needs, eat only a few foods, or require specific kinds or sizes of habitat). The leading cause for a species becoming endangered or threatened is habitat loss.

Helpful Resources

LivingOn The Edge: Profiles of Federally Listed Species in Iowa
Iowa'sThreatened and Endangered Species Program
U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service
EndangeredSpecies Coalition

 

Iowa DNR to Release Trumpeter Swans at Four Locations

Trumpeter swans will be released by the Iowa DNR at public events at four southern Iowa parks. Events will be held rain or shine.

May 6:
Lake Icaria Recreation Area, 9:30 a.m., at East boat ramp; four swans to be released
Summit Lake, 1 p.m., boat ramp on south side of Hwy 25; four swans to be released

May 7:
Viking Lake State Park, 10 a.m. at beach; two swans to be released
Lake Anita State Park, 2 p.m.; two swans to be released

The public is invited and encouraged to attend. The event includes a 20-minute swan/wetland presentation, a unique opportunity to touch and view the swans up close, and a historic photo opportunity with the kids. As the largest North American waterfowl, these magnificent all-white birds can weigh up to 32 pounds with an 8-foot wingspan.
 
Trumpeter swans were once common in Iowa, but were gone from the state by the late 1880s. By the early 1930s, only 69 trumpeter swans remained in the lower 48 states. The trumpeter swans being released are part of the DNR’s statewide trumpeter swan restoration effort, with hopes that they will help restore a wild free flying population to Iowa. 

Iowa’s Land Before Time: Prehistoric Life Still Around Today

Take a peek into Iowa's prehistoric past with these "living fossils" that still exist in Iowa today.

Paddlefish
This fish is older than the dinosaurs – for real. Fossil records show paddlefish have been around for more than 300 million years – that’s about 50 million years before the first dinosaurs appeared. Not only has the species been around a long time, but they’re a long-living group too. Iowa paddlefish commonly live for 20 years, with 30 years or more not all that unusual. Paddlefish are a remnant of ancient life, differing from other fishes by its elongated paddlelike snout, long gill covers and shark-like body form.

Chestnut lamprey
One of the creepiest looking “living fossils,” the lamprey dates back about 360 million years. While this native lamprey may seem intimidating, it’ll do no harm to people. It is endangered in Iowa, so if you catch one, release it unharmed immediately. Its mouth acts as a suction cup and it uses its teeth to cut through a fish’s skin and scales. On the Mississippi River, it commonly attaches to paddlefish, common carp and northern pike. It rarely kills its host. It usually grows to about 12 inches long.

Pallid sturgeon
While rare to find in Iowa, the pallid sturgeon hasn’t changed much over the course of 70 million years. It is endangered in Iowa, so if you catch one, release it unharmed immediately. You can tell a pallid sturgeon apart from a lake sturgeon or shovelnose sturgeon by its outer barbels – they’re twice as long as the fish’s inner barbels. Those barbels are U-shaped, with the inner two set out in front. It also has a smooth, not scaled, belly.

Common snapping turtle
As a nod to its tenure, the common snapping turtle’s most distinctive feature is its long tail with raised Stegosaurus-like plates projecting along the midline. The snapping turtle is a large turtle with a big head, a long tail and a nasty disposition. It also has a much reduced diamond-shaped plastron (lower shell) that is connected to the carapace (upper shell) with two narrow bands on the sides. The rear marginal scales of the carapace have points that give the shell a jagged appearance. The only other turtle that can be confused with the common snapping turtle is the alligator snapping turtle, but it is larger and limited to the southeastern tip of Iowa in the Mississippi River. Adults usually have shells eight to 15 inches long and weigh up to 40 pounds. The common snapper is part of the Chelydridae family of turtles, which has fossils dating back to the Cretaceous and Paleocene time periods.

Dragonfly
The next time you watch a dragonfly flutter along the banks of a pond, take note that you’re watching a sight that’s gone on for about 325 million years. While the ancestors of today’s dragonflies were much larger, the family line continues today. Dragonflies serve as indicators of good water quality.

Sandhill crane
Migrating sandhill cranes may show up in Iowa in April, but their ancestors have been here for quite a while. The oldest sandhill crane fossils date back 2.5 million years. In Iowa, you may be able to spot one in a marsh, wet prairie, lake or fen in the northern part of the state in summer. The sandhill crane lives in prairies and fields. It eats small rodents, frogs, insects, worms, snails, young birds and eggs, seeds, grass shoots, grain (especially corn), bulbs, berries, lichen, and aquatic plants. Its call is a low, loud, musical rattle.

Pelican
Another Iowa migrant, the pelican has been around the block a few times – like for 30 million years. While it doesn’t nest in Iowa, you can see large numbers of them migrating through the state. The American white pelican is huge – standing at 62 inches high – and is known for its eating style. This pelican eats crustaceans and fish by scooping them up while paddling on the water.

Snail
No need for a snail to be in a hurry when you’ve been around for 440 million years. Back then, our snails crawled along a sea floor. While the landscape of Iowa has changed drastically in that time, snails keep on, slow and steady. The Pleistocene snail, a rare snail that lives on cool Iowa slopes in leaf litter, is considered to be a relic from the Ice Age.

Plants and fossils
While not animals, ferns and clubmosses have been around for 300 million years or so. And while they may not be living, fossils exist throughout the state. Check out the Fossil and Prairie Center near Rockford or the Devonian Fossil Gorge in Coralville to search for yourself. Lake Red Rock near Knoxville and Pella is also home to an ancient floodplain – explore the iron-stained cliffs to look for fern and tree fossils from an ancient forest.