Becoming Wildlife Scientists

Wildlife scientists study wildlife to learn how they live and interact with the environment. These scientists may focus on one wildlife species or a group of species during their studies. They record observations made with their senses and other tools.

Help your kids become wildlife scientists. Lead our students on a walk in the neighborhood around your school or building or a nearby park to look for wildlife. Encourage students that to use their eyes and ears to watch and listen for any signs of animal life (animal movement, calls, tracks, tunnels, droppings, etc.).

Ask students record their observations.

Where do you see wild animals?
What are the animals doing?
How do the animals react?
What signs of animals do you see?

Encourage students to pretend they are trying to observe wildlife in different habitats like wildlife scientists do.

• crawl through a small cave to observe a bat
• wade through a marsh to get closer to a beaver’s dam
• hike through woods thick with trees and vines looking for a woodpecker

Helpful Websites
Famous Wildlife Biologists
Iowa Public Television: The Fisheries Biologist
Missouri Department of Conservation - Conservation Career: Wildlife Biologist
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: State Wildlife BiologistPBS Kids - Real Scientists: Wildlife Biologist
Wildlife Biologist Profile

Exploring Iowa’s Natural Resources On-line Course (K-12 Educators)

September 18, 2016 – January 15, 2017
The goal of this course is to help you utilize a STEM-based approach that incorporates local natural resources as unifying themes to implement Iowa Core concepts in your curriculum. You will work in small groups and individually to create a network of contacts and resources to teach natural resource concepts. Group and individual assignments will build on each other throughout the course.

Participants will build a project-based learning unit for their personal teaching situation, so you can immediately incorporate the course resources and tactics into your teaching.

Registration deadline is September 11, 2016  - you must register electronically (Activity #: 22007499991701). Registration fee: $175 (3 license renewal credits); $395.00 (3 Drake graduate credits). This course is being offered by AEA PD Online, a joint initiative by all of Iowa's Area Education Agencies. This course therefore uses AEA PD Online's alternative fee schedule for license renewal and graduate credit. Transcripts and credit will be issued by AEA PD Online instead of Heartland AEA.

For more information, contact: Barb.Gigar@dnr.iowa.gov; 515-494-3891.

Celebrating Iowa Catfish

Celebrate National Catfish Day (June 25) by learning more about Iowa’s most abundant and widely distributed sport fish.

Catfish are opportunistic bottom feeders that are active at night. They eat all types of living or dead animal and plant material and are most often attracted to odoriferous or "smelly" morsels of food. They depend heavily on their sense of smell and taste to locate food.

Their characteristic barbels are highly sensitive to touch and contain taste buds as well. Catfish have taste receptors all over their bodies. It has been estimated that an adult bullhead has perhaps 100,000 nerve sensory sites on its body.

Iowa Catfish
channel catfish: abundant in most Iowa rivers and have been stocked in nearly all lakes and reservoirs; spawn in the late spring and summer in secluded, often enclosed, places along the bank or bottom – the male guards the eggs until they hatch; eat at all times, but are most aggressive night; an important part of the commercial fishery catch in the Mississippi River

flathead catfish: one of the largest catfish- commonly reach twenty pounds; a "big-water" fish found mainly in the border rivers and large interior rivers; usually in deep pools with mud bottoms; spawn in secluded hides during June and July – build nests and guard the eggs and young; feed mostly at night; an important part of the commercial fishery catch in the Mississippi River

blue catfish: primarily a “big river” fish; spawn in June and early July – construct nests similar to those of channel catfish; omnivorous and eat everything that is available; adults weighing up to 20 or 25 pounds are common

black bullhead: most common of the three bullhead species; abundant in most natural lakes and some man-made lakes; spawns in May or early June usually in weedy or muddy shallow areas; strictly omnivorous – eating nearly every conceivable thing in the water

yellow bullhead: found in clear streams, rivers, overflow pools, lakes and reservoirs; prefers streams with permanent flow, but avoids strong currents; spawns in May and early June in water from 1 1/2 to 4 feet in depth - nests are constructed by the male and the female deposits 2,000 to 7,000 eggs

brown bullhead: found in swamps, ponds, inland pools, lakes, reservoirs, impoundments, and the backwaters and tributaries of larger rivers; prefers clear, cool, well-vegetated waters with bottoms of sand, gravel or dark muck; spawns early in the spring, usually late April or May - male fish fan out a saucer-shaped nest in the mud or nests in natural cavities where the female deposits eggs; feed eagerly on nearly anything available, either living or dead - travel in schools and feed on or near the bottom; seem to be hungry at all times of the day and night

tadpole madtom: found in large interior rivers and the Mississippi River; females usually mate several times during the June through July breeding period; most active at night – eats insects and occasionally algae and other aquatic plants; have a poison gland at the base of the pectoral fin that secretes a mild but painful venom when danger is threatened

slender madtom: found in major tributary streams of the Mississippi River; live entirely in riffle areas of small or medium size streams

stone cat: largest of the madtoms; found in swift-flowing streams; spawns in the spring in areas of darkness, such as under rocks or in bank hides - builds a nest and guards the eggs and young; prefer stream riffle habitats, but are also found under rocks or weedy shorelines of lakes and ponds

freckled madtom:  an endangered species - added to Iowa’s species list in 1984; prefers medium-sized creeks to large rivers of low to moderate gradient with clear to moderate turbidity and silty-gravel or sand-gravel substrates; often found in riffles and pools where organic debris such as leaves or twigs tend to accumulate

Trees For Kids Grant Available For Fall

Trees For Kids grant applications are now available for the fall 2016 grant cycle. The Trees For Kids grant program is designed to provide hands-on educational opportunities for Iowa youth by planting trees on school grounds and other public places. 

Iowa DNR forestry staff are currently setting up site visits with schools and communities interested in applying for the grant, which pays up to $5,000 in tree and mulch cost, and provides educational tree planting demonstrations to participating adults and youth.

This past spring, 20 schools and/or communities received more than $62,000 in Trees For Kids grants to plant more than 900 trees around the state. Over the life of these trees, they will save more than 310,000 kilowatt hours of electricity by shading buildings and more than 68,000 therms, by slowing winds and reducing building heat loss. 

During their lifespan, the 900 trees planted this spring will help reduce flooding by intercepting more than 39.8 million gallons of storm water, and will reduce more than 5.3 million pounds of atmospheric carbon dioxide through CO2 sequestration and decreased energy production needs and emissions. 

Trees planted around schools and in neighborhoods have also shown to give youth increased levels of concentration, lower levels of aggression, lower levels of obesity and fewer symptoms of ADHD.  Communities are made more livable by having a healthy, diverse tree canopy. 

To download the grant application, go to:  http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/Forestry/UrbanForestry.aspx

For more information, contact Laura Wagner, Iowa Department of Natural Resources Forestry Bureau, at 515-725-8456.

 

Iowa STEM School+Business Innovation Conference

June 29, 2016
9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel (1800 50th St., West Des Moines)
Register Online

This conference will highlight the partnerships across Iowa that are connecting schools to local businesses and other employers. Best practices in aligning education to workforce will be shared by practitioners on the front edge—both industry and school leaders. Among the models to be profiled are the STEM BEST® (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers) and STEM RLE (Redesigned Learning Environment) partnerships of the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council.

TOPICS featuring...

• Business roles, incentives and benefits of partnering with schools;
• How to identify and recruit business partners;
• How to identify and recruit education partners;
• Policy and rule inhibitors to expansion of school+business partnerships;
• Challenges encountered and overcome through school+business partnerships;
• Co-teaching: roles for business alongside educators in courses and instruction;
• Implications for teacher education;
• A unique accomplishment or innovation by current STEM BEST and STEM RLE partners;
• Building a school-wide culture around school+business innovation;
• How to start a school+business partnership in your community.

Helping Students Protect the Environment and Live Well Workshop

 "The awareness of where our "stuff" comes from and natural resources used to
produce them is ...vitally important. Kids love to DO something about issues that matter."
--Elem Ed teacher 

Part I:  Thursday and Friday, June 16-17, 2016 (9-4)
Part II: Saturday, November 12, 2016 (9-12:30)
Center for Outdoor Learning, Hinton, Iowa

Cost:  $75 tuition fee. You will receive a stipend of $75 when you successfully complete the course, thanks to grant support, making the course free!*

Explore with your K-8 students the products Americans use daily--the "stuff of life." These products have a life cycle. They are extracted, transported, produced, used and disposed of around the globe--including in Iowa. Study how this "stuff" is a primary source of environmental problems, and examine how this relates to life satisfaction. Then, identify individual and collective actions to address these challenges. Course content is real and relevant. Materials introduced are interdisciplinary and classroom-ready. Your students will learn essential skills and concepts from the Iowa Core and NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. 

For more workshop details or to enroll, visit the University of Northern Iowa website.

 *Stipends and the reduced tuition fee are provided through the generous support of the Resource Enhancement and Protection Conservation Education Program and UNI EPSCoR. To receive the stipend, your students will need to complete a community engagement project. Your students' can write letters to the editor, post posters in the hallway for community members' viewing or a number of other options.

Exploring Iowa’s Natural Resources On-line Course (K-12 Educators)

September 18, 2016 – January 15, 2017

The goal of this course is to help you utilize a STEM-based approach that incorporates local natural resources as unifying themes to implement Iowa Core concepts in your curriculum. You will work in small groups and individually to create a network of contacts and resources to teach natural resource concepts. Group and individual assignments will build on each other throughout the course.

Participants will build a project-based learning unit for their personal teaching situation, so you can immediately incorporate the course resources and tactics into your teaching. It is offered for 3 license renewal or graduate credits, and also qualifies for credit for the STEM endorsement through Drake and Grandview.

Registration deadline is September 11, 2016 - you must register electronically (Activity #: 22007499991701). Registration fee: $175 (materials, 3 license renewal credits); $395.00 (materials, 3 Drake graduate credits). This course is being offered by AEA PD Online, a joint initiative by all of Iowa's Area Education Agencies. This course therefore uses AEA PD Online's alternative fee schedule for license renewal and graduate credit. Transcripts and credit will be issued by AEA PD Online instead of Heartland AEA.

For more information, contact: Barb.Gigar@dnr.iowa.gov; 515-494-3891.

Iowa Students Recognized for Iowa State-Fish Drawings

Grades 10-12 first place winner

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources partnered with the Wildlife Forever® State-Fish Art® Contest to host an Iowa State-Fish 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-done artwork. Winners were selected based on creative expression, originality, visual appeal, and artistic merit. 

Individual winners:

Grades K-3

1^st Place – Anne S., Homeschool

2^nd Place – Madalyn S., St Mary & Mathias Catholic School

3^rd Place – Katarina W., Benton Community Schools

                 

Grades 4-6

1^st Place – Henri G., St Mary & Mathias Catholic School

2^nd Place – Heidi E., Allamakee Community Schools

3^rd Place – Elly V., West Marshall Community Schools

Grades 7-9

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

2^nd Place – Clayton S., West Marshall Community Schools

3^rd Place – Jaiden H., West Marshall Community Schools

Grades 10-12

1^st Place – Gayeon C., Regina Catholic Education Center

Artists who placed first in their age group will be honored with the display of their artwork on the prestigious Wall of Fame during the Forrest L. Wood Cup bass world championship on August 5-7 in Huntsville, Alabama. Every participant will receive a Certificate of Recognition. 

Digital images of Iowa’s winning artwork are posted on the State Fish Art Contest website.

Endangered Species Day

Celebrate Endangered Species Day (May 20) by learning more about Iowa endangered and threatened animals and plants.

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.

Iowa's endangered and threatened species law was enacted in 1975; 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.

Endangered or threatened species usually are monitored closely and their remaining habitats are protected. This special attention can pay off. An endangered species can be brought back from the brink and removed from the list instead of becoming extinct (e.g., peregrine falcon). The use of DDT (a now illegal pesticide) is the main reason this bird became endangered. DDT was banned, birds were reintroduced in suitable areas, and they were protected from shooting. After almost 30 years, the peregrine was removed from the federal endangered species list in 1998. In 2000, for the first time in about 40 years, five pairs of peregrines were documented nesting on the cliffs of the Mississippi River. Several of these falcons were identified as originating from Iowa releases or nests. In 2013, 15 territories were active and 13 successful nests produced 31 young around Iowa.

Thanks to a vast number of citizen scientists and volunteers who spearheaded the recovery of peregrine falcons in Iowa, this fascinating species has successfully returned to the state.

Helpful Resources

Living On The Edge: Profiles of Federally Listed Species in Iowa
Iowa's Threatened and Endangered Species Program
National Wildlife Federation
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Endangered Species Coalition

Teaching STEM and the Iowa Science Standards through an Agricultural Lens

The Iowa Agricultural Literacy Foundation is offering several teacher professional development workshops this summer. Workshop information is listed below. To find out more about workshops in your area, visit www.IowaAgLiteracy.org, email info@iowaagliteracy.org or call 515-331-4182.

Agriculture Helps meet Next Generation Science Standards
June 1-2, 2016
Fremont-Mills High School, (1114 US Highway 275, Tabor)

This course will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills needed to implement many of the new Iowa Core science standards. Participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. During one day of the course, participants will see conservation and energy applied as they tour beef feedlots, an ethanol plant, an algae plant, and a conservation area. Producers, scientists and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses science and management practices to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned and making them relevant to student learners.

Register to attend

Iowa Monarch Conservation and Citizen Science Workshop

Friday, May 6th, 12:30-4:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 7th, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30-p.m.
Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (9981 Pacific St, Prairie City, IA 50228)

Public participation in science helps scientists answer big questions. Learn how to participate in several monarch butterfly citizen science programs and help researchers learn more about this incredible insect. The University of Minnesota Monarch Lab, in partnership with the Monarch Joint Venture, will instruct this workshop in conjunction with local Iowa habitat experts.

Register at: http://goo.gl/forms/S7QW1z1rtR Cost: $20 Accommodations: Lunch will be provided on May 7th. Small snacks and drinks will be provided throughout the workshop.

Apply for a GreenWorks! Environmental Improvement Grant

Project Learning Tree offers grants up to $1,000 to schools and youth organizations for environmental service-learning projects that link classroom learning to the real world. Students implement an action project they help design to green their school or to improve an aspect of their neighborhood’s environment.

The projects partner students with their whole school, local businesses and/or community organizations, and provide opportunities for student leadership. The funds can be used by students to implement recycling programs at their school, conserve water and energy, establish school gardens and outdoor classrooms, improve a forest, or restore a natural habitat, for example.

Submit your completed application and W-9 online. Login or create an account, click “Apply for a Grant,” then follow the prompts to complete your submission. You will receive an automatic confirmation email through this system.  The deadline to apply is September 30, 2016 -- Funding will be distributed in December 2016.

Grant Requirements

• Applicants must have attended a Project Learning Tree training
  either online or in person.
• The proposed project must involve service-learning.
• The proposed project must demonstrate student voice.
• The proposed project must involve at least one community partner.
• The proposed project must secure at least 50% matched funds (in-kind acceptable).
• Grants must be completed in one year

Iowa Science Standards Summer Institutes: Supporting Classroom Transitions

Since the adoption of Iowa’s new science standards in August 2015, Iowa educators have been engaged in learning about the structure, foundations, and conceptual shifts of the new standards.

 

The Iowa Department of Education is sponsoring day-long science institutes June 15-17, 2016. With national and state science education leaders, participants will engage in three-dimensional science learning experiences and will explore various resources and instructional practices that support the standards.

 

Where: West Des Moines Valley High School
Times: 8:00AM-4:00PM (tentative times)

 

Each day will be focused on content and pedagogy for specific grade bands. Participation in this event assumes knowledge of the structure, foundations, and conceptual shifts of the standards; districts needing this overview of the standards should contact their AEA science consultants.

 

There is no registration fee but registration is required for planning purposes. On-line registration is now open:

Registration June 15 elementary school

Registration June 16 middle school

Registration June 17 high school

Cost: There is no cost to attend. Participants or their districts are responsible for any expenses incurred such as meals and mileage. There are a variety of off-site lunch locations near West Des Moines Valley High School. Lunch will also be available each day through West Des Moines Nutritional Services for $3.50/person.

 

Taking STEM Outside: WILD Project-based Learning in Your Schoolyard

June 13 & 14, 2016 (100% attendance required for credit)
8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Guthrie Center Elementary School (900 North 4th Street, Guthrie Center)
Registration Deadline: June 8, 2016
Registration Fee: $60 (includes materials and 1 license renewal credit); or $135 (includes materials and 1 EDMA graduate credit)
Electronic Registration

Learn how outdoor projects, exploration, and investigations provide fantastic opportunities for project-based learning that addresses Iowa Core Science Standards. We will demonstrate how to bundle your favorite Project WILD and Aquatic WILD activities with field investigations to create project-based learning units. Much of this “flipped” professional development will be spent creating your own path through a host of nationally developed and tested resources to engage your students in authentic inquiry through modeling, discussion, and practice using your school yard or a local natural area and your classes as the framework.

Participants should bring a laptop or notebook, information about their school site or a nearby natural area, their science standards (and/or other relevant standards), and relevant curriculum resources for use with workshop activities. Teaching partners/groups are encouraged to facilitate planning/implementation of projects. The registration fee includes materials.

For more information, contact: Barb.Gigar@dnr.iowa.gov; 515-494-3891.

Teaching with Primary Sources in the Science Classroom Webinar - March 17

This webinar will explore how an inquiry-driven analysis of a primary source can engage students, establish meaningful contexts for learning and doing science, and build literacy skills.

Using historical primary sources, science teachers can create learning experiences for students grounded in authentic, open-ended problems. To answer those problems, students conduct research as part of a sustained inquiry process and share solutions and products beyond the classroom.

This event will be recorded and a link will be available as soon as possible after the event.

Get wild with National Wildlife Week

Celebrate this wild week with us by learning about Iowa’s wildlife! Check out these cool Iowa wildlife facts, fun classroom activities and MORE.

Cool Things You Should Know about:

Bald Eagles
Bats in Iowa
Bobcats in Iowa
Coyotes
Crayfish
Foxes
Golden Eagles
Iowa's Turtles
Opossums
Otters
Raccoons
Snakes
Spiders

Lesson Plans

And the Wolf Wore Shoes
Animal Adaptations
Animal Habitats
Deer Dilemma
Deer Populations
Fish Populations
Monarch Butterfly Habitat
Monarch Research
Population Biology
Who Lives Here?
Wildlife in National Symbols

Activity Sheets
Bass Connect the Dot Sheet

Design Your Own Aquatic Habitat
Draw a Raccoon
Iowa Fish Families Word Search
Iowa Fish Matching Sheet
Iowa Fish Word Search
Iowa Fish Word Scramble
Predator Matching Sheet
Turtle Nest Maze

Iowa Wildlife Facts
Four Animals You Didn’t Know Lived In Iowa
Iowa’s Land Before Time: Prehistoric Life Still Around Today
6 Animals You Might Not Know are Protected in Iowa
11 Extinct Animals You Didn’t Know Were Iowan
14 Iowa Wildlife Tracks to Look For

Free Seedlings for Iowa Schools from Trees For Kids

To celebrate Earth Week next month, the Trees for Kids program is offering free seedlings to schools and communities across Iowa.

Each school building and community may order one free custom packet consisting of 200 bare-root seedlings, 50 each of four selected species. Recipients are not required to plant their trees during Earth Week (April 17-23, 2016), but must have them planted before May 31, 2016.

To take part in this offer, schools and communities need to complete a simple application form and return it to the Trees for Kids program via email or postal mail by April 1, 2016. The application form can be found at www.iowadnr.gov/urbanforestry by clicking on “Trees for Kids Earth Month Celebration.”

Schools and communities receiving packets will be asked to email at least one photo of the trees being planted and a short paragraph indicating where and why they were planted.  No other requirements are necessary to receive the free trees.

The Iowa-grown, native trees and shrubs provided by the State Forest Nursery are naturally adapted to Iowa’s weather and soil extremes. Trees provide many benefits including wildlife habitat, environmental protection in the form of improved energy efficiency and water quality. They are vital hosts to pollinators and provide seasonal beauty to our landscape. Planting trees has been a traditional way to celebrate Earth Day since its beginning in the 1970s.

Schools and communities can create their own custom packets or select from a variety of recommended specialty packets, such as:

• Fall Color –Trees and shrubs with vibrant fall color
• Fastest Forest – Great along streams and wet areas, these grow at least 3 feet per year
• Pollinator Packet – Provides vital host species for butterflies and other pollinators
• Privacy Packet – Great to use as a visual barrier or along a fence line
• Spring Flowers – Create spring color with these flowering shrubs and small trees
• Storm Resistant Packet – These trees resist breakage from wind and ice storms
• Wild Edible Packet – Enjoy an edible landscape

Photos and information about various packet species can be found at www.iowadnr.gov/ seedlingcatalog. The seedlings are between 8 and 24 inches, depending on the tree or shrub species. Size requests do not apply to this program. Order early for best species selection.

The Trees for Kids and Trees for Teens grant programs are funded by Iowa Department of Natural Resources Forestry Bureau, MidAmerican Energy, Black Hills Energy, Alliant Energy, Iowa Bankers Association, Trees Forever, Iowa Tree Farm Committee and the Iowa Woodland Owners Association.

For more information about ordering no-cost Trees for Kids seedlings, contact Laura Wagner, DNR Trees for Kids Coordinator, 515-725-8456 or laura.wagner@dnr.iowa.gov

 

Greening STEM Integration Grant for Educators

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), with major funding support from the Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas (MCFA), is offering funding for teachers, after-school programs, and nature organizations for projects that support the integration of Greening STEM into current or new programming or curriculum.

Developments in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are growing faster than ever and the need to find engaging ways to teach lessons in these subjects grounded in real-world experience is clear. By learning about STEM concepts in reference to real-life environmental examples or issues, the subject matter is more tangible and extends beyond the textbook or classroom, influencing the way students think about the world and the way they view their connection to it. Research (see “Benefits of Environmental Education”) shows that environmental education helps build creative thinking and relationship skills, fosters leadership qualities and makes school subjects rich and relevant.

Through these grants, NEEF will support educators who are leading the way in Greening STEM education and provide support for continued development and innovation of school programs and projects connecting STEM with environmental education.

• Application Deadline: 11:59pm CT Thursday, April 5, 2016. All applications must be submitted through NEEF’s online grants management system
• Average Grant Amount: Grant amounts will range from $500 - $1,000.
• Allowable Expenses: Grants funds can be used to cover costs associated with delivering programs (e.g., curriculum/materials development, field trips, program supplies, transportation, professional development, etc.), as long as the result of the funding creates lasting impact beyond the single event/use.
• Grantee Announcement: Grantees will be announced April 22, 2016. NEEF will promote the winners and their programs using a variety of communications tools and strategies.
• All applicants must register for National Environmental Education Week.