A Novel Way to Preserve a Historic Dining Experience

by Byways Coordinator Jeanie Hau

Marengo’s rich railroad history inspired Elizabeth Colony to open a unique restaurant in the Iowa Valley. Hop on the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway to visit this gem!

Metrics from the 2023 Monitoring Season

by Water Quality Specialist Dan Haug

We’re still crunching numbers from the 2023 monitoring season in Story County, but here’s a few numbers that should be left uncrunched.

Inch Your Way to Loving Worms!

by Conservation Specialist Jessica Butters

We won't be talking about love or flowers this Valentine's Day, but we'll talk about some love-able critters that eat flowers.

They're squishy, have secret appendanges, and have elaborate colors. We're talking about CATERPILLARS!

Pollinator of the Month: Bumble Bees!

Bumble bees are still “hibernating” (aka in diapause) in your yards! One of the first pollinators to emerge, bumble bees are the only Iowa-native bees that are truly social! The coming spring’s queens are currently sleeping just a few inches below ground, possibly in your leaf and wood piles. Don’t let the weather trick you – cleaning up early can harm bumble bee queens! To help bumble bees, be slow with your yard clean-up and say no to pesticides this year!

Meet Elaine Edwards:

I am honored to be serving as a board member for Prairie Rivers of Iowa! I am keenly interested in the work provided by the staff at Prairie Rivers, especially

how it benefits communities through the conservation of our natural and cultural resources. I have invested my volunteer hours in recent years to serving on several nonprofit boards.

From 2016 through 2022, I led local economic development efforts for the Lanesboro, Minnesota community, which focused on tourism and natural resources. I dedicated my first career to science communications at Iowa State University Extension and at Kansas State University Research and Extension. In 2015 I left my position and became an entrepreneur, investing in and operating a bed and breakfast in the tourist community of Lanesboro, Minnesota. About two years ago my husband, Mark, and I retired to Ames, Iowa to live near our family. 

Iowa Young Birders

Iowa Young Birders (IAYB) is a not-for-profit headquartered in Ames, Iowa. Their mission is to promote engagement with our natural world and conservation issues by empowering young Iowans to study and enjoy birding. IAYB is accomplishing this through its Birding Backpack program, which has partnered with 13 public libraries (and counting!) to provide birding backpacks available to check out. The packs contain binoculars with a smartphone photo adapter, bird guides, and information on local places

to birdwatch.

Allowing families to borrow normally expensive supplies improves access to invaluable learning opportunities. "You can find birds anywhere in Iowa throughout the year," states Tyler Harms, Executive Director of IAYB since 2015. "This accessiblity makes birds a great vehicle for kids and their families to engage with nature. Our goal with the Birding Backpack program is to enhance the birding experience and make birding resources readily available in our local communites."

The Great Backyard Bird Count

February 16-19

A free, frun, way to help birds!

Get outside this month and count the birds you see on your walks or in your yard! Report your sightings at Birdcount.org. This fun and important community science project is managed by the Audubon Society, The Cornell Lab, and Birds Canada! If you have a smartphone, you can use the Merlin Bird ID app to help you identify your sightings! Happy birding!

Learn More Here!

Iowa Prairie Network Winter Seminar

February 24, Ames High School

Join the Iowa Prairie Network for their FREE seminar!

This year's theme is: "Prairies: Growing and Changing".

Learn about topics from climate change to old growth prairies, and hear from the special guest speaker, Jeremy French! Lastly, bring some cash to participate in the silent auction to help fund Drake Prairie Rescue, a student team that works to restore prairies.

More Info about the Winter Seminar Here

Free ISWEP Training for Contractors!

February 28, Homewood Golf Course

Join the City of Ames, the Iowa Storm Water Education Partnership (ISWEP), and Prairie Rivers of Iowa for the opportunity to learn how to incorporate native plants into your landscaping business! Experienced contractors and biologists will provide case studies, practical knowledge and expertise on planting and maintaining native landscaping,

and how adding native plants can benefit your business!

More Info and Registration Here!

Best Practices for Pollinators Summit

February 27-29, online only!

Learn ecologically sound practices that promote pollinators, climate resilience, clean waters and healthy lands. Gain practical knowledge and hear the latest innovations on pesticide reduction, habitat installation, fostering soil health, pollinator biology, and more. 

Co-hosted by the Pollinator Friendly Alliance and 

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. ….More Info Here

Ioway Creek Trash Clean-Up

Save the Date: April 20

Join Prairie Rivers of Iowa and our partners for a fun morning of canoeing and mucking for tires and strollers! Volunteer to make Ioway Creek a cleaner and healthier body of water. The rain date for this fun event is April 27; mark your calendars!

Read about a Previous Clean-Up Here!

Promise Road: How the Lincoln Highway

Changed America

For the month of February

The Norelius Community Library in Denison, Iowa, is hosting the exhibit until the end of February. Contact Byway Coordinator Jeanie Hau at jhau@prrcd.org to host this engaging Lincoln Highway exhibit!

The National Lincoln Highway Association

Annual Conference

Save the Date: June 23-28

Experience the Lincoln Highway in Elkhart County, Indiana! This year's conference will feature heritage and road tours, a documentary's pre-release, an Amish dinner, and more!

Learn More about the Conference Here!

Prairie Rivers of Iowa was fortunate to have Penny Brown Huber's leadership as the Executive Director for nearly 13 years, and over the last several weeks we've been especially appreciative of her efforts to prepare the Board and staff for her departure. Similarly, Mike Kellner (our recently retired PR and Marketing Coordinator) has created a structure that staff can carry out until his successor is hired.

Everyone has stepped up as the organization strategizes, plans and searches for a Director who can build on our success and grow our work and mission. You can help too! Contracts and grants cover the time spent on funded projects, but like many nonprofits, donations from supporters, like you, are critically needed to cover operational costs and more.

Support Prairie Rivers of Iowa today!