Thursday, April 25, 2013

2013 Iowa High School and Scholastic Clay Target Program State Championships

The program for the 2013 Iowa High School and Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) State Championship events is now available online at: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/shootingsports/eprogram.pdf and contains important information for coaches, athletes, spectators and vendors alike.  We look forward to seeing you at one or more of these events!

This team-based clay target shooting program is changing the lives of grade, middle, and high school students in Iowa and nation-wide. Through organized clay target shooting, youth learn lifelong skills such as firearm safety, teamwork, respect for self and others, mental focus, and self-discipline.
For more information on the Iowa High School and Scholastic Clay Target Program visit http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/ForTeachers/EducationTrainingPrograms.aspx or contact Ben Berka Shooting Sports Program Coordinator Ben.Berka@dnr.iowa.gov.

Monday, April 15, 2013

The 2013 Take It Outside Art Contest Winning posters are on the web!!

Follow the link below to the IDNR Education Competitions web site. The winning posters are broken down by age categories.

IDNR Education Competitions - Take It Outside Art Contest Winners
http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/ForTeachers/EducationCompetitions.aspx

Congratulations to all the participants and winners!!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

7 Healthy Facts about Eating Iowa Fish

From the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Department of Public Health

1. Fish Are Part of a Healthy Diet.
Fish are low in saturated fat and contain protein, calcium, iron, zinc and many vitamins. Eating fish can contribute to a healthy heart, the prevention of diseases and a child’s proper growth. The Iowa Dept. of Public Health recommends eating two meals of fish per week.

2. Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases.
Some people have concerns about whether fish are safe to eat because of chemicals that may be present. Chemicals in the water can occur naturally or because of human impacts such as industrial pollution. The vast majority of Iowa’s streams, rivers and lakes offer safe and high-quality fish that pose little or no threat to human health if consumed.

3. Iowa DNR Tests for Chemicals Regularly.
The Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR), in cooperation with U.S. EPA, annually tests for chemicals in samples of fish from selected lakes and rivers in Iowa. In the rare cases when chemical levels are found to be elevated, fish consumption advisories are issued according to protocol developed by the Iowa Dept. of Public Health.
 
4. Advisories Are Limited to Specific Water Bodies.
Of the thousands of miles of rivers/streams, along with hundreds of lakes in Iowa, only a small handful currently has consumption advisories. Advisories are printed in the DNR annual fishing regulations, or can be viewed at the DNR website.
 
5. Advisories Suggest Limits, Not Elimination.
Even where safety advisories occur, it does not mean all fish should be avoided. Instead, advisories will either recommend limiting fish consumption to one meal per week, or to avoid eating certain types of fish from that specific location. Despite these warnings, the Dept. of Public Health recommends eating fish from a variety of sources to achieve the most health benefits. In fact, Iowa’s safety advisories offer stricter consumption guidelines than those placed on fish purchased from grocery stores and restaurants.

6. Pan Fish are Different from Predator and Bottom-Feeding Fish.
Chemical concentrations, if present, tend to be higher in bottom-feeding fish such as catfish or carp. Mercury, if present, tends to be higher in predator fish such as walleye, bass and northern pike. Consumption advisories typically focus on these species. Pan fish such as crappie and bluegill carry virtually no risk.

7. If You Are Pregnant, Planning to Become Pregnant, Nursing, or Under Age 12, Special Cautions Apply.
For Iowa-caught fish, people in these categories should limit their consumption of predator fish (walleye, bass, etc.) to one meal per week. They should also limit or eliminate the consumption of several grocery-store fish offerings such as tuna, shark and swordfish. For more information on health issues regarding fish consumption, visit the Iowa Dept. of Public Health’s Web site at www.idph.state.ia.us.

 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013


Educator Workshops

Teaching Outdoor Skills: Basic Fishing and Archery
June 10 & 11, 2013 (100% attendance is required for credit.)
9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (June 10); 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.(June 11)
Russell Wildlife Area & County Conservation Center (2254, 200th St., New Sharon)

Hands-on session will acquaint participants with methodologies and curricular resources to teaching archery and fishing. Participants will receive a basic archery packet and the Fish Iowa! basic spincasting module.

You must register online: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=10734&I=1307959&H=1
Registration deadline is June 3, 2013. Registration fees include materials and 1 license renewal credit for $80 or 1 graduate credit from Drake University for $150. Meals (June 10 - lunch & supper; June 11- lunch) are included in the registration fee.

A limited number of stipends of $100 are available from the DNR Aquatic Education Program to participants to help defray expenses of attending the course. To be eligible for the stipend, the participant must develop an integrated unit lesson plan using the Fish Iowa! materials that meets the criteria to receive an "A" in the course. Contact the
 DNR Aquatic Education Program: EdInfo@dnr.iowa.gov for more information.



Teaching Outdoor Skills: An Introduction to Basic Outdoor Skills
June 24 & 25, 2013 (100% attendance is required for credit.)
8:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. (June 24); 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.(June 25)
Benton County Conservation Center (5718 20th Ave Dr., Vinton)

Hands-on sessions will acquaint participants with a variety of basic outdoor skills and teaching resources/methodologies. Participants will receive introductory instruction and lesson plans for planning outings, map reading, hiking, paddling, fishing, archery, campfire programs, and basic firearm safety/shooting.

You must register online: http://www.aea10.k12.ia.us/profdev/coursesdetail.cfm?class=28890
Registration Deadline is June 17, 2013. Registration fees include materials and 1 license renewal credit for $60 or 1 graduate credit from Drake University for $135. Meals (June 24 - lunch & supper; June 25- lunch) are included in the registration fee.