Nathan P.

Category II (Grades 3-5)

1st Place

Gabby R..

Category IV (Grades 9-12)

1st Place

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 – Tadpole Madtom (Noturus gyrinus)

Tadpole madtoms are a relatively unknown Iowa catfish species. Tadpole madtoms are small, rarely exceed 3 to 4 inches long as adults. Like all catfish species they have eight characteristic barbells, or “whiskers” around their mouth. They also lack scales like other catfish species but rather have a tough skin covering their bodies.

Tadpole madtoms vary in color from dark olive or brown to dark gray with a light underside. Their body is short and stout and their heads are large and fleshy. As with other madtoms, they have a poison gland at the base of their pectoral fins (side fins usually located behind or slightly below the gills) that causes a burning sensation if you are pricked with them. It is this poison gland feature of their anatomy that gives them the name “madtom” which “maddens” predators that try to eat them. “Tom” is another name for a cat. The “tadpole” aspect of their names comes from their slight resemblance to tadpoles due to their small size and the shape of their tail.

Tadpole madtoms are widely distributed across Iowa. They are found in marshes, slow-moving rivers, oxbows, lakes, and ponds. They prefer turbid water with a soft mud, sand, or gravel bottom and thick vegetation to hide in. Tadpole madtoms eat insects, aquatic insect larva, algae, and aquatic plants. They are most active at night.

Tadpole madtoms usually spawn in June or July once the water temperature has reached 80° F. Females lay eggs on rocks, logs, and underwater vegetation. They have also been known to lay their eggs on submerged garbage such as pop cans. The males guard the eggs until they hatch. Tadpole madtoms rarely live past 3 years.

Book List

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

Arnosky, J. 1993. Crinkleroot's Twenty-five Fish Every Child Should Know. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Bryan, J. et al. 2007. Take Me Fishing: 50 Great Writers on Their Favorite Sport. Skyhorse Publishing.

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

Cook, B. 2005. The Little Fish that Got Away. HarperCollins.

Gallimard, J. 1998. Fish. Scholastic.

Heinrichs, A.R. 2003. Fish. Coughlan Publishing.

Klein, A. G. 2008. Fishing. ABDO Publishing Company.

Long, E. 1987. Gone Fishing. Houghton Mifflin.

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

Pastel, J., K. Fitzsimmons and L. VanDeWeghe. Bur Bur's Fishing Adventure: An Exciting Fishing Adventure. IGI Press.

Pfeffer, W. 1996. What's it Like to be a Fish? (Let's Read-and-Find-Out Science 1). Harper Trophy.

Prosek, J. 2004. A Good Day’s Fishing. Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing.

Quigley, M. 2007. Granddad’s Fishing Buddy. Dial.

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

Sill, C. 2005. About Fish: A Guide for Children. Peachtree Publishers.

Wells, E. 2006. Wishing I was Fishing. Beaver’s Pond Press.

Links

IDNR: Fishes of Iowa

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

Tadpole Madtom

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

USGS: Noturus gyrinus – Tadpole Madtom

http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=747

Wikipedia: Tadpole Madtom

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

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 – Water Scorpion

Water scorpions are not really scorpions - they're insects! Their name comes from the fact they look slightly like a real scorpion. Water scorpions have grasping forelimbs which look similar to real scorpion's pincers, and they have an elongated “tail” (actually a breathing tube) which looks similar to a real scorpion's tail.

Water scorpions are aquatic and live in ponds and streams in Iowa. They are slender and may resemble a stick. They grow to about 1 ½ inches in length. They hang upside down at the water surface and use their long tube at the tip of their abdomen (their “tail”) to breathe air.  They are brown to tan in color. Another name for them is “water stick insects”.

Water scorpions are predatory and eat other insects which they catch with their grasping front legs. They ambush prey to catch them. Once caught they suck out their insides using their piercing mouth parts. They eat insect larvae, water fleas, water lice, and water worms. Water scorpions can inflict a painful bite so handle with care.

Mating occurs in spring and the female lays eggs on aquatic plants just below the water surface. The eggs hatch in 3 to 4 weeks. Water scorpions undergo a type of development known as incomplete metamorphosis. Incomplete metamorphosis means the young go through several molts (shedding of the hard exoskeleton), their appearance is similar to adults, and they do not have a pupal stage. The young develop into full-grown adults after 6 to 8 weeks.

National Geographic: Water Scorpions

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/08/10/water-scorpions-freshwater-species-of-the-week/

Water Scorpion Facts

http://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/85866.aspx

Water Quality and Aquatic Insects

Aquatic insects are good indicators of water quality in a water body. Some insect species can tolerate a high level of pollutants in the water while other species cannot. By examining the species of aquatic insect larva within a water body you can estimate the water quality. For example, stonefly nymphs are very sensitive to most pollutants and their presence in a stream indicates a very healthy water system.

For more information about insects as indicators of water quality visit:

Aquatic Macroinvertebrates

http://www.krisweb.com/aqualife/insect.htm

Aquatic Insects and Water Quality in the Watershed

http://www.fcgov.com/utilities/img/site_specific/uploads/aquatic_insects.pdf

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.

Creature Feature – Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)

Mudpuppies are listed as THREATENED in Iowa. It is illegal to kill or collect them. Any sightings in Iowa should be reported to the Iowa HerpNet at REPTILIA74@aol.com.

Mudpuppies are Iowa’s largest and only fully aquatic salamander. They range in size from 8-17 inches long. Adult mudpuppies are brown, reddish-brown, or gray above with varying numbers and sizes of dark spots. Their bellies are gray with dark spots. They have dark stripes though each eye. Contrary to common belief mudpuppies are NOT poisonous. However, they may bite if handled roughly.

The most distinctive feature of mudpuppies is the deep-red, bushy external gills on the sides of their head. Their gills are retained throughout their life (unlike most salamander species which only have gills in their aquatic, immature larval stage). Another distinctive feature of mudpuppies is the number of toes on their hind feet. While most salamander species have 5 toes on each hind foot, mudpuppies have only 4 toes on each hind foot.

Mudpuppy’s heads are large and flattened. They have small, lidless eyes. Their tails are paddle-like with fins above and below. Mudpuppies are extremely slimy and are very hard to hold on to.

Mudpuppies are live in lakes, rivers, and large creeks. In clear, fast moving water mudpuppies have small, compressed gills. In water that is warm and slow moving they have big bushy gills. Mudpuppies like to hide under sunken objects such as rocks, logs, and other debris.

Mudpuppies are active throughout the year. They are most active at night. They eat crayfish, fish, spiders, insects, worms, snails, or anything they can catch. They do not have keen eyesight and rely upon their sense of smell to find prey.

Breeding occurs in fall and early winter. The female will lay up to 100 eggs in late spring or early summer. She will dig a cavity under a rock or a log and attaches her eggs to the “roof” of the “nest”. Female mudpuppies guard their eggs and will stay with the young for some time after they hatch. They hatch after about 60 days. The young are very small and have a yellow strip down each side. Their coloring will slowly change until they reach maturity and adult coloration at 5 years of age.

Iowa HerpNet: Mudpuppy

http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=26

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-Crowned Night-Heron

(Nyctanassa violacea)

Yellow-crowned night-herons are nocturnal herons of southern swamps and coasts. These elusive birds can be found along Iowa’s rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands during the summer breeding season.  They start arriving in Iowa in March and will leave for warmer southern climes in August.

Yellow-crowned night-herons are medium-sized herons averaging 22-28 inches long. They have gray bodies with yellow legs. Their face and bill are black with white cheeks. They have a yellowish “crown” stripe on the top of their head that gives them their name. Like other herons they hold their necks in an “S” formation during flight with their legs trailing straight out behind their body. Males and females look alike.

These solitary herons feed in lakes, rivers, and marshes. They eat crayfish, fish, frogs, and insects. They stand still or stalk their prey along the shoreline lunging and seizing their prey when they are within range. They swallow their prey whole. Yellow-crowned night-herons prefer to forage solitarily and keep a good distance from other feeding herons.

Although they are generally solitary birds, yellow-crowned night-herons typically nest in small colonies of several pairs or in large colonies of up to several hundred pairs. Nest colonies are near or over water in tall trees. Nest sites can remain in use for over twenty years with birds returning to the nest site every year.

Both male and female yellow-crowned night-herons build the nest. It is built on a horizontal limb away from the trunk of the tree and consists of large sticks gathered from dead trees. Nests can be 4 feet across by the time the pair has finished building, a task that often takes the pair over a week to complete.

Once the nest is built the female lays 2-6 pale blue-green eggs. Both the male and female incubate the eggs for 24-25 days. When the young hatch they are helpless and covered in pale gray down. The male and female both care for and feed the young regurgitated food. The chicks fledge, or leave the nest, at about 25 days old.

Like all wetland species they are vulnerable to habitat destruction. In addition, yellow-crowned night-herons are neotropical migrants (see below) and face habitat threats in their winter, summer, and migratory habitats.

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

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.

Creature Feature – Beaver (Castor Canadensis)

Beaver are common in Iowa and are found throughout the state. Beaver may grow up to 4 feet long, including their 9-18 inch tail, and weight up to 60 pounds. They are North America’s largest rodent.

Beaver live in streams, ponds, lakes, and wetlands. They are superbly adapted for the aquatic habitats; they have waterproof fur and a thick layer of underfur, webbed back feet, nose and ear valves that close while swimming, a special membrane to protect their eyes under water, they can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes, and they are able to raise the back of their tongue to close the passage to their lungs so water does not enter their lungs when they open their mouth under water (such as when they are gnawing branches under water).

Beaver eat the inner bark, twigs, and leaves of trees and shrubs. They also eat aquatic plants such as duckweed, grasses, and water lilies. Beaver have colonies of microorganisms in their intestines that digest up to 30% of the cellulose from trees bark and other woody material they eat. During the winter months their diet consists mainly of woody material, such as twigs and branches, they have stored near the entrance to their lodge. Beaver do not hibernate and remain active all year. Beaver are nocturnal and are most active at night.

Beaver modify their environment for their own purpose more than any other animal except humans. They dam streams and creeks to creating wetlands and ponds. Their dams consist of sticks, branches, and mud dredged up from the bottom of the pond or stream. They dig burrows into the bank or construct dome-shaped lodges of small trees, limbs, sticks and mud.  The entrances are placed below the water level but the living area inside is above the water level.

Beaver are highly social animals and live in family groups consisting of the parents (beavers mate for life), young of the year and two-year old offspring. The average litter size is 3, so a beaver lodge with a family of 8 beaver is not uncommon. Beavers will mark their territory with scent mounds made of mud, feces, and castoreum, an aromatic secretion produced by their castor gland.

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

National Geographic Animals: Beaver

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/beaver/

NatureWorks: Beaver

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/beaver.htm

IDNR: Trapping & Fur Harvesting

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/TrappingFurHarvesting.aspx

Book List

Gibbons, G. 2012. Beavers. Holiday House, Inc.

Holland, M. 2014. The Beavers’ Busy Year. Sylvan Dell Publishing.

Muller-Schwarze, D., L. Sun. 2003. The Beaver: Natural History of a Wetlands Engineer. Cornell University Press.

Swanson, D.  2010. Beavers. Whitecap Books, Limited.

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

DNR TO ANSWER YOUR IOWA TREE, EMERALD ASH BORER QUESTIONS LIVE ON FACEBOOK MARCH 18

MEDIA CONTACT: Jessie Brown, DNR, at 515-281-5131 or Jessie.Brown@dnr.iowa.gov

DES MOINES —Iowans with questions about spring tree planting, Iowa’s forest health or the spread of the emerald ash borer can have their questions answered during a live question and answer session March 18 on the DNR’s Facebook page.

DNR forest health program leader Tivon Feeley will answer questions live from noon to 2:30 p.m. and will be joined by Robin Pruisner, state entomologist with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. To ask a question, post it as a comment on the “Live Q&A” post that the DNR will post at noon that day. You can also post questions ahead of time on the DNR’s Facebook Timeline at www.facebook.com/iowadnr. Questions received after 2:30 will be answered, but at a later time.

To make sure you see the Facebook live Q&A when it is posted, make sure you “like” the DNR’s page on Facebook. Go to www.facebook.com/iowadnr and click on “like” and make sure “get notifications” and “show in news feed” are selected.

Commenters should also view the DNR’s Facebook posting policy ahead of time at https://www.facebook.com/iowadnr/info.