Get a Child Hooked on Fishing

Barbara Gigar, from the DNR Aquatic Education Program, recently taught a "Thinking Like a Fish" seminar at the Altoona Bass Pro Shop during their Spring Fishing Classic. Read the full story (link below) and watch the video to learn Barb's three easy tips for adults when introducing kids to fishing!
http://blogs.basspro.com/blog/bass-pro-shops-altoona-ia/get-a-child-hooked-on-fishing

Peregrine Falcon Event in Harpers Ferry May 2

The Harpers Ferry Community Center is hosting a peregrine falcon event on May 2, beginning with a fish fry from 4:30 – 7 p.m., followed by a falcon program at 7:15 p.m. The community center is at 133 S. 4^th St., in Harpers Ferry.  Admission is a free will offering.

This provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate this rejuvenation and to learn more about peregrine falcons. 

There will be no river trip this year as the Maiden Voyage that has provided tours is being replaced.  Watch for the return of this popular program next year. For further details contact pat.schlarbaum@dnr.iowa.gov or 712-330-0526

Award-Winning Fishing Curriculum Available in New Electronic Format

The award winning Fish Iowa! basic spincasting curriculum is now available on CD. Major revisions include new teaching tips and tricks that address education reforms and best practices, as well as links to a host of online resources including instructional videos and websites. Topics covered include: History of Fishing; Regulations, Safety, and Ethics; Iowa Waters (Where to Fish); Fish Identification; Spincasting Equipment and Techniques; Baits and Lures; and Landing and Caring for the Catch.

The Fish Iowa! module is available through several training options including teacher workshops that provide re-certification credit, seminars, and even individual sessions. If you would like more information about how to get trained,  or if you have been trained and would like a copy of the new Fish Iowa! spincasting module, contact the Aquatic Education Program  by email ( EdInfo@dnr.iowa.gov) or phone (641.747.2200).

About Fish Iowa!

Fish Iowa! is a comprehensive program focused on engaging youth an novice anglers, and promoting stewardship of Iowa’s aquatic resources. More than 3,400 partners including educators, youth leaders, and naturalists across Iowa have been trained to use the basic spincasting module since its inception of in the fall of 1990. Educational resources are supplemented with over 3,000 free loan rods and reels at more than 100 locations. Fish Iowa! is used in physical education classes, after school programs, camps, clinics, and events. It has been recognized nationally with several awards including the Aquatic Resource Education Association’s highest honor of Outstanding Aquatic Education Program in 2012.

MEDIA CONTACT: Shannon Hafner, DNR, at (641) 747-2200 or shannon.hafner@dnr.iowa.gov

Upcoming trout stocking events

Iowa City Hosting Trout Event Saturday at Sand Lake

Iowa City - A trout stocking event at Sand Lake in Iowa City sponsored by Iowa City Parks Department is scheduled for April 12 at 10 a.m.  The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is stocking 1,800 rainbow and 200 brook trout. 

Prizes will be awarded to anglers catching one of the 200 tagged trout at the event. Contact Joyce Carroll at 319-356-5100 for more information.

Marshalltown Hosting Trout Event Saturday at Sand Lake

Marshalltown - A trout stocking event at Sand Lake in Marshalltown is scheduled for April 12 at 11 a.m. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is stocking 1,800 rainbow and 200 brook trout. 

There will be prizes for anglers catching brook trout. The event is sponsored by the Marshall County Conservation Board. For more information, call 641-752-5490.

Cedar Falls Hosting trout event saturday at North Prairie Lake

 

Cedar Falls - A trout stocking event at North Prairie Lake in Cedar Falls is scheduled for April 12 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be stocking 1,800 trout at 10 a.m. 

Prizes are available for kids participating in fishing and members from the Cedar Valley Walleye Club will be on-site to provide basic fishing instruction. Food will be available during the event. The event is sponsored by the Cedar Valley Walleye Club, City of Cedar Falls and the Iowa DNR. 

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