Raccoon River
Greenbelt
Newsletter
Published by the Dallas County Conservation Board
WINTER SOLSTICE EDITION 2008
Woodland/Prairie Perspectives
Inside This Issue
Support REAP
A True Winter Bird
Processing Native Seed
The Presidential Season
Forest Park Museum
Outreach
Presidential Trivia
First Year Reflections
50 Years of
A Sand County Almanac
Calendar of Events
Teachers & Youth:
Staying Connected with
the Natural World
Donations
Support REAP
By Mike Wallace, Director
During the upcoming state legislative session
it is important to support the REAP
(Resource Enhancement and Protection)
program. This grant program has been a
source of valuable, although sometimes
inconsistent, funding for water quality
programs, habitat enhancement, recreational
activities, historical preservation, and
environmental education. Yes, I have written
about the REAP program in the past, but it is such an important tool for the
conservation of our natural resources that I would like to keep it fresh in your
minds and once again ask for public support.
The REAP program impacts many different entities in a positive way. It is a
program that invests in the enhancement and protection of the state’s natural and
cultural resources. REAP is funded by the Environmental First Fund (Iowa
gaming receipts and the sale of natural resource license plates). REAP funds go
into eight different programs based upon percentages that are specified by law.
Each year the first $350,000 goes to Conservation Education; 1% of the balance
goes to DNR administration. The remaining balance is distributed as follows:
DNR open space 28%, city parks and open spaces 15%, soil and water
enhancement 20%, county conservation 20%, DNR land management 9%,
historical resources 5%, and roadside vegetation 3%.
~Continued on page 14
[email protected] ♦ www.co.dallas.ia.us/conservation/dccd.html
Nature Lore
A True Winter Bird
By Bob Myers, Park Ranger/Biologist
When most people think of winter birds in Iowa, they
think of those species that come to their bird feeders
during those long, cold and snowy months. There is a
truly representative Iowa winter bird that most likely
won’t be found at any of our feeders, however. This bird
is the Snow Bunting. It even has “snow” in its name.
They are sometimes known as “Snowflakes,” because
they show a lot of white flashing in their wings when they
fly, and look like large snowflakes blowing in the wind.
Snow Buntings are not usually birds of urban areas, but
are more apt to be found along country roads in very
open areas. Feeding on weed seeds along the road, they
will swirl up in front of approaching cars, then seemingly
disappear in an open field of snow.
Snow Bunting (male)
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Snow Buntings are birds of the extremely far north. In
fact, no other land bird breeds as far north and no other
perching bird except the Common Raven winters as far north as does the Snow Bunting. Snow Buntings are termed
circumpolar, meaning that their breeding range extends around the world at very high latitudes. In North America this
includes the arctic regions of northern Alaska and northern Canada. In the winter, some of these cold-thriving birds
venture south in search of a better food supply and may end up as far south as southern Iowa and across the central
latitudes of the world. Not all Snow Buntings come as far south as Iowa in the winter; many will remain at latitudes
equal to central Canada or even southern Alaska.
Snow Buntings have some interesting characteristics and habits that enable them to survive in such harsh climates.
They and some of their very close relatives are the only perching birds that have feathered tarsi (legs), which probably
help them cope with very cold temperatures. These birds are also known to bury themselves deep into snow so they
can withstand temperatures below -50° F.
Snow Buntings forage for food on the ground. They mostly eat seeds, but will take insects when they are available.
When they are “down south,” they are usually found in weedy fields or flat, open, rocky or barren areas such as
beaches, plowed fields or the edges of roads. It is amazing that they can find sustenance in such desolate-looking
places. In Iowa, they are often found in the company of Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs.
This species is usually not too hard to identify. Snow buntings are about 6” to 7” long with a wingspan of about 12”.
The male in breeding plumage is spectacular, being bright white with a black back, black flight feathers on the wings,
and a black wedge on the tail. The female has the white, but the back is more brownish, and the head will show some
brownish streaks. Males and females in their non-breeding (winter) plumage have more brownish, streaked backs and
brown markings on the head. Winter plumaged birds have largely white wings highlighted by black flight feathers.
Summer birds have a black bill which changes to an orange-yellow color in the winter.
Most species of birds that look different between their breeding plumage and winter plumage go through two separate
molts to reach each plumage. Snow Buntings are unique; they only undergo one molt at the end of each summer.
This molt leaves them with the brown color on the back and head (winter plumage). Throughout the winter,
Snow Buntings rub their feathers against the snow; this activity wears off the brownish feather tips to reveal the
breeding plumage hidden beneath. Perhaps this method saves energy that would otherwise be used to produce two
sets of feathers each year (only my guess!).
~Continued on page 10
2
Wildlife Management
Processing Native Seeds
By Justin Smith, Natural Resources Manager
High-quality prairie reconstructions require a very diverse mixture of seed to be successful. However, purchasing a
seed mix of this quality can be very expensive. In order to cover the large number of acres which we manage with
these quality mixes, the Dallas County Conservation Board works cooperatively with other entities in order to produce
some of our own seed. We currently produce 12 species of native grass and approximately 70 species of wildflowers
which are harvested from June through October.
When the harvest is done, more work must be completed before this seed can be utilized. Prior to use or storage,
collected seed must be dried, hand-screened, stripped, or mechanically cleaned to remove impurities such as excess
chaff, stems, leaves, trash, and weed seeds. We use a variety of techniques and machines to achieve this.
Directly after collection, the harvested seed heads need to be dried. This is accomplished by blowing air over the seed
with household box fans or special drying boxes with blowers attached. Excess moisture in the seed and unwanted
material which is inadvertently collected can begin to decompose, which in turn heats up the seed and reduces
viability. After drying, the seed is ready to go through a series of steps to separate the good seed from the chaff. Each
species poses a specific challenge to clean properly. Differences in the seed head, seed size, seed shape, and seed
weight all factor into the methods that we use.
Many of the seeds that we harvest are contained in pods,
seed heads, or may still be attached to stems or other
appendages of the parent plant. To remove the seeds from
the pods we may simply place the seed pods in a plastic
tub and stomp on them to break them apart, or we may
use a specialized piece of equipment on larger lots called a
hammermill. The hammermill is a machine which is made
up of a rotating shaft with many plastic fingers or
“hammers” which are contained in a chamber. As the seed
heads are fed into the machine the hammers spin around
and break the seed heads apart. The seed and chaff are
dropped into a bucket below the machine, ready for the
next step.
The seed of many grass species have appendages called
awns. These need to be removed to improve seed flow for Hammermill with small fanning mill behind and to the right.
other steps in the cleaning process and for improved flow
through planting equipment. For this process we use a special piece of equipment called a de-bearder. The de-bearder
consists of a machine comprised of a rotating shaft with projecting metal bars inside a hollow cylinder. Seed is fed into
the cylinder, and as the chamber fills, the rotating bars cause the seed to rub against itself, eventually breaking the
awns off. Care must be used to avoid putting too much seed in the machine or leaving it in too long, because the seed
may heat up, reducing viability.
Next we need to separate the seed from the chaff. For this step we use a machine called a fanning mill. The fanning
mill consists of a series of screens with different sized holes which are selected for the particular species we are
cleaning. The first screen scalps off the largest waste material, allowing the smaller seed and trash to fall through to the
next screen. The next screen sifts the seed and similarly sized material from the smallest trash. Then the seed and
similarly sized material passes through a column of blowing air. This air speed is adjusted so that the heavy (good)
seed falls into the hopper at the bottom of the machine. The light (bad) seed and trash are blown out of the machine
as waste. At this point, many of the species are ready for use or storage.
~Continued on page 13
3
Historical & Cultural News
The Presidential Season
By Rod Stanley, Museum Assistant
By the time you read this, the presidential election will be
history and the United States will have a new presidentelect ready to take the oath of office in January. This new
president will face some of the biggest challenges in recent
memory. I thought it would be interesting to list some
facts about past presidents and the presidency, and test
your presidential knowledge with a few trivia questions.
How many of you know what the constitutional
qualifications are for a presidential candidate? There are
actually only three. A person must be 35 years old, a
natural born citizen, and have been a resident of the
United States for fourteen years. Including Barak Obama,
there have been forty-four United States presidents. One
man served non-consecutive terms—Grover Cleveland
was our 22nd president, and later our 24th president.
Presidential Exhibit, Hastie Hall
Of the presidents who have been elected, four died of natural causes while in office, four were assassinated, one
resigned from office, and two were impeached but not convicted. Could you name the presidents I am talking about?
The four that died of natural causes were William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Warren Harding, and Franklin
Roosevelt. The four presidents who were assassinated were Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, and
John F. Kennedy. Richard Nixon resigned, and Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached. There have been
seventeen assassination attempts against sitting presidents, former presidents, and president-elects.
William Henry Harrison served the shortest time in office: only 32 days. Franklin D. Roosevelt served the longest; he
was elected to four terms as president. He served twelve years and died in office before completing his final term.
Everyone knows that if something happens to the president the vice president takes over, but what if something
happens to the vice president? The next person in line to be president after the VP is the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, followed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and then the cabinet posts.
The State of the Union Address is given every January by
the president, as required by the Constitution. The first to
personally address the Congress was Woodrow Wilson,
and this has been the practice ever since. Prior to Wilson,
the presidents sent a written State of the Union message to
Congress. Thomas Jefferson began that custom.
If you are interested in learning more about the presidents,
visit the Presidential Exhibit on display through the
winter months in Hastie Hall at Forest Park Museum in
Perry. This exhibit of presidential autographs,
photographs, letters, and other memorabilia were collected
by Dallas County native and historic preservationist
William J. “Bill” Wagner.
Presidential Exhibit, Hastie Hall
Test your knowledge of Presidential Trivia by taking
the quiz on the opposite page!
4
Museum News
Forest Park Museum Outreach
By Pete Malmberg, Curator
One of my main duties at Dallas County Conservation is to promote the
museums and parks operated by the Conservation Board. As part of my
promotional efforts, I appear in several parades throughout Dallas
County, one or two trade shows each year, and farmers markets
throughout Central Iowa. I am also a board member of Discover Dallas
County, a county tourism group, and the Travel Federation of Iowa, a
lobbying organization for Iowa tourism.
While these efforts can be time consuming, I enjoy them and they have
Dallas County Tourism Display
resulted in steadily increased visitation at our museums and parks.
Outreach efforts using artifacts, live animals and printed materials also
allow us to educate the public about issues ranging from land and historic preservation to the increasingly precarious
state of reptiles and amphibians. Over the coming year, I will be working with Sharon Dixon of Inbound Tours to
promote group travel in Dallas County. Sharon has developed very exciting tour itineraries, and working with her will
increase awareness of the terrific attractions found here in Dallas County.
One of the positives coming out of our financial and energy crises is the increased attention local residents are paying
to attractions found within a sixty mile radius of their homes. Over the past two years we have seen many people who
had been unaware of nearby attractions discover and visit these places on a regular basis. The future of local tourism
looks very bright.
Presidential Trivia
1. What president made sure his six horses got their teeth brushed each day?
2. Who was the original “Renaissance Man” dabbling in architecture, botany, and engineering, and who
collected a huge library?
3. What cigar-addicted, former-military president also liked to paint and draw?
4. An assassin shot this president, and he lived for 80 days before dying.
5. This Democrat had a stamp collection of over 25,000 stamps.
6. What recent president compulsively doodled while working?
7. What president flew 58 combat missions in WWII?
8. What president was shot in the shoulder during the Revolutionary War, but never had the bullet removed?
9. What president was remembered for skinny dipping in the Potomac?
10. What frontiersman had a pet parrot named Poll that cussed up a storm?
11. This president did not attend a day of school.
12. This president had his jaw bone replaced with a rubber one because of cancer.
13. Who was known as the “Trustbuster” and “Rough Rider”? Shot by an assassin while giving a speech, he
continued speaking with the bullet still in him.
14. Who got stuck in the White House bathtub because he weighed 332 pounds? He was also the first president
to take up golf.
(Answers on page 10)
5
Historical & Cultural News
First Year Reflections
By Rod Stanley, Museum Assistant
Wow! How time flies when you’re having fun! It has been a year since I started working here at Dallas County
Conservation. After retiring from teaching in the public schools for 35 years, this is a new adventure for me. When I
applied for this job, I thought it would be a good fit because I had taught history for many years and have always been
interested in relics of the past. I grew up in Dexter, which is in southwest Dallas County, but had never heard of
Forest Park Museum. That is unfortunate, because it is a fantastic small town museum with many artifacts from Dallas
County’s past. Pete Malmberg, museum curator, has done a great job of organizing and displaying these artifacts. In
my position as “Museum Assistant,” I have been involved in setting up displays, cleaning and sorting artifacts, making
copies of collections, and labeling artifacts in Hastie and Baldwin, our two exhibit halls. I’ve learned about many tasks
and am still learning about my job. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks!
One of my main responsibilities has been the development and
presentation of historical and cultural programs about Dallas County
places and events, and I’ve been surprised by the response; there is a
great interest in local history. It’s like being in the classroom again, only
my “students” are a bit older and wiser. The other exciting thing for me
is that many of my older “students” actually experienced these historical
events. What better way to learn about history than from someone who
was really there?
By far the most requested program has been “Bonnie & Clyde’s
Shootout at Dexfield Park.” Isn’t it interesting that people are still
fascinated by two outlaws who spent time in Dexter in the 1930s? It was
exciting to talk with Marvelle Feller, one of the last survivors who was an
active participant in that event. Doris Feller, Marvelle’s daughter-in-law,
has also shared his story with the public.
Other programs include “The Interurban Railway,” “Ghost Towns of
Dallas County,” “President Truman’s 1948 Visit to Dexter,” “Dexfield
Amusement Park,” “Secrets of the Presidents,” “Town of Angus,”
“Waukee’s Superior Popcorn Company,” and “Critters of Dallas
County.” These have been fun to give and I’ve learned a lot myself. Be
sure to contact the Dallas County Conservation Board if you’d like to
schedule one of these programs for your group.
We’ve also had many school groups come to the museum for programs.
I’ve had a good time playing the role of an 1890’s school teacher. I
thought I was a pretty tough teacher in my day, but I’m nothing like a
teacher of that era. I don’t think modern students could survive the rules
or discipline of an 1890’s school.
Fall brought the opportunity to work with the naturalists at the Kuehn
Conservation Area. Naturalist Chris Adkins, who is also my brother-inlaw, and Laura Zaugg do a fantastic job teaching students about prairies
and the Native Americans who lived there thousands of years ago.
This has been quite a year for me, and I’ve enjoyed it immensely. I look
forward to the year ahead.
6
“Bonnie & Clyde” program onsite at old
Dexfield Park. Bottom photo: Rod Stanley
with Marvelle and Doris Feller.
Nature & The Naturalist
50 Years of Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac
By Chris Adkins, Naturalist
2009 marks the 50th anniversary of the printing of Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac. The Dallas County
Conservation Board will celebrate the anniversary of the publishing of this ecological literary benchmark with two new
environmental education initiatives. Look for our new A Dallas County Almanac feature on our website and join us for
a year-long series of bimonthly Leopold-inspired programs in our conservation areas.
First we invite you to join us as we create an almanac of our place. This new initiative will encourage you to journal
nature’s events and your observations as the seasons progress through a year here in Dallas County. A Dallas County
Almanac, our version of Leopold’s chronicling of nature’s lessons, will not be printed, nor will it be written by a
famous environmental author. Instead, A Dallas County Almanac will be posted on our board’s website, and it will be
written by YOU. With this Almanac we hope to create a place for you to practice observational skills and to gain the
awareness that Leopold models for us in his writings. The year-long creation of our Almanac is really a 12-month
environmental education lesson for its participants. It will require you, the authors, to practice your Leopold-like
observational skills and to develop a newfound awareness of the lessons of this land we call home. Let’s reference
Aldo’s own words to illustrate what we are striving for here. From A Sand County Almanac, March– The Geese Return:
“A March morning is only as drab as he who walks in it without a glance skyward, ear cocked for the geese.
I once knew an educated lady, banded by Phi Beta Kappa, who told me that she had never heard or seen
the geese that twice a year proclaim the revolving seasons to her well-insulated roof. Is education possibly a
process of trading awareness for things of lesser worth? The goose who trades his is soon a pile of feathers.”
By inviting you to help us write our A Dallas County Almanac we hope to help you avoid becoming a pile of feathers,
inhabiting a drab world. As an environmental educator, this passage from Leopold really gives me pause. Is education
as we often practice it really a trade of our awareness for things of lesser worth? What did your education do for you?
What trades have you made? Did you swap your awareness in the name of education? Is your well-insulated roof
preventing you from glancing skyward, cocking an ear, and listening for the proclamations of the lessons of Dallas
County? Has this trade for things of lesser worth left not only your world, but YOU, a bit drab?
For me, this trade was illuminated in the epiphany of a return to an
uneducated state of awareness. I am a trained biologist. That is what my
educational degree proclaims. I was banded by the School of Biology,
Bachelor of Science, Central College, class of 1980. This educational trade
gave me many things of lesser worth and in many instances, a state of less
awareness. As an example, upon graduation, I could tell you that the
scientific name for the monarch butterfly is Danaus plexippus. This organism
belongs to the phylum– Arthropoda, class– Insecta, order– Lepidoptera and
family– Nymphalidae. What I could not tell you upon the completion of my
education, as I was completely unaware, was that this Danaus plexippus
proclaims twice a year a connection to the revolving seasons. I knew my
bugs, but had no awareness. Fifteen years ago I reversed this trade. Through
my observations as part of a research project to tag monarchs and investigate
their migrations, I became aware. Monarchs are no longer just a wellclassified bug. My world is less drab. My calendar now bears an awareness of
this as it notes the southward passing mass of northern monarchs through
our county, sometime between September 8th to the 20th. Our un-drab
skies are filled with hundreds of these orange and black awarenesses. How
could I have missed this phenomena for all those years? I guess my roof was
well-insulated by things of lesser value.
~Continued on page 11
7
Calendar of Events
Winter 2009
January
January
Cross Country Skiing
Live Bald Eagle Presentation
Sunday, January 11 ~ 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Earlham Community School Auditorium
Eagle migration has begun and Iowa is
prime wintering grounds for Bald Eagles,
not to mention home to many nesting bald
eagles through the summer. Kay Neumann,
wildlife rehabilitator from SOAR (Saving
Our Avian Resources), will bring a live bald
eagle to this program. Come see a live bald eagle up-close and
learn about eagle natural history, adaptations, nesting habitats,
and factors affecting bald eagles today.
Saturday, January 17 ~ Voas Nature Area, Minburn
Sunday, January 18 ~ Kuehn Conservation Area , Earlham
Both sessions begin at 1 p.m.
These free workshops are for beginning skiers who are ready
to explore the winter outdoors. Cross country skiing is an
active stimulus for both mind and body, and it is easy to learn.
Participants will be instructed indoors, then invited to ski on the
many trails at Voas Nature Area or Kuehn Conservation Area.
Skis provided by DCCB, or bring your own. This program is
weather-dependent. Space is limited; registration is
required for this FREE program.
Nature Tots: Winter Session
Dancing with the Stars– Part 3: Star Gazing
Tuesday, January 20 ~ 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Kuehn Conservation Area, Earlham
The winter skies of Dallas County are
amazing. The air is crisp, the moon
will be waning and the stars will be
“dancing”. All of the star characters/
constellations and stories that we
introduced you to back in October at
our Halloween Hike are locked in the
great celestial waltz overhead. This is your chance to take your
StarLab training from back in December and go wild out
under the heavens. We will supply you with a star wheel and
lead you through guided identification of the constellations so
that you can return home to your backyard skies and enjoy the
“dance” every night of the year.
Registration is required for this FREE program.
Wednesdays ~ 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Kuehn Conservation Area, Earlham
This popular program returns with a winter session of nature
programs for pre-schoolers. Children ages 3-5 years old,
accompanied by an adult, are invited to explore nature as a
team. Each of the four sessions includes a story, craft or art
project, and activities based on a nature theme.
January 14- Mammal Mania
February 11- All About Owls!
March 11- Bouncing Bunnies
April 8 - Go Green!
Space is limited; registration is required. Fee: $3 per child
per session, or $10 per child for all four sessions.
Fly Tying Workshop
Wednesday, January 14 ~ 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Kuehn Conservation Area, Earlham
Experts from the Central
Iowa Fly Fishers Club will
teach the basics of fly tying.
There is an $8 charge for the
provided materials, payable at
the workshop. Space is
limited; registration is
required.
Winter of the Owl: Adaptations of Nocturnal Predators
Tuesday, January 27 ~ 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Kuehn Conservation Area, Earlham
For those of you seeking a deeper understanding of the lives
of our nocturnal predators, this program is for you. The guest
speakers at this indoor presentation will be the live owls our
department houses. Utilizing these wild teachers along with
mounts, talents, skulls and wings we will attempt to answer
your questions and broaden your appreciation of hunting, on
wing, in the nighttime wilds of Dallas County.
Registration is required for this FREE program.
For more information, or to register for any of our programs, contact:
Dallas County Conservation Board
14581 K Ave. ♦ Perry, Iowa 50220
515-465-3577
[email protected]
www.co.dallas.ia.us/conservation/dccd.html
8
Calendar of Events
Winter 2009
February
February
A Dallas County Almanac:
Winter Thaw and The Good Oak
2009 Bald Eagle Watch
Sunday, February 22 ~ noon – 4 p.m.
Saylorville Reservoir
The Dallas County Conservation Board, Polk County
Conservation Board, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Des Moines Audubon Society, and the Iowa Department of
Natural Resources are again joining forces to present the 2009
Bald Eagle Watch. This year’s event begins at the Saylorville
Reservoir Visitor Center, located near the east end of
Saylorville Dam, where visitors can view educational displays
and programming on eagles. Visitors will then be directed on a
drive around Saylorville Lake where they will find observation
stations located at different vantage points and learn more
about issues concerning eagles and other wildlife species. The
tour may include a live bald eagle on hand for close study at
Jester Park. Everyone is welcome to join in this fun-filled,
educational afternoon. Weather permitting; no registration
is required for this FREE program.
Sunday, February 1 ~ 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Kuehn Conservation Area, Earlham
This is the first of this year’s bimonthly
programs celebrating the 50-year
anniversary of Aldo Leopold’s book,
A Sand County Almanac. At this gathering we will reflect on the
almanac entries for January and February. Join us as we
explore the landscape at Kuehn for stories written in the tracks
of the area’s wildlife. Additionally, we will share a bon-fire and
examine the history revealed as the blade of our bucksaw
transects the story recorded in the growth rings of a “good
oak”. Registration is required for this FREE program.
Winter of the Owl: Owl Prowl - Night Hike
Thursday, February 5 ~ 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Kuehn Conservation Area, Earlham
We have changed the format of our annual Owl Prowl to
accommodate you wild learners seeking a strictly outdoor
classroom experience. We will begin our prowl around a
bonfire with a feathered version of “Name that Tune” to
identify the calls of our local owl species. Next we will venture
out into the woodland trails of Kuehn and call the owls in
hopes that they will respond to our query.
Registration is required for this FREE program.
Winter Gun Show & Lecture
Sunday, February 22 ~ 1:30- 3:00 p.m.
Forest Park Museum, Perry
Take an up-close look at the museum’s extensive military
firearms collection, share your own military artifacts, and learn
more about these weapons of war.
Winter of the Owl: Owl Pellet Exploration
Great Backyard Bird Count
Thursday, February 26 ~ 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Kuehn Conservation Area
This program may take the cake for the weirdest offering of
the year. Realize, we are inviting you to join us as we dissect
OWL PUKE! How gross is that? Actually, once you get
beyond the fact that an owl barfed the object of your study,
the gross factor disappears and we will have you hooked.
What can be learned by examining an owl pellet? Here we can
find the answer to the question, not “guess who is coming to
dinner”, but “guess who was dinner”. Your pellet will reveal to
you the hunting and eating habits of your owl and serve as a
window into an newfound awareness and appreciation of our
local feathered night-shift predators.
Registration is required for this FREE program.
Saturday, February 14 ~ 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Kuehn Conservation Area, Earlham
The Great Backyard Bird Count is a citizen scientists project
that encourages amateur birders to participate in a research
study examining bird populations and distribution patterns. By
observing the birds visiting their feeders during the count’s
four days, February 13 - 16, and submitting their data, birders
can assist scientists in their efforts to protect and conserve our
feathered friends.
Join us for a crash course in bird
identification and a visit to Kuehn’s Bird
Viewing Blind. Your observations at the
Blind will be submitted to the Bird Count
and you will be trained and ready to
return to your home feeders as research
scientists.
Registration is required for this program. Contact us if you
would like to view and record birds on one of the other days
of the Count at the Blind at Kuehn.
9
Calendar of Events
A True Winter Bird
March
~continued from page 2
Build a Bluebird House
Nesting habits are also very interesting. In
early April, males return from their
vacation in the “South” to the breeding
grounds. Temperatures at that time can still get down to
below -20° F. These birds nest in cavities in rocky areas;
prime nesting sites can be at a premium. The males come
back early so they can stake out and defend the best
territories.
Saturday, March 7 ~ 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Kuehn Conservation Area
Migrating bluebirds are looking for a home and now is the
perfect time to prepare for their return. Join us as we explore
the fascinating lives of these winged jewels, build a bluebird
house to take home, learn where to place the box, how to
monitor the box, and how to deal with competitors and
predators. There is an $8.00 charge for materials.
Registration is required for this program.
Amphibians of Dallas County
Sunday, March 8 ~ 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Voas Conservation Area
Anytime now, we will be blessed with
the first amphibian song of the
spring. Frogs and toads may not have
the glitz and glamour of other wildlife
species, but your world is definitely poorer if you ignore these
wild residents and their springtime serenades. Can you identify
our local croakers? There are more than twenty amphibian
species statewide, but which of them share Dallas County with
you? We’ll introduce you to our local amphibians so that you
can recognize them by sight and sound. Once we have trained
you as an expert local herpetologist, we encourage you to use
your skills by volunteering to provide field data for the Iowa
Department of Natural Resource Frog and Toad Survey. It’s
not easy being green, especially in today’s Dallas County. Learn
how you can help ensure that future springs will continue to
have their wild sound tracks.
Registration is required for this FREE program.
Adel Bank Robbery Tour
Date and time to be announced.
Onsite in Adel
Relive this exciting episode in Dallas County history!
The females arrive four to six weeks later and pair up.
The nests are bulky affairs made of grass lined with fur
and feathers for warmth. Two to seven eggs make up a
normal clutch. The eggs are creamy white with a ring of
reddish spots around the large end and need about 10 to
16 days of incubation to hatch.
Because of potentially very cold temperatures, the male
feeds the female as she sits on the eggs so the eggs are
not exposed to freezing weather. The young leave the
nest 10 to 17 days after hatching. In some parts of
Alaska, people put out nest boxes for Snow Buntings just
as we do for Bluebirds.
Most Snow Buntings show up in Iowa in November or
December and may stay into March. While many of us
dread the approach of winter, bird watchers look
forward each year to the arrival of these visitors from
the far north. A flock of “Snowflakes” drifting across
the road in front of your car makes you marvel at how
those little feathered bundles can make such a long
journey in such harsh weather, and what it must be like
to live in such a remote part of the world as they have
come from and will be going back to.
Incidentally, for you trivia fans, a flock or group of Snow
Buntings is actually referred to as a drift of Snow
Buntings. How appropriate is that?!
Vermicomposting—Make Your Own Bin
Thursday, March 26 ~ 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Kuehn Conservation Area, Earlham
Worm poop is the best compost! Vermicomposting is the
process of using worms to process food waste into nutrientrich soil. If you want to go green with your houseplants or in
your garden, why not start a vermicomposting bin? You can
make fertile, odorless compost, even in an apartment or
classroom. You will build your own vermicomposting bin to
take home, complete with worms and everything you need to
know to take care of it. There is a $10.00 charge for materials.
Registration is required for this program.
Answers to Presidential Trivia: 1. George Washington,
2. Thomas Jefferson, 3. Ulysses Grant, 4. James Garfield,
5. Franklin Roosevelt, 6. Ronald Reagan,
7. George H.W. Bush, 8. James Monroe, 9. John Quincy
Adams, 10. Andrew Jackson, 11. Andrew Johnson,
12. Grover Cleveland,. 13. Theodore Roosevelt,
14. William Howard taft
10
Nature & The Naturalist
50 Years of Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac ~continued from page 7
This is an example of the reversal of the trade, back to awareness, that we hope our A Dallas County Almanac can foster
in you. It all begins with observation, and in this act Leopold was a master. Return to A Sand County Almanac, March–
The Geese Return, to question what you might gain if you begin to observe:
“In thus watching the daily routine of a spring goose convention, one notices the
prevalence of singles– lone geese that do much flying about and much talking. One is apt
to impute a disconsolate tone to their honkings, and to jump to the conclusion that they
are broken-hearted widowers, or mothers hunting their lost children. The seasoned
ornithologist knows, however, that such subjective interpretation of bird behavior is risky.
I long tried to keep an open mind on the question.
After my students and I had counted for half a dozen years the number of geese
comprising a flock, some unexpected light was cast on the meaning of lone geese. It was
found by mathematical analysis that flocks of six or multiples of six were far more
frequent than chance alone would dictate. In other words, goose flocks are families, or
aggregations of families, and lone geese in spring are probably just what our fond
imaginings had first suggested. They are bereaved survivors of the winter’s shooting,
searching in vain for their kin. Now I am free to grieve with and for the lone honkers.”
Leopold at the “Shack”
where he wrote
What a gift this observation and awareness of Aldo’s has been for me. March in Dallas
A Sand County Almanac
County: a time when drab can be overwhelming. Winter has overstayed its welcome, yet
spring is reluctant to proclaim its arrival. In this drab no-man’s land I am able to see
myself in those singles: the lone goose. Flying about, and much talking, in a disconsolate tone, expressing the ache
caused by the loss of a loved one in the inescapable turning of the seasons. Together we now grieve. A shared sorrow,
cast out in the honk of a lone goose across the land. A shared hope in this same voice echoing through the sky. A new
awareness of the connection of the seasons of my life to that of my fellow journeyers. I’m not feeling so drab, alone,
or disconnected anymore. Educated? Aware? Connected.
In the coming year, I look forward to learning from your shared observations and awarenesses. A Dallas County
Almanac will give us a place to post our own individual connections to the land as they play out through the turning
seasons. If your personal calendar already chronicles events, you can uneducate us all with your postings. If your wellinsulated roof has prevented you from celebrating these events, here is an invitation to begin anew in this anniversary
year. Initiate your awareness. Make an observation. Share it on the Almanac and regain the things of greater worth
offered by a wild Dallas County.
To be an almanacer , share your observations by e-mailing them to [email protected]. Please list
ALMANAC, as the subject title of your e-mail so it comes to our attention. You can share any natural event that has
gained your awareness. If you have an image, in a digital format, that illustrates your awareness, you can submit it also.
We will add your contribution to our almanac and you will be able to view your submission, along with those shared
by fellow almanacers, by going to our website at www.co.dallas.ia.us/conservation/dccd.html. On our home
page, just click on the tab, A Dallas County Almanac, and enjoy.
Together, with each month of the progressing seasons of 2009, we will avoid becoming a pile of feathers, and take
note of the wonders about us. Maybe you need some help honing these new observation skills and developing an
awareness that connects you to the land. That is where the second new initiative of 2009 comes into play. We will host
a series of bimonthly programs throughout the year based on the writings of Leopold. Each of these seasonal
programs will focus on the observations and connections Leopold shared in his writings. This series of programs will
begin with our January/February program: “January Thaw & The Good Oak.” Each of these programs is designed to
help you to pull off that well-insulated roof and peer out into the wilds of Dallas County. See the Calendar of Events
listings on page 9 of this newsletter for details.
11
Wildlife
Teachers and Youth—Staying Connected with the Natural World
By Laura Zaugg, Naturalist
“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult, who can
share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.”
~Rachel Carson
Maple Grove—Waukee– 5th Grade—Indigenous People
Photo courtesy of Dick Craven
Adel DeSoto Minburn 6th Grade—Hatchet/Survival
A big THANK YOU to all the schools and teachers who worked
so hard to get their students out to the wilds of Dallas County.
The “classroom” for over 1,000 students (and many parents) in
September and October was a field day at one of our county
conservation parks, the Middle Raccoon River, or Neal Smith
National Wildlife Refuge. These schools and teachers know the
importance of getting youth outside and keeping them
connected to the natural world. So whether they learn about
animals, survival, water quality, orienteering, native peoples, or
monarchs, one thing is for sure—these students are deepening
their relationship with the natural world, and these experiences
will stay with them for a lifetime.
If you have paid any attention in the last few years to youth and
the outdoors, you have heard about a book called “Last Child in
the Woods—Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit
Disorder” by Richard Louv. Louv describes in his book how
within the space of a few decades, the way children experience
and understand nature has changed radically. This book explores
the increasing divide between the young and the natural world,
and the environmental, social, psychological, and spiritual
implications of that change. Research reveals that our mental,
physical, and spiritual health is directly linked to our association
with nature—in positive ways.
Dallas County Conservation Board’s Environmental Education
program focuses on getting classes out to the wilds of Dallas
County. The content of our school field day programs link back
to what students are learning in school. For example, our high
school water ecology river floats allow the Earlham and
Winterset ecology and biology students to do real hands-on
water testing, to capture and investigate the critters they learn
about in school, to see erosion happening instead of reading
about it, and most importantly, to form a connection with the
river that learning about it in the classroom cannot provide.
It is this connection which allows students to “rediscover the joy,
excitement and mystery” of the river, come to understand the
river, and with this connection and understanding, come to love
it enough to care for it.
~Continued on page 13
Earlham High School Ecology Class—Water Quality
12
Wildlife
Teachers and Youth—Staying Connected with the Natural World ~continued from page 12
Thank you to the following schools and their teachers for visiting the wilds of Dallas County this fall. Thanks to you,
the youth of Dallas County will not be the last children in the woods.
Adel Desoto Minburn 2nd, 4th, 6th, & 7th
Dallas Center-Grimes 3rd & 5th Grades
Earlham 4th, 5th 6th & 8th Grades &
High School Ecology Class
Winterset High School Biology Class
Brookview-Waukee—5th Grade
Eason-Waukee—5th Grade
Maple Grove-Waukee—5th Grade
Walnut Hills-Waukee—5th Grade
Waukee Elementary—5th Grade
DC-Grimes 5th Grade
—Monarchs
“Children are born with a sense of wonder and an affinity for nature.
Properly cultivated, these values can mature into ecological literacy, and
eventually into sustainable patterns of living.”
~Zenobia Barlow
Earlham 8th —Indigenous People
Processing Native Seeds ~continued from page 3
The species in the Legume family require one more
step called scarification. These seeds have a very
hard coat which needs to be scratched to allow
water to enter the seed and start the process of
germination. The scarifier is a machine made up of
a rotating shaft with paddles on it. The paddles
tumble the seed around inside of a canister which
is covered with fine sandpaper. After a few seconds of tumbling, the seed surface has been
scratched and the seed is ready to be planted.
There are several benefits to processing our seed.
By removing appendages and chaff from the seed
we greatly improve germination because it
improves seed-to-soil contact. It also takes less
space in our storage facilities and flows through
seeding equipment better, making for more
accurate seeding rates.
Large fanning mill
13
Woodland/Prairie Perspectives
Support REAP ~continued from page 1
When grants are submitted for funding, they are presented to the local county REAP committee. The REAP law has
designated specific entities in the county to have membership on the committee. This includes, but is not limited to:
the County Board of Supervisors, County Conservation Board, Commissioners of Soil and Water Districts, Board of
Directors of each school district in the county, cities in the county, farm organizations, Pheasants Forever, Ducks
Unlimited, and other recognized wildlife, conservation, environmental, recreational, conservation education, or
historical-cultural preservation groups. As can be seen by the sample listing of organizations that support this grass
roots program, the program benefits a diverse group of players.
County conservation REAP funds are available through a competitive grant process and some of the funds are
distributed based on the population of the county and on a per county basis. The competitive grants are also
available to cities for parks and open space projects. The local REAP County committees review and provide
comments for the proposed grants, but do not award or score the grants. The basic duty of county REAP
committees is to coordinate plans and projects developed by cities, counties, and soil and water districts. Committee
members look for opportunities to link projects and to make projects complement one another. They can offer
suggestions, but the ultimate decisions are made by the county conservation boards, soil and water districts, and cities
that receive funding.
The REAP program is very important to the management of our natural resources and programs. Dallas County
entities have been very successful in obtaining REAP grants; several applied for REAP grants this past summer and
were fortunate to receive funding. Those getting REAP grants this year include: Dallas County Conservation Board
(land acquisitions consisting of the Kuehn Conservation Area Addition and the Wagner Acquisition. The Wagner
project is part of the North Raccoon River Wildlife Area), and the City of Dallas Center (RRVT development).
In previous years the cities of Perry, Dawson, Minburn, and Waukee have received grants from this program for the
RRVT Addition project. These funds, in conjunction with some Federal Enhancement grants, are being used to build
the new trail addition from Herndon to Waukee. These reimbursable grants have saved local cities and county
government thousands of dollars in local tax monies needed to fund such a significant trail project.
REAP dollars allocated to the Dallas County Conservation Board have been used as matching dollars for other grants
and used as leverage for additional grants and donations. These grants are vital to our ongoing programs, especially
during times of tight budgets. Acquisition and capital improvement dollars are hard to find. It is important to contact
our state legislators, thank them for their past support of REAP, and ask for their continued support this year. The
REAP program works, and is very much appreciated.
Donations ~
Raccoon River Valley Trail:
Laura & Joseph Herrity
Gaylord Victora
Mr. & Mrs. Remster
Bird Houses & Supplies:
Tom Lawson
Earlham Building Center
Forest Park Museum ~ Books:
Doug Volz
~thank you!
14
Donation Form
Yes! I would like to donate to the Dallas County Conservation Foundation to help support the
progress of our environment, our culture and our history through conservation in Dallas County
and the Central Iowa Region.
Enclosed is my gift of::
____$250 ____$500 ____$1,000 ____$5,000 ____$10,000 ____Other $_______
You may identify a special program or project you wish to support.
Raccoon River Greenbelt
$______
Trails and Recreation
$______
Historic & Cultural Resources
$______
Environmental Education
$______
Native American Celebration
$______
Natural Resources
$______
General Foundation Support
$______
Other: (Write in below)
$______
Write in: ___________________________________________________
Donor Name:
______________________________________________
Address:
______________________________________________
City, State, Zip:
______________________________________________
Phone Number:
___________________Email: _________________________________
Is your donation being made in memory or in honor of someone special? If so please complete
the following information:
In Memory of: ______________________________________________________
In Honor of:
______________________________________________________
Please send an acknowledgement card to: _________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
The Dallas County Conservation Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the
regulations of the Internal Revenue Service. All contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible
to the extent provided by the law.
Please return check payable to: Dallas County Conservation Foundation
14581 K Avenue, Perry IA 50220
If you have questions, please call Mike Wallace, Director, at 515-465-3577
15
Raccoon River Greenbelt Newsletter
Phone: (515) 465-3577
Fax: (515) 465-3579
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.co.dallas.ia.us/conservation/dccd.html
Dallas County Board of Supervisors
Bob Ockerman
Brad Golightly
Mark Hanson
Dallas County Conservation Board
Dennis Sondgeroth - Chairman
Craig Fleishman - Vice Chairman
Doug Volz
Ray Harden
Shirley Kiefer
No qualified individual with a disability will be excluded on the basis
of a disability from participation in meetings, hearings, programs,
activities or services conducted by the Dallas County Conservation Board.
To request information in an alternative format or request an
accommodation to participate in a meeting, hearing, program, activity or
service, contact the Dallas County Conservation Board, Forest Park,
14581 K Avenue, Perry, Iowa, 50220, (515) 465-3577
Dallas County Conservation Board Staff
Mike Wallace……...….…………..…..……...…………………...Executive Director
Sue Whitney………...….…………………………….…….Administrative Assistant
Bob Myers………………....…………………....….…….…...Park Ranger/Biologist
Pete Malmberg……….…Museum Curator/Hist. & Cultural Resources Coordinator
Chris Adkins……..………............Environmental Education Coordinator/Naturalist
Justin Smith………….……………...………………......Natural Resources Manager
Mike Beeler………….………………...…..…..…............Natural Resources Manager
Laura Zaugg………….…................................Assistant Youth Coordinator/Naturalist
Rod Stanley………………………………….……..…………….Museum Assistant
Beth Waage…….. ………………….…………………..………………....Naturalist
Alice Veen …………………….….…………….……..…...……..Office Assistant
Dennis Sutherland…………………….…..Seasonal Natural Resource Technician II
Jim Brauckman …………………...……....Seasonal Natural Resource Technician II
Mike Murphy………….…………………...Seasonal Natural Resource Technician I
Mike Adkins………………………….……Seasonal Natural Resource Technician I
Wayne Urness ………………………….... .Seasonal Natural Resource Technician I
Butch Hodson……………………………......………Seasonal Maintenance Worker
Troy Stevens ………………………………………..Seasonal Maintenance Worker
Jerry Allen……………………...………...……...… Seasonal Conservation Worker
Dan Archip ………………………………………....Seasonal Conservation Worker