Meeting nature photographers Linda and Robert Scarth today was both a pleasure and a bit surreal. I watched as they set up their cameras in Cedar Rapids and joked with them about bird-watching. It turned out that’s exactly what they had in mind. A young red-tailed hawk had fallen from its nest, or ventured out […]
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Category: The Great Outdoors
Emerald ash borer detected in five more ...
There is no holiday break from the dreaded emerald ash borer. The invasive beetle has been positively identified in an additional five counties in Iowa, bringing the statewide total to 18. Read more about the latest infestations from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources:
Raising awareness about one of Iowa’s be
Iowa’s Scenic Byways are among the state’s best-kept secrets. Each of Iowa’s nine state-designated and two nationally-designated byways offers a great way to experience the natural beauty, history and culture of the state. Now, more people will be able to learn about the landscape of the byways and what conservation systems are used to improve […]
Iowa man who chased and killed bald eagl...
Sometimes you just have to wonder what motivates people. If anyone has an answer behind this Iowan’s motivations in chasing down and killing a bald eagle, please share your thoughts. Fortunately, this guy will be paying a price for his actions, though some might wonder if the sentence is severe enough. The U.S. Fish and […]
Digging deeper into Greene Square in dow...
CEDAR RAPIDS – Park-goers will experience new lighting, a water feature and improved outdoor seating in downtown Cedar Rapids, after the City Council approved the Greene Square revitalization design plan at its meeting today. Work will likely begin next spring on the $1.95 million project, to be paid for through a private and public partnership […]
Tapping into nature in Iowa City
By Cindy Hadish/for Radish Magazine IOWA CITY — In the hands of children, sticks create walls for fairy houses, oversized zucchini turn into canoes and wooly bear caterpillars become pets for an afternoon. That imagination, and freedom, are what Iowa City-based Taproot Nature Experience taps into and fosters during its outings for area youths. Zac and […]
Greene Square Park moving into the futur...
CEDAR RAPIDS – The city’s oldest park will retain some of its past in the future. Renovation of Greene Square Park is targeted to begin next spring, with the previous design plan scrapped after public input. See the preliminary concept here. Heather Lynxwiler, an architect with OPN Architects, said that initial plan, with a curved […]
Mystery insect ID at the farm
Many Eastern Iowans know my sister, Margaret Wolter, from her years as a naturalist at the Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids. While she is now dedicating her work to teaching preschoolers, she still keeps nature at the forefront.
Fish discovered in Mississippi thought t...
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has found a fish thought to be long-gone in the state. State and national scientists are working to positively identify the fish, believed to be a longear sunfish, the DNR reported. If proven to be the species, this would be the first time in more than 80 years that […]
Wildlife encounter: “stand still and tal
Iowans typically don’t have to worry about a bear encounter in the state. While bear sightings have been reported occasionally, they’re generally rare and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources notes that no wild bear cubs have been in Iowa for at least 140 years. Until now. The DNR reported today that a landowner in […]