Our family’s heritage farm, known as Sandhill Acres, is located in rural Chelsea, Iowa, and while we seem to be in a constant battle with weeds, another battle takes place nearby along the Iowa River Corridor. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources notes that a program is underway to cut and bale reed canary grass […]
You are browsing archives for
Category: Environment
Survey finds Iowa lost more than 7 milli...
Iowans lost an estimated $20 million in annual benefits from urban tree canopy damaged by the hurricane-strength derecho in August 2020, according to the results of a recently completed survey conducted by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Findings were included in a report, available online at https://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/forestry/DerechoReport.pdf, which estimated nearly 4.5 million trees were […]
Derecho anniversary focuses on recovery ...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Survivors of Iowa’s devastating derecho windstorm on Aug. 10, 2020, can join together to mark recovery efforts during a community-wide event in Cedar Rapids. The nonprofit Together We Achieve is hosting a Derecho Anniversary Festival from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, at Greene Square in downtown Cedar Rapids. See photos […]
Before and after: Cargill cuts path of d...
Cargill made quick work of what had been a nature refuge in the city of Cedar Rapids, home to birds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Just this weekend, the 28-acre Prairie Pollinator Zone at Otis Avenue and Stewart Road SE was teeming with life. See final photos of the Prairie Pollinator Zone. On Monday, June […]
Pollinator Week celebrated in Cedar Rapi...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Destruction of a large-scale prairie pollinator zone in Cedar Rapids began this week, coinciding with international Pollinator Week. Dragonflies, bees, birds, skippers and swallowtail and monarch butterflies could be seen flitting among the native wildflowers blooming in the 28-acre prairie at Stewart Road and Otis Avenue SE on Thursday, June 24, […]
City Council dashes last hopes to save p...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Cedar Rapids City Council dashed any remaining hopes that residents and nature lovers held to save a Prairie Pollinator Zone from destruction. Council members unanimously passed a number of resolutions related to an agreement with multinational corporation Cargill to build a 200-car, 12-track railyard on a 28-acre property on Stewart […]
City Council to consider further agreeme...
UPDATE Monday, April 12, 2021: Cargill posted recordings of two meetings with neighbors to YouTube today. From Jan. 20, 2021: https://youtu.be/O1cKqFYhqp4 From March 31, 2021: https://youtu.be/1F5eOmrpzaA CEDAR RAPIDS — Residents of a neighborhood where Cargill plans to build an industrial railyard hold out hope for one last chance to stop the destruction of a prairie […]
DNR: Popular aquarium product sold in Io...
Authorities are asking Iowans to properly dispose of an aquarium product, which could contain an invasive species that can harm Iowa’s waterways. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed that the popular product — sold at some aquarium supply stores and pet stores in Iowa — may contain zebra mussels, a highly invasive […]
Spring forward this weekend for Daylight...
With the snow finally melted in Iowa, the past week has felt more like spring, so this weekend will be a timely switch as we “spring ahead” with our clocks to Daylight Saving Time. The change happens at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 14, 2021, the second Sunday of March. While we lose an hour of […]
How to help replant trees in derecho dev...
UPDATE March 11, 2021: The ReLeaf website has launched at https://confluence.mysocialpinpoint.com/releaf-cedar-rapids CEDAR RAPIDS — Seven months after a hurricane-strength windstorm devastated huge swaths of Iowa, the city of Cedar Rapids remains on a long road to recovery. Nearly 200 people took part Tuesday, March 9, in ReLeaf Cedar Rapids, a virtual public meeting, to learn […]