Conservation Connection
Troubleshooting a Rain Garden
Rain gardens are a stormwater management solution that’s simple enough to tackle as a DIY project. However, I’ve noticed a few things that can go wrong. Here are some tips to avoid them!
Create a Native Plant Sensory Garden!
A sensory garden involves all of your senses (taste, touch, smell, sound, and sight) making it a great learning opportunity for young children, adults with mental disabilities, or really anyone! These are the plants I would use if I wanted to create an Iowa native sensory garden!
How to Miss the Point Entirely
This letter is a satire of DNR’s latest response to the EPA’s partial disapproval of Iowa’s 2024 list of impaired waters. This dispute between federal and state agencies may have no impact on water quality but matters for transparency and accountability.
Resolutions to Help Pollinators
A new year means new resolutions! My personal resolutions are to build garden boxes out of reclaimed bricks and seed native plants in my backyard. There are many other things you can do to support pollinators this year like planting natives, creating nesting sites, reducing pesticide use, and creating a water source for them!
The Water (Monitoring) is Deep
Our grant from the Water Foundation gave me an excuse to dive deep into a big statewide dataset collected by the Iowa DNR. Behold, my finest graph yet!
The Water (Monitoring) is Wide
Who is doing water monitoring in Iowa and where do you find that data? I’m sure this is a partial list, but the Iowa Water Summit has helped us get a clearer picture.
Rebugging our Community
Insect populations have dropped drastically over the last few decades. Bugs are the building blocks of our environment. They provide many benefits such as beautiful flowers, food sources, soil aeration, and more. We can help these little creatures flourish by rebugging our community.
Decision Guide for Undecided Boaters
It should go without saying that there are decisions on the ballot that will affect the environment, but if you need a break from election news and commentary, read this Undecided Boater Guide for some low-stakes environmental education and take an opportunity to lower your stress levels by getting out into nature!
Iowa’s Native Milkweed Species
Milkweed are important! Not only do they provide beautiful flowers, but they are the host plant of Monarch Butterflies. Iowa has 18 native species of Milkweed.