Iowa Master Naturalists

08/08/2026

Here is a great nature quiz from IMN Grad Melissa Serenda's Sycamore Greenway Friends page. To see the answers, go to https://www.facebook.com/SycamoreGreenway/

08/08/2026

A note that the Nature Book Club will meet on Wednesday August 26th at 5;30 PM at the Coralville Public Library (1401 5th St, Coralville, IA 52241). The book up for discussion this month is Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of our Planet, by Ben Goldfarb.

08/06/2026

Registration is now open for the Fall 2026 Iowa Master Naturalists course hosted by Polk County Conservation at the Jester Park Nature Center near Des Moines. To register, or for more info, check out our website: iowamasternaturalists.org See less

08/06/2026

Make plans now to attend Pelican Fest in Northern Johnson Co coming up on Sun, Aug 30 from 11:00 AM-4:00 PM. This event includes presentations on pelicans as well as on other aspects of nature in Iowa, plus a variety of family-friendly activities. For more info, go to:

Iowa City Bird Club Iowa City Bird Club: Pelican Festival Come see these magnificent birds as they migrate through Iowa

07/15/2026

Attention prairie enthusiasts! Plan to attend the Iowa Prairie Conference, sponsored by the Iowa Prairie Network, coming up Aug 7-9 at the University of Dubuque. The talks and prairie tours (on Sat Aug 8 and Sun Aug 9) both count as advance training hours, and the remnant prairie workday on Fri, Aug 7th would be an excellent way to knock off some volunteer hours. For more info, go to:

Check out our 2026 Iowa Prairie Conference page at Iowa Prairie Network to learn more about how we can protect Iowa's prairie heritage together!

07/09/2026

Are you interested in pre-European Iowa and the skills native peoples used to survive here? Plan to attend the presentation on Ancient Technology offered by the University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist. The talk is scheduled for this Sat, July 11, from 10-11 a.m. at Wickiup Hill Learning Center in Linn County.
To register, or for more info, go to: https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Linn/Park/Wickiup-Hill-Learning-Center/Events/28814/Ancient-Technology-in-Iowa-How-Did-They-Do-That

07/03/2026

The RARE Group is seeking to place one Red-Tailed Hawk fledgling near a nesting Red-Tailed Hawk family. Do you know of a nest that includes fledging Red-Tails? If so, please contact RARE at 319 248 9770 or email [email protected]. Thank you!

06/07/2026

The RARE group (Raptor Advocacy, Rehabilitation, and Education) is searching for an active, accessible Cooper’s Hawk nest in eastern or central Iowa to re-nest this displaced baby. If you know of a nest, please leave a message on their hotline at 319-248-9770 or email [email protected].

05/27/2026

The spring basic training class finished up this past Saturday. A wonderfully cheerful and enthusiastic group!

03/05/2026

Attention writers, artists, and poets! Writer Amie Adams (IMN Spring 2022) is compiling a second volume of poetry, prose, and artwork celebrating nature in Iowa. The first volume, focusing on Iowa prairies, was published in 2025. The theme for the new volume is Iowa waterways, its marshes, fens, lakes, and rivers. Interested in contributing? See details at https://www.amieadams.space/iowa-field-guides
Just an additional note on Amie: When Amie took the IMN course, her capstone project was to write and publish The Observer, the Life and Writings of Bernt Olaf Wolden. (2023). Wolden wrote a Nature Notes column for the Estherville Daily News from 1930-1968. By sharing his writings, Amie paints a picture both of nature in Iowa during this period of great ecological change, and of Wolden’s own development as a naturalist. To purchase any of Amie’s books go to: https://www.amieadams.space/store