Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. It’s likely that every Iowa turkey hunter has had dreams of finding themselves surrounded by cooperative spring gobblers. Although the dream usually remains unfulfilled, that’s the exact scenario that unfolded for Lake …
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. We all know that turkey hunting success — or failure — can spin on a dime. My son Matt and I each got a good reminder of that this morning. Sequestered in …
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. In an effort to avoid detection, nesting Canada geese try to keep a low profile. The goose’s crafty “hide & sneak” routine works even better when the ice melts.
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. I’m thinkin’ that this morning’s kickoff to the 2014 Spring Turkey Season wasn’t exactly what area hunters had in mind. With heavy overcast, below freezing temperatures, a blanket of new snow on …
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. Swarming northward from their winter resorts; tens of thousands of lesser scaup [bluebill] ducks are currently making their way through Iowa. Ever since I was introduced to the species during the 1960s, …
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. The beauty of today’s spectacular sunrise was enhanced even further by the rattling gobble of a nearby tom. This morning, I had decided to visit a stand of oaks located about three …
Daybreak Gatherings & Early Morning Party Chrashers Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. Less than a week to go until the first segment of Iowa’s spring turkey season begins — The countdown is on. I’ve been playing with the birds off and on since mid-February, …
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. For waterfowl hunting enthusiast, Greg Duesenberg, this year’s spring snow goose season has been as good as it gets. The first big waves of migrating snow geese arrived in Northern Iowa during …
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. The ice is shifting, open water areas are enlarging, and the bluebills have arrived at Clear Lake. Although our latest 4-inch snowfall ended early this morning, the NW winds continued to rage …
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.I like to tell people that modern-day snow geese are the smartest birds in the sky. When under the direct supervision of experienced adults, even first year geese can be almost impossible to …
Tom CopePresident and Director
Tom has served on the Johnston City Council since 2011, where he has been an advocate for investing in stormwater management practices and enhancement of opportunities to observe wildlife in Iowa’s communities. Tom has been a staff member and lobbyist at the Iowa State Capitol for over 20 years, where he lobbied for passage of Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy (IWILL) constitutional amendment.
Sue WilkinsonTreasurer and Director
Iowa Wildlife Federation Board Advisor, pre-2013 – Present, Board member since 2020. Growing up on a northeast Iowa dairy farm, I saw wildlife every day; in the timber, ponds and nearby trout streams. My participation in National Wildlife Federation Conservation Summits as a teenager reinforced my love for wildlife and the outdoors.
Richard A. LeopoldDirector
Since 2013, the Director of the Polk County Conservation, Richard has held a variety of natural resource and administrative positions; most notably as Director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (2007-2010, Governor Chet Culver’s cabinet). He served as the Science Advisor for the Midwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.Prior to joining Polk County in 2013, he was Director of Dickinson County Conservation Board in NW Iowa.
Over his career, he has held positions within the Iowa Environmental Council, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Minnesota and Iowa Departments of Natural Resources and served as the founding coordinator for IOWATER, Iowa’s statewide volunteer water-quality monitoring program.
He has provided leadership and direction for high-priority science activities, including water quality, climate change, adaptive resources management, and landscape conservation. He has led efforts to greatly expand stricter water quality standards in Iowa, coordinating the early organization of the Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy (IWLL) natural resources funding ballot initiative. He has strongly advocated and created policy to establish Iowa as a leader in wind energy and bio-fuels.
Susan Judkins JostenDirector
Susan Judkins Josten is Client Development Director for RDG Planning and Design, a firm with expertise in architecture, landscape architecture, planning, interiors, art, multimedia, engineering and water resources. Prior career activities involve founding and leading economic and leadership development programs, launching the state’s successful Vision Iowa program, advising communities on project financing, and guiding passage of critical legislation following Iowa’s 2008 floods. She has a BA in Business Management from Simpson College, and an MBA from the University of Iowa. Susan has also been a member of the Clive City Council since 2013, and previously served on the Indianola School Board. She is interested in water quality policy and projects, and is active with several watershed groups. She has three adult daughters: Whitney Judkins, JD, Timmer & Judkins Law Firm in Des Moines; Erin del Ninno, MD, Capital Women’s Care in Maryland; and stepdaughter Jennifer Josten, Ph.D., Assistant Professor for the University of Pittsburgh.
Rudi RoesleinDirector
Rudi Roeslein grew up in south St. Louis, after immigrating to the United States from Austria in 1956. He attended Saint Louis University where he jokes that he majored in soccer and minored in Engineering. Before founding Roeslein & Associates in 1990, Rudi started his career at Container Corporation of America, a composite can manufacturing company.
Elyssa McFarlandDirector
Elyssa McFarland farms with her family in Southeast Iowa and serves as the National Corn Growers Association’s, Soil Health Partnership Field Development Director. She attended Iowa State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and went on to earn dual master’s degrees in Agronomy and Soil Science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Mark LangginDirector
Founding Partner, Pinpoint Digital; Mark has been an IWF Board member since 2020. “Really excited to be joining the Board of the Iowa Wildlife Federation. I’ve been an outdoor advocate since I was young. Originally, just as a kid out running around, shooting at squirrels (terrible shot).
Adam JankeDirector
An Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Iowa State University, Adam is also the state wildlife extension specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. He holds degrees in Wildlife Conservation from Purdue, Ohio State, and South Dakota State.
Joe HenryDirector
Joe Enriquez Henry is a graduate of Iowa State University and has worked in various capacities, from elected and appointed positions in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to the League of United Latin American Citizens and Forward Latino. Mr. Henry was awarded the Louise Noun Award by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa.
Kristin AshenbrennerDirector
Kristin is a conservationist from Des Moines. She has a background in–and is particularly passionate about–ag and climate, conservation policy, and funding the National Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. In her spare time, she is an avid equestrian. Kristin owns and shows American Saddlebreds and helps with her family’s breeding operation.
Joe WilkinsonSecretary and Director
Retired, Iowa DNR. IWF President pre-2013, also 2017-2020. Board member; 2013-2017. My childhood was spent exploring the woods, fields, ponds and streams of central Iowa. Then, off to college; B.A. in English, University of Dubuque, with a Journalism equivalent, Clarke College, Dubuque. I spent 11 years in radio and TV news in eastern Iowa.
Dr. Tammy MildensteinVice President and Director
Dr. Tammy Mildenstein, Vice President of IWF, is an Associate Professor of Biology at Cornell College. Tammy has a PhD in Fish and Wildlife Biology and a MS in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. She leads community-based conservation projects for endangered species and endangered ecosystems, both in Iowa (monarch butterflies) and in Southeast Asia (flying foxes).
Sean McMahonVice President and Director
Sean is a passionate outdoors enthusiast who loves to hike, watch wildlife, camp and fish with his family. Sean has devoted his entire career to conservation, having spent nearly three decades in senior positions at the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy and in his current role as Executive Director of the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance.”
