Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.The iconic Blanding’s turtle is facing hard times. By hard times, I mean the species has become so rare that most Iowans – even those who spend considerable time prowling the out-of-doors — […]
Blanding’s Turtle – Iconic Wetland Species Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.Following decades of silence, some of Iowa’s most secretive reptiles have begun emitting radio signals from the watery depths of Eagle Lake. Twelve hours on and twelve hours off, the daily transmissions are
Iowa Wildlife Study Focuses on Threatened Turtle Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.The wild mulberry is one of my favorite summer taste treats. With this year’s mulberry crop currently reaching full maturity, it’s time to grab your bucket and head for the woods. As healthy
Wild Mulberry Provides Summer Taste Treats Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.The spring songbird migration is winging northward. And while the larger and more colorful species – such as tanagers, orioles, and grosbeaks – tend to steal the annual show, there are other interesting,
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.The much-anticipated, spring mushroom season is underway. And although several mushroom species are edible, the famed morel reigns as undisputed king. Exactly when morels populations will achieve peak numbers is an ever-popular topic
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.There was no colorful sunrise. No brilliant transition of night turning to day. Instead, there was just a gradual increase of light among the solemn hues of an overcast morning. I was
Caught in the Rain Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.One robin may not make a spring, but when the turkey vultures return to Max Clausen’s barn, you can rest assured the season has changed. Clausen’s barn is located on The Nature Conservancy’s
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.This year’s Spring Turkey Seasons begin April 9th with a special youth only hunt, followed by the first of four regular hunting seasons beginning April 12. The final segment of the five-part, spring
2021 Spring Turkey Season Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.The spring waterfowl migration is one of my favorite events on the annual outdoor calendar. Anxious to get to northern nesting grounds, the first flocks of ducks began dotting the Iowa skies as
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.It’s an old familiar phrase that can apply to a lot of things. This week, it applied to backyard birding. Following a complete snow melt and solid string of spring-like temperatures, backyard bird
What a Difference a Day Can Make! Read More »
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.
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.”
