Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. One of the things I love most about the fascinating sport of waterfowl hunting is that once the decoys have been tossed out, you never know what “incidentals” the day may bring. […]
Avocets at Ventura Marsh Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. Yesterday’s clear skies, cool temps and ripping NW winds put migratory birds on the move. The airways over North Iowa were busy as everything from shorebirds to hawks to warblers made their
Goose Hunts Are Like Snowflakes Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. If I had to pick one month of the year as my favorite, October would certainly rank high on the list. October is the Gateway to Fall — the final transition between
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. It’s late September. Skies are clear and afternoon temperatures have climbed to the mid-70s. Right on cue, migrating great egrets are passing through Northern
The Egret Has Landed Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. Perfect weather. Lots of ducks. Happy hunters. That’s the general assessment for this year’s Opening Day of the early segment of the 2013 Iowa Duck Season — or at least that’s how
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. My friend Joe Wilkinson and I spent a good part of our morning shooting waterfowl and wetland video in North Central Iowa. Overall habitat conditions are excellent and every area we
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. Showy and colorful, the goldenrod is one of my favorite fall flowers. The annual appearance of the goldenrod’s bright yellow flowers offer proof positive that summer heat and humidity are on
In Praise of Goldenrod Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. It didn’t take a trained meteorologist or PhD level ornithologist to read the signs. With starry nighttime skies, daily high temperatures dropping off dramatically, and steadily freshening breezes, the message was
Waterfowl on the Move Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. Saturday morning and a large scale bird migration was in full swing. I had hunkered into the soggy edge of North Iowa mudflat to enjoy the show as flocks of blue-winged
Death on the Mudflats Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. This year’s dove season has been providing local hunters with some pretty good shooting. But during the past couple of mornings, things have tailed off dramatically with fewer and fewer birds
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.”
