Aldo Leopold (Burlington-born Conservationist): "A thing is right only when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the community; and the community includes the soil, water, fauna and flora, as well as the people." — A Sand County Almanac (1949) The Case for Supporting Wildlife & Water A message from Ryan Smith, Executive Director of

The Iowa Wildlife Federation is proud to announce that longtime conservation leaders Sue and Joe Wilkinson of Solon, Iowa have been named National Conservation Volunteers of the Year by the National Wildlife Federation. The award was presented during the 90th Annual Meeting of the National Wildlife Federation, held June 14–17 in Providence, Rhode Island. “For me,

Lacey McCormick, National Wildlife Federation & Betsy Penisten, Iowa Wildlife Federation DES MOINES, Ia. — More than a third – 36% – of the water in the Raccoon River comes from smaller streams that are no longer protected by the Clean Water Act. In the Des Moines River, these newly-unprotected streams provide 26% of the total flow, according

This article was featured in the Des Moines Register Opinion section on April 2, 2024. When it comes to helping wildlife and protecting the environment, small changes have a big impact. That’s the message Iowa Wildlife Federation Executive Director Ryan Smith wants Iowans to hear. “Select native plants. Build a pollinator garden. Put it along the fence line

Trumpeter swans once thrived in Iowa, nesting in wetlands and waterways throughout the state. The population dwindled for many years due to unregulated hunting and wetland drainage, with the last nesting pair recorded in 1883. But thanks to extensive restoration efforts led by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, more than 5,000 trumpeter swans now