[IOWA-NATIVE-PLANTS] Developing Problem – Wild Feral Hogs

There is a developing problem in native habitat areas. Wild feral hogs have been a plague in southern states and have been known to be far southwestern Iowa for nearly a decade. They are spreading farther into the state. Last week, two were killed in Crawford County, north of Denison. They can be dangerous to individuals hiking or working in remote areas and they are an ecological disaster. They can root up and destroy large areas of vegetation and devastate native wildlife.

They multiply rapidly, having two or more litters a year, and can start reproducing six months after birth. If you should encounter one in the wild, give it a wide berth and report it immediately to the DNR. They may have large tusks and can be quite fearless. Be careful when you are out and about, and take this threat seriously.

By: Larry Grill at University Of Iowa-Iowa City, IA

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Ion Exchange Inc., A Native Seed & Plant Nursery Was Quoted In The Wall Street Journal

Howard Bright co-owner with his wife Donna of Ion Exchange Inc. http://ionxchange.com/

was recently quoted in The Wall Street Journal. For anyone who is interested in wildflowers, earth friendly solutions for using native wildflowers for landscaping this article is a must read. In the article you will see and learn how to plant a meadow of wildflowers

The Wall Street Journal Article

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Ion Exchange, Inc.

  

Elk in Allamakee County Could Be Gone Soon

Image via WikipediaFind attached link to today's TV story. Iowa Department of Natural Resources' (IDNR) knee jerk reaction to a sustaining herd of elk (wapiti) in Allamakee County. Its so typical for this government bureaucracy. This is the same government bureaucracy that witnesses massive wetland destruction,fish kills, can't protect our watersheds & assists the federal government's ethanol subsidized/ corporate GMO heavily chemical-treated corn growing "plow up every acre", heavily soil eroding madness in this state.This agency is falsely releasing to the media that elk are not native to Iowa (Beautiful Land). When in fact elk herds were seen & recorded by all the early explores of our state. re:A Country So Full of Game, The Story of Wildlife in Iowa by Dr James Dinsmore (1994 ISU) Many of us local folks have watched this wild herd for a couple years and have always held out some hope for preserving the wildness of NE Iowa similar to when a black bear is spotted in the wooded valleys or a bobcat track or it's scream in the night. But let the Iowa DNR help propagate factory farms & their polluting unhealthy ways, so the Farm Bureau membership can ship antibiotic loaded pork to Asia. Ya lets do away with a wild elk herd! What the hell are we teaching our young folks?
Tim Mason
http://www.kwwl.com/Global/story.asp?S=14009873

Reconnect the Children With Nature

This next generation of children will have a lot to deal with regarding taking care of our planet. Sadly so many of today's children do not play outside let alone have the opportunities to run and walk and imagine all the possibilities that being out in nature conjures up. This is an important task laid at the "grown-ups" feet to try and get today's kids out of the house and into mother natures world to learn all that she has to offer. Please take the time to read this article and find out how you can help. Find a way to help the children in your neighborhood learn and enjoy nature. Share your experiences with them. You will never know what you might share that will spark a young mind into a whole new world.

As a result of the recently published book Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv, many groups and organizations across the nation are searching for ways to reconnect children with nature. The benefits to children of time spent outdoors are endless. Spending time in natural settings is beneficial for physical and mental health, improving behavior, and faster learning. In an effort to bring increased attention and support to this important issue, we are asking for your organization’s participation. Please forward this email to your Iowa networks (colleagues, organizations, Listservs, websites, friends and family, students, etc.). Encourage others to complete the online survey located at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=nYU56AJw5MLfcHiDiDzl3w_3d_3d With your help, we can identify the fundamental experiences that we believe children in Iowa should have in order to develop a healthy, active lifestyle. Results obtained from the survey will be used to guide creation of an “Iowa Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights.” This document will list the activities that Iowans recognize as invaluable experiences for our young people to have while growing up, along with a mission statement and goals for its use. Your organization has been chosen to participate in this survey because of your commitment to developing healthy, active, responsible youth. We appreciate your assistance in making this a successful state-wide project.
Barb Gigar Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Email: barb.gigar@dnr.iowa.gov
Phone: 641-747-2200
For those outside of Iowa here is a great resource. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/temporary/national-forum-on-children-and-nature-endorses-project

Butterfly Forecast

For all you butterfly lovers here is the forecast for the first part of July. Happy butterfly hunting! http://www.ionxchange.com and http://www.thenaturalgait.com

Butterfly Forecast for Central Iowa
July 1-15
Once again, the unusual weather has been impacting the butterflies. There have not been as many butterflies in the natural areas as would be expected in more normal years but there have been good numbers of dragonflies and damselflies. The dragonflies and damselflies are feeding on their preferred food mosquitoes. The mosquitoes have been feeding on their preferred food me.
There is a great web site dedicated to the dragonflies and damselflies found in Iowa. It can be found at: http://www.iowaodes.com. Those of you who have not seen it should make a point of checking this one out. It has great photos and great graphics.
I went up to Hoffman Prairie near Clear Lake with Nathan Brockman of Reiman Gardens on Friday. This was the fourth year of my annual exercise in futility, a search for the Poweshiek skipper. It may still be found there but Friday was not a good day for seeing butterflies. The sky was overcast nothing really came out. We did see a few pearly crescents and a Delaware skipper, but most of the butterflies stayed hidden because of the weather.
Folks, I think the Poweshiek skipper is intertwined with the history of Iowa. It could be called the Iowa legacy butterfly. Not only was it discovered here in Iowa by a colorful Iowa character, the Rev. Henry W.
Parker, but it was named for a place‹Poweshiek County in Iowa. Poweshiek County was in turn named for a man who played a very significant role in Iowa¹s history, Chief Poweshiek. It is a prairie obligate butterfly, tied very closely to the habitat that once covered Iowa and that we have mostly destroyed. We have in fact almost extirpated the butterfly from the state.
We do not currently recognize the value of this small butterfly, but I dream of the day when you will find signs going into Grinnell, Iowa that say ³home of the Poweshiek skipper².
Back to the forecast: Although the wet weather does reduce numbers, we will continue to see more butterflies, both in diversity and total numbers than we have so far in the summer. Summer azures have been fairly common in certain areas. You will see them flying high in the trees. Eastern tailed blue butterflies have already been present in the early spring but the second generation will show up in much more significant numbers starting about the first of July, and will become one of the most numerous butterflies by the end of summer.
The list of butterflies you can see in this timeframe is quite long. The most common ones include black and eastern tiger swallowtails, cabbage whites, clouded and orange sulfurs, gray hairstreaks, eastern tailed blues, red spotted purples, hackberry emperors, painted ladies, monarchs, and viceroys. Of course, there are also a number of skipper butterflies seen now, like the silver spotted skipper, least skipper, Delaware, tawny-edged skipper, dun skipper, and others.
If you get to a prairie or savannah look for regal fritillaries. If you have not seen them before you might be surprised at how much they look and act like monarchs from a distance. Check the thistle, milkweed, and wild bergamont flowers that are frequented by monarchs and if the prairie has regals you will find them there. Also check for butterfly milkweeds in bloom--they will almost certainly contain several hairstreaks.
You may start seeing numbers of the butterflies that do not over-winter in Iowa. Those include the checkered white, little yellow, cloudless sulfur, dainty sulfur, and American snout butterfly. Of course, the monarch and painted lady butterflies are in this list as well although they are already found in some numbers.
If you are looking for the rare, try the TNC-owned Medora prairie near New Virginia. There are regal fritillaries there, and also a good population of byssus skippers that should be showing up about now. It is also a great spot for silvery checkerspots, American ladies, gray coppers, and common wood nymphs.

Take plenty of water, and enjoy yourself.

Harlan Ratcliff
bugs@crosspaths.net

References:
Schlicht, Dennis, John C. Downey, and Jeffrey C. Nekola. 2007. The Butterflies of Iowa. The University of Iowa Press, Iowa City, IA.
Scott, James A. 1986. The Butterflies of North America. A Natural History and Field Guide. Stanford University Press, Stanford CA.
IA-BTRFLY: The Iowa Butterfly and Dragonfly list serve.
www.wisconsinbutterflies.org sightings page.
www.NABA.org sightings page.
Ratcliff, Harlan: 2003-2007 Unpublished butterfly survey results.

Hoar Frost

Occasionally I am reminded that winter also carries many beautiful faces. I wrote this last week after we had days and days of fog. Suddenly the fog lifted it's veil to reveal the following.

This morning on the way to town we had the most spectacular view of hoar frost on the trees and bushes.
The sun was just beginning to peak out from the haze that had created this frosty celebration on the trees.
As we drove along the ridge on our journey, taking in the panoramic view of the hills and valleys for many miles on both sides of the road, we were amazed at the beauty of the landscape.
The pristine fresh snow and the trees all dressed up in hoar frost - as if they were just posing for our delight and enjoyment.
As the sun began hitting the trees it reflected the ice crystals, turning them into a thousand little glass reflections.
Every time I am lucky enough to catch one of these displays of nature’s beauty I am reminded of how glad I am to live in beautiful Northeast Iowa! Kay at the Ion Exchange Inc