Iowa Wildlife Federation

08/31/2026

🍂 Come see us at Osborne Days!

IWF will be at Osborne Days, Clayton County Conservation's newly reimagined fall festival at Osborne Park, October 10–11.

Spend the day enjoying outdoor recreation demonstrations, hands-on conservation activities, local makers, food, crafts and plenty of fall fun. And while you’re there, be sure to stop by the IWF booth and say hi! 👋

📅 October 10–11
⏰ 10 a.m.–4 p.m. both days
📍 Osborne Park

Learn more: https://www.claytoncountyconservation.org/osborne-days

Get ready for Osborne Days this fall — a refreshed lineup of activities, demos, presentations, food trucks, and a vibrant vendor market! Meet organizations like Iowa DNR, Trout Unlimited, ISU Forestry, Project AWARE and many more for family-friendly education and entertainment. Mark your calendars and bring the whole crew! More details: https://www.claytoncountyconservation.org/osborne-days

08/25/2026

Gearing up for their first migration, young cranes [more properly referred to as colts] are enjoying the thrill of riding the wind with their newly acquired powers of flight.

Read the latest about Sandhill Cranes in Washburn's Outdoors Journal 📲 https://iawildlife.org/blog/sandhill-cranes/

📸: Lowell Washburn

08/21/2026

One way we inspire youth to protect our wildlife and habitat is through School of the Wild. 🌱

School of the Wild partners with schools to help students take what they’re learning in the classroom into the natural world. Teachers and School of the Wild staff work together to enhance classroom lessons by giving students opportunities to practice newly learned skills outdoors.

For many students, School of the Wild is the first time they experience nature on the water or turn over a rock to see what lives underneath. It’s the first time they feel comfortable being a leader among their peers or actively participating in a discussion. For many, it’s also the first time they truly feel connected to the natural world and see themselves as part of it, rather than something that simply exists around them.

This school year, we’re raising funds to bring School of the Wild to students in the Madrid Community School District. These funds will help cover teacher training, student transportation and program materials.

Can you chip in a few dollars to help us reach our $5,000 goal and make School of the Wild happen for Madrid students this year? You can donate online at https://iawildlife.org/donate/

Checks may also be mailed to:
Iowa Wildlife Federation
505 5th Avenue #444
Des Moines, IA 50309

08/20/2026

Staying hydrated is a must when you visit the Iowa State Fair. 💧😋

If you’re at the Fair this week, be sure to stop by the DNR building and check out the exhibits. You can learn about IWILL and even write a postcard to your legislators urging them to improve Iowa’s water quality by funding the trust. 🐟🦆🐢

More ways to help IWILL: https://www.iowaswaterandlandlegacy.org

08/18/2026

Welcome to Iowa’s growing network of Certified Wildlife Habitats, Fredsville Evangelical Lutheran Church!🐝

📍Cedar Falls, Iowa

Learn more about Certified Wildlife Habitats in the comments 👇

08/17/2026

Happy Fair Week! 🎡 In addition to eating cheese curds, corn dogs and Pirtley’s pickles, we like to find the wildlife that call the Iowa State Fair home. We caught this pollinator enjoying some shade near the State Fair Museum and Pioneer Hall. 🐝

08/15/2026

Just a little hummingbird appreciation for your Saturday. 💚

📍East Village, Des Moines

🌸 Hummingbirds are pollinators! As they move from flower to flower looking for nectar, they can carry pollen along with them.
💨 Their wings can beat more than 50 times per second.
🐦 Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the hummingbird species most commonly seen in Iowa.

Have you spotted one yet this summer?

08/12/2026

This past weekend, the Iowa Wildlife Federation board gathered at Wapsicor Tree Farm in Jesup, Iowa for our summer board retreat. And in true Iowa fashion, the weekend started with some wild weather. 🌪️🌳

About an hour before we were set to begin, a tornado warning sent some of our group to the basement to wait out the storm. Meanwhile, Betsy was waiting it out at a nearby hotel in Oelwein, where she helped what we believe was a mink (confused and drenched) safely cross a gravel road after its den may have been flooded by the heavy rain.

Thankfully, the weather cleared and the rest of the evening was beautiful! We shared dinner provided by the Wilkinsons, toured the tree farm, cleared a few fallen branches and ended the evening with some tunes under the stars from board member James Bruton of DarkSky Iowa on guitar. 🎸

Saturday morning started with coffee and breakfast before we split into groups for a species identification activity, searching for and identifying wildflowers and trees across Wapsicor.

We left the retreat with renewed energy for our mission and excitement for the work ahead, from researching native species like the gray fox, to helping communities create Certified Wildlife Habitats, to working with partners to improve Iowa's water quality.

Many thanks to Cheryl and Craig Parker for welcoming us to Wapsicor Tree Farm, to Joe and Sue Wilkinson for dinner and to all of our board members for their time, ideas and continued commitment to Iowa's wildlife and wild places. 💚

08/04/2026

A few of the wildflowers blooming at Wapsicor Tree Farm. Home to IWF Board Member Craig Parker, the tree farm showcases how thoughtful forest stewardship supports native plants, pollinators and wildlife. Craig was recognized as Iowa State Tree Farmer of the Year in 2023.

Can you identify them? 🌼🔍