Wildlife
Get to Know Iowa's Wild Side
From the canopies of urban trees to the depths of flowing rivers, wildlife are everywhere in Iowa. Explore the stories of Iowa's most fascinating creatures, learn how to coexist with a persistent pest, or find tips for improving habitat for species that need your help!
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Recent Wildlife Blog Posts
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Conservation Practices in the Garden and Landscape
April 7, 2026Content Author
Conservation begins at home, and our gardens and landscapes offer some of the most immediate opportunities for the average gardener to support the environment. By working with local conditions, we create landscapes that thrive with fewer inputs and contribute (even if in a small way) to healthier ecosystems. These small actions add up, especially in the urban and suburban areas where many Iowans garden...
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March 12, 2026Content Author
This past fall, The Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium partnered with the ISU Windbreak School to host workshops across the state to discuss establishing and managing windbreaks, along with how to enhance these valuable landscape features for monarchs! Watch this short video to hear from the Webster family, one of the hosts for the Windbreak School, about their windbreak journey and what its presence means to them.
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Do Prairie Strips Really Help Pollinators? A Decade of Research Says Yes!
February 17, 2026Content Author
Pollinator declines are a global concern, and agriculture sits at the center of the challenge. As farms grow more efficient and landscapes become increasingly simplified, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are losing the diverse habitats they depend on. One widely promoted solution is planting native vegetation, but an important question remains: Can pollinator habitat embedded within conventional farming systems truly help if pesticides remain in the surrounding landscape?
Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium
The Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium is a community-led organization whose mission is to enhance monarch butterfly reproduction and survival in Iowa through collaborative and coordinated efforts of farmers, private citizens, and their organizations.