Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Program meetings are held monthly, September-May on Unless otherwise indicated, field trips leave promptly at
the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm, Room 8:00 a.m. from the public parking lot west of (behind)
2226 Veterinary Medicine Building, Iowa State the Ames Wild Birds Unlimited, located south of the
University, Ames, Iowa. railroad tracks at 213 Duff Ave. Trip destinations are
subject to change based on recent bird sightings and the
If you would like to meet and dine with the speaker and
desires of the participants. Contact Jeff Nichols at 515-
the BBAS Board before the monthly meeting, please
795-4176, jnichols1961@hotmail.com for more information.
contact Lynne Brookes to confirm space and location at
515-434-2028 rppsolar@yahoo.com
In This Issue
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation invites you and your members to nominate an outstanding
Iowa conservationist for the 2005 Lawrence and Eula Hagie Heritage Award. We are seeking
nominees who have demonstrated extraordinary personal service and commitment to improving the
quality of Iowa's natural environment, while encouraging others to do the same. The process is easy,
but hurry--the nomination deadline is May 27, 2005!
The prestigious Hagie Heritage Award, administered by INHF, is one of Iowa's largest awards recognizing
environment-minded individuals. Past winners include people who encourage energy conservation, provide
environmental education, initiate and support county conservation projects, restore wildlife habitat on their own or
on public property, and/or enthusiastically speak for Iowa's natural treasures.
The award's recipient is presented with a $1,000 prize and a hand-carved sculpture recognizing their
achievements. All nominees will receive a certificate of nomination and INHF will produce a press release about
each nomination. Through this press coverage of your nominee, the organizations and projects in which they are
involved will gain positive media exposure—and that makes everyone a winner.
To nominate an individual, please submit two letters of recommendation from different sources. The letters
should detail what the nominee has done for Iowa's natural heritage and how the nominee has encouraged others
to protect natural resources. Most award winners have been volunteers; however, conservation professionals are
eligible for the award as long as the nomination is based on activities beyond their regular job description and
duties. Posthumous and self-nominations will not be accepted. A nomination by a family member is permitted if
accompanied by two non-family nominations. Please include the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the
nominee and nominators.
For nominating tips, guidelines, a model nomination letter outline, descriptions of previous winners and other
information, visit the INHF website at http://www.inhf.org/hagie.htm or call (800) 475-1846 for a printed copy.
Please send all correspondence and questions to Cathy Engstrom at the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, 505
Fifth Avenue, Suite 444, Des Moines IA 50309-2321, or via email at cengstrom@inhf.org. All nominations must be
received at this address by May 28, 2004.
Nic Young, INHF Buckmaster Communications Intern
Your help is once again needed to encourage our legislators to support the State Wildlife Grant Program (SWG).
Last year, Senator Harkin and Congressmen Leach and Boswell signed on to Dear Colleague letters requesting
$100 million for this federal funding. Senator Grassley wrote an independent letter asking for $80 million. So far,
only Congressman Boswell has signed on to this year's Dear Colleague letter requesting $85 million. Please thank
these legislators for their past support and encourage them to sign on to this year's Dear Colleague letter.
For those legislators who do not wish to sign on to a letter, please encourage them to, at least, support the
President's budget of $74 million for SWG funding. Legislative contact information also is attached.
The best argument for SWG is that we can use this money up front to keep species off the endangered species
list. That federal program is now costing us $600 million/year and has increased six fold in the last ten years. We
can pay a little now to keep species common or a lot more later when we try to bring species back from the verge of
extinction.
See the Teaming With Wildlife: State Wildlife Grants website at www.teaming.com/
state_wildlife_grants.htm. Thanks for helping promote this very important funding program for wildlife!
Bruce Ehresman
March 26, 2005 Birding Story, Marshall, Hardin, Hamilton and Story Counties
Waterfowl were abundant on this late March field trip. We began and ended our day at Ada Hayden Park after
stops at Colo Ponds, Hendrickson Marsh, Meier Wildlife Refuge, Anderson/Goose Lake, and Little Wall Lake. We
found 57 species including Ross’s, Snow, Canada, and Greater White-fronted Geese, 18 duck species, two Horned
Grebes, Rusty Blackbirds, and a lone Eurasian Collared-Dove east of Ames. We also enjoyed a nice lunch at
historic Niland’s Cafe in Colo.
Jeff Nichols
This year’s BBAS Rummage Sale generated $461.60 for the Big Bluestem chapter. Many people helped make
this activity a success. I would like to thank everyone who donated items for the sale. I especially want to thank
those who generously volunteered their time or resources: Jon Bahrenfus, Royce Bitzer, Mary Doud, Sherry
Dragula, Dave Edwards, Jeanne Edwards, Al Johnson, Ida Johnson, Carmen Jungbluth, Karl Jungbluth, Wolfgang
Oesterreich, Linda Thomas, Tom Thomas, and Mark Widrlechner! And finally, thanks to the DNR State Forest
Nursery for letting us use their facilities.
Jeff Nichols
Here are three ways to use your birding skills to forward bird conservation, and have fun at the same time. I call it “Birding with a
Purpose.” It’s an added dimension to birding that goes beyond just birding for the joy of it, chasing rarities, or hoping to turn up that
first new arrival of the season.
Birdathon
What can beat guilt free all-day birding with friends, spirited competition, and raising money for a great cause
like the projects of Big Bluestem Audubon Society? Not much! Birdathon is May 7th, and there is still time to form
a team, or donate to a team. Our teams need more sponsors to keep them going through the rain, sun, heat, wind
and cold. Contact me, Karl Jungbluth, for more information. weatherbird@opencominc.com
Important Bird Area (IBA) Surveys
Iowa Audubon’s IBA program is designed to identify areas essential to birds, monitor bird populations on those
areas and conserve their natural habitats. Bird watchers are needed to record bird species data at designated or
proposed IBAs. That could be you! Surveys are especially needed in woodland and grassland habitats. Here is a
list of great places nearby where you could “Bird with a Purpose” for the IBA program. Contact me, or Ric Zarwell,
IBA Coordinator through the IBA website: http://iowaaudubon.org/iba/overview.asp
Hendrickson Marsh Colo Ponds Wetland complex
Ada Hayden Heritage Park Ledges State Park
Boone Forks Wildlife Area- Hamilton County Bjorkboda Marsh- Hamilton County
Snake Creek Marsh- Greene County Goose Lake- Green County
Paul Errington Marsh- Polk County
Prairie Creek Wildlife Refuge (the Kurtz’s)- Marshall County
Des Moines River Corridor- Y camp to Holst Forest- Boone County
The bird survey is an initial effort to survey the abundance and diversity of plants and animals at the White
Rock Conservancy (WRC), approximately 5000 acres of woodland, prairie, and mixed agricultural land located
along the Middle Raccoon River, southeast of Coon Rapids Iowa. A survey will be important to establishing
baseline data that will be used to plan activities such as prairie savanna restoration, managed burning and
grazing, and ecotourism opportunities.
Volunteer observers will play a very large role in the survey, with coordination provided by Kay Neumann
(SOAR), William Clark, (Iowa State University), and Karl Jungbluth (Iowa Audubon Society). Kay Neumann will
coordinate the names, addresses, and vehicle identification of the volunteers.
The initial bird survey has two main goals, a) complete a checklist of the birds seen on the WRC, and b) establish
and test more quantitative bird survey methods that can be continued in standardized fashion into the future.
Volunteers are encouraged to visit as many times as practical between now and next February.
Big Bluestem member Janet Jepeway will lead a nature photo shoot at Ada Hayden Heritage Park (AHHP) on
Thurs, May 12, 2005. This will be the May program for Ames Camera Club (ACC) and Big Bluestem Audubon
members are welcome to attend.
Many of the places in AHHP that are good for photography are also good for birding.
Janet is the Director of the Hallett’s/Hayden Project. The ongoing project is a partnership with Ames Historical
Society to photo document the transition of the former Hallett’s Quarry to Ada Hayden Heritage Park. She has
photographed on this project for over 3 years and taken over 1,500 pictures and slides. Janet will share what she
has learned about photographing at the park and also the process of locating support for this enormous project.
There will be a “meet-the-speaker” dinner at the Flame and Skewer restaurant, North Grand Mall at 5:00pm,
followed by the club meeting/nature photo shoot at Ada Hayden Heritage Park.
The program will start approximately at 6:15pm at the southwest parking lot of AHHP. This lot can be reached
by driving thru Stone Brooke or via Hyde Road.
Dress for the weather, walking, and bring your camera and/or binoculars/spotting scopes.
Please RSVP to ACC President, Kathy Vannoy, by phone: 515-233-6545 or e-mail: foodxpert@aol.com) by noon,
Tuesday, May 10, if you are coming for dinner.
In case of inclement weather, the dinner will still be at 5pm, but the program will be held at the Ames Public
Library in the Community Room on the 2nd floor at 7pm.
Janet Jepeway
Big Bluestem Audubon Society is pleased to announce it is offering three scholarships for $275.00 to
the Young Naturalist Workshop at the Des Moines YMCA Camp. This week long camp is targeted at
students leaving 5th or 6th grades who love science and nature. Participants will be immersed in
nature experiences taught by naturalists and conservation professionals. The camp will be August 7-13
at the Y-Camp north of Boone. Campers will be responsible for a small registration fee that the
scholarship does not cover. For more information please contact:
Amy Yoakum
Big Bluestem Education Committee
56461 180th Street
Ames, Iowa 50010-9451.
Amy Yoakum
Name _______________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________
City_____________________ State____ ZIP_______________
Phone ________________ E-mail _______________________
Please do not use this form for renewals to the National Audubon Soc.
Present the coupons below at the time of your purchase and a donation will be given to BBAS.
Donations will fund the various habitat restoration and educational projects undertaken by BBAS.