Collaboration & Partnerships
Winneshiek County Conservation collaborates with many other local agencies and organizations in Northeast Iowa to provide high-quality natural areas and educational programs to the public. Winneshiek County Conservation offers public programs and school visits in partnership with local schools, colleges, libraries, civic organizations, and more.
The following information provides details about a few specific collaborative programs Winneshiek County Conservation is involved in. Please read on to learn more and contact us if you have any questions.
Iowa Association of Naturalists Program Partnerships
As members of the Iowa Association of Naturalists (IAN), Winneshiek County Conservation education staff work with other environmental educators throughout the state to bring Winneshiek County residents and visitors high-quality learning experiences. An IAN collaboration that took place from 2019-2021, the Common Ground Audio Library offers dozens of audio files from Iowa residents who share stories of their experiences with Iowa's natural resources. Several of these stories are told by Winneshiek County residents. Click here to listen.
The Iowa Junior Naturalist Program is a wonderful opportunity for children 6-18 years old to share outdoor learning and experiences with adults. This program is offered each calendar year and encourages youth and adults to attend environmental education programs and embark on independent outdoor activities together. Participants will receive a Iowa Junior Naturalist Sticker and Certificate of Achievement upon completion.
Download the Iowa Junior Naturalist Record Sheet to get started on your Junior Naturalist adventure!
Other ways to earn your Junior Naturalist award in Winneshiek County: All campers participating in Discovery Camp will receive their Junior Naturalist sticker & certificate! Can't attend summer camp? - Complete the Driftless Safari to earn your sticker another way!
The Iowa Junior Naturalist Program is provided in partnership with the Iowa Association of Naturalists. Visit https://www.iowanaturalists.org/memberservices/junior-naturalists to learn more.
Each year, the Iowa Association of Naturalists and Iowa Conservation Education Coalition award several honors to environmental education programs that have demonstrated success in various ways. Winneshiek County Conservation has received the following awards:
- Driftless Safari: 2012 "Ding" Darling Environmental Education Award for an "outstanding EE program which educates the general public"
- 2014 Outstanding Environmental Education Program (2 or less interpreters) for "excellence in EE programming by a county conservation board"
- Naturalist Larry Reis: 2015 Aldo Leopold Environmental Education Award for "lifetime achievement in EE excellence and leadership"
- Exploring Winneshiek County Over Time: A Fourth Grade Geology Unit: 2021 Chris Holt Youth Environmental Education Award for "outstanding environmental education program for youth"
To learn more about these awards, visit https://www.iowanaturalists.org/committees/ian-icec-awards-committee.
Iowa Butterfly Survey Network
The Iowa Butterfly Survey Network (IBSN) is a citizen science program coordinated by Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University and dedicated to tracking populations of butterflies in Iowa. Winneshiek County Conservation is a Hub Leader for IBSN, serving as a local contact for area volunteers, conducting trainings, and offering additional assistance as needed.
What is Citizen Science?
Citizen science is scientific research conducted, in whole or part, by nonprofessional scientists, who often volunteers. Projects are often coordinated by professional scientific researchers or organizations. The data collected in citizen science programs is used in scientific research and studies across the world.
What is the Iowa Butterfly Survey Network?
The goal of IBSN is to educate Iowans about butterflies while simultaneously encouraging people to take an active role in conservation. IBSN conducts research using volunteer citizen scientists of all skill levels to collect data for yearly population surveys of butterfly species in Iowa. You can learn more at the IBSN website.
Why Study Butterflies?
Of the 122 species of butterflies believed to live in Iowa, more than one-fourth are listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern, making their long-term survival in Iowa questionable. By collecting butterfly population data, conservationists, scientists, and individuals can learn more about how and why butterfly populations are changing and what can be done to protect Iowa's butterflies.
How can I help?
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer monitor with IBSN must attend a training to learn the appropriate survey and documentation techniques. As a hub leader, Winneshiek County Conservation offers those trainings.
Please read the IBSN Volunteer Monitor Guidelines to get a better feel of what IBSN volunteers do.
You may also attend trainings hosted at Reiman Gardens in Ames or by any other hub leader in the state. Check the IBSN website for information on those trainings.
Other Citizen Science Projects
- Monitor water quality with the Iowa DNR Watershed Improvement Program
- Submit a Stream Selfie
- Grow strawberries & marigolds with Growing for Citizen Science Program
- Monitor bird nests, frogs & toads, or bats with the Iowa DNR Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Program
- Count cranes with the Annual Midwest Crane Count
- Track your bumblebee sightings with Bumble Bee Watch
- Clean up litter and add to global data on littering with the Litterati
- Record sounds for the Sound Around Town project
