Iowa Academy of Science National Wildlife Audio Series

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  DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

  Iowa Academy of Science

  DeSoto NWR was established in 1958 under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929 for "...use as an inviolate sanctuary or for other management purposes, for migratory birds." The refuge lies in the floodplain of the Missouri River in a former bend of the river about 25 miles north of Omaha, Nebraska. Although the lake at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge was separated from the Missouri River by the Army Corps of Engineers, its characteristic loop shape is typical of naturally formed oxbow lakes. In the first segment below, Iowa Academy of Science member, De Anna Tibben will share how childhood memories of recreation on the Lake became a lesson in geology and Academy member William R. Clark will discuss wildlife you may find at DeSoto NWR today and wildlife which may only be a part of the locations past.

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  Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge

  Iowa Academy of Science

  Have you ever lost something? How long do you search for your lost item before giving up? In 1980, Terry Frest found a snail that scientists had lost (knew only from fossils) for 400,000 years! Where? Living in the cold air caves of Northeast Iowa. Today, these snails and many other species of plants and animals are protected at the Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge. Listen to the audios below to learn more about what makes this part of Iowa like almost no place else on Earth!

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  Iowa Wetlands Management District

  Iowa Academy of Science

  The Iowa Wetland Management District includes more than 60 waterfowl production areas or WPAs. In Iowa, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a special partnership (the Small Wetlands Acquisition Program or SWAP) with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The NFWS provides Duck Stamp funds to acquire new wetlands and the Iowa DNR manages the wetland sites. WPAs provide habitat for migrating and breeding waterfowl while protecting other local wildlife as well. With less than 10% of Iowa's original wetlands remaining, the Iowa Wetland Management District is crucial to preserving wetlands for wildlife and for Iowans!

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  Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge

  Iowa Academy of Science

  More than 99.9% of Iowa's original tallgrass prairie ecosystem has been lost. That makes our state one of the most changed landscapes on Earth. Fortunately, we have the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, the largest reconstruction of tallgrass prairie in the United States and Iowa's youngest National Wildlife Refuge. Neal Smith NWR offers hiking trails, an auto tour, views of bison and elk herds and the Prairie Learning Center. Listen to the files below to learn more!

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  Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge

  Iowa Academy of Science

  Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge protects the thousands of birds which are dependent on the Mississippi River Flyway, one of the major routes for migrating waterfowl. The Port Louisa NWR is made of four separate divisions (Big Timber, Louisa, Keithsburg and Horseshoe Bend), each with it's own unique features. All are open to the public for wildlife viewing, photography, fishing, and other recreational activities most of the year. Let Iowa Academy of Science member's Jan S. Wielert, Neil Bernstein, Matt McAndrew share with you the geology, ecology and conservation story of the refuge. Listen to the audio segments below and then visit Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge to see one of Iowa's treasures for yourself!

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  Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge

  Iowa Academy of Science

  Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938 with a purpose shared by most National Wildlife refuges -- to provide a refuge and breeding ground for waterfowl and other migratory birds. However, protecting and managing Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge for this purpose has resulted in the protection of an entire habitat, the prairie pothole region.

  What was once the bottom and coastal area of an inland sea is today surrounded by a sea of corn and soybeans. In the audio segments below, Iowa Academy of Science members will share how that inland sea transformed into the prairie pothole region, what evidence has been found about the earliest humans to live in the region, the evolution of conservation efforts at Union Slough NWR and how the wildlife of Union Slough NWR are connected to each other and to us. We recommend you burn these segments onto a CD and listen to them in your car as you drive the Union Slough auto tour route.

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  Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge

  Iowa Academy of Science

  Iowa is known as the Land between two rivers and the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge makes up the majority of the northern half of the state's east coast. The Upper Mississippi River NWFR includes land and river in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois, which can be viewed via the National Scenic Byways that stretch along either side of the river. Water levels throughout the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge are managed through a system of 11 locks and dams, maintaining habitat that attracts 40% of migrating waterfowl in the United States. Listen to the audio files below to learn more about this longest refuge and then plan a trip to visit Iowa's northeast coast.