Continuing Education and
Communication Services
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
7/10/01
Contacts:
Jason O'Brien, Department of Animal Ecology, (515) 294-6440,
jpobrien@iastate.edu
Del Marks, Continuing Education and Communication Services,
(515) 294-9807, delmarks@iastate.edu
For Marshall County workshop: Diane Pixler, Marshall County
Conservation Board, (515) 754-6303, mccb@co.marshall.ia.us
For Dickinson County workshop: Barbara Tagami, Dickinson
County Conservation Board, (712) 338-4238, bartag@hotmail.com
For Immediate Release
Workshops Scheduled on Observing Wildlife
Two workshops have been scheduled for August and September in Marshalltown and at Lake Okoboji on NatureMapping, an Iowa State University Extension wildlife program that trains volunteers how to monitor and report the wildlife and habitats they observe.
NatureMapping is designed to give participants the "basics" of how to collect information on common Iowa wildlife species. "There are not enough professionals, time or funding to conduct an inventory of all the nation's flora and fauna," said Jason O'Brien, coordinator of Iowa NatureMapping. "Long-term projects are scarce. One way to achieve the needed inventory is with help from interested volunteers."
The NatureMapping Program is a hands-on environmental education program that is growing and evolving. Iowa is the third state in the nation to implement the program. "Involving the public in 'finding the pieces of the puzzle' is what NatureMapping is all about," O'Brien said. "For now, we are concentrating on terrestrial vertebrate species of wildlife; the amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds of Iowa. In future years, we expect to add an aquatic module that includes mussels, a terrestrial invertebrate module and eventually, a plant module." He added that the goal is "to keep Iowa's common wildlife common."
Workshops are held around the state. Anyone interested in starting a NatureMapping project should plan to attend one of these workshops, O'Brien said. The next two scheduled are Aug. 18 in Marshall County at the Iowa Valley Community College Campus in Marshalltown, and Sept. 29 in Dickinson County at Lakeside Laboratory north of Milford on West Lake Okoboji.
For registration information, contact O'Brien at (515) 294-6440, e-mail jpobrien@iastate.edu, or visit the NatureMapping Web site at http://www.naturemapping.state.ia.us.
"All types of people and groups can become involved. Individuals, schools and other community groups can participate," O'Brien said. "Individuals can provide much needed data by recording wildlife observations around their home, or when hiking, watching their feeders or participating in other wildlife-related activities." School participation can vary depending on the size and scope of the projects chosen. "It can fulfill a valuable service to their community as well as engaging students in a related project of data collection and analysis," he added. Communities may wish to preserve or restore sites. A species diversity report card is the beginning framework on which to construct long term plans. "Mapping species diversity is an important early step toward progressive community planning," he said.
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Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.