2016 winterfest registration packet

Iowa Association of County Conservation Board Employees
45th Annual I.A.C.C.B.E. Workshop
WINTERFEST
January 19- 21, 2016
Five Sullivan Brothers
Convention Center
Waterloo, IA
Iowa Association of County Conservation Board Employees
Scott Bahmann, President, Benton County
Joe Mayhew, Vice-President, Union County
Robert Etzel, Secretary/Treasurer, Tama County
2283 Park Road, Toledo, IA 52342
(641) 484-2231
tccb@tamacounty.org
November, 2015
Greetings Fellow IACCBE Members:
On behalf of the IACCBE Winterfest Planning Committee I would like to encourage your attendance at
WINTERFEST XLV in Waterloo, Iowa on January 19th – 21st, 2016! The planning committee has worked
hard to ensure that this year’s conference will offer something for everyone and continue to serve as the premier
annual training opportunity for County Conservation Staff.
We are once again able to offer two excellent keynote speakers – Ben Hoksch and Chip Taylor. These two
speakers are guaranteed to entertain and enlighten employees statewide!
Enclosed in this packet please find the conference information and registration form. The committee has once
again arranged over forty educational sessions to choose from during this three-day event! The “Collegiate
Day” returns with a break-out session dedicated to explaining the CCB System to our college attendees. On the
lower level we will have space for you to “show off” new brochures, banners, ideas, and projects! Please bring
your brochures, displays, and permanent or seasonal staff openings for others to see what your county has to
offer.
The conference and lodging will be held at the Ramada Inn and Convention Center in Waterloo. The Waterloo
Convention & Visitors Bureau has provided a grant to help provide “top-notch” presenters. Their support allows
us to provide this “first-class” training for a very reasonable cost.
Please mark your calendars for January 19th– 21stand join your fellow friends in conservation for another
Winterfest Conference that guarantees not to disappoint! Please fill out your registration forms and return them
as soon as possible. I look forward to seeing everyone in Waterloo for another great week of training,
networking, and fun!!
Sincerely,
This event funded
in part with a
grant from the
Waterloo
Hotel/Motel Tax
Fund
Scott Bahmann, President
Iowa Association of County Conservation Board Employees
Deputy Director, Benton County Conservation Board
General Workshop Information
LODGING - A large block of rooms has been reserved at the Ramada
Inn & Convention Center in downtown Waterloo. Room rates are
$73.95/night, plus tax. Rooms may be reserved by calling the Ramada Inn
at (319) 233-7560. The cut-off deadline for room reservations is
December 31, 2015 – please book your rooms early to ensure availability.
NAME TAGS – Your nametag will be distributed with
additional workshop information at the IACCBE Registration
Table in the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center. We
request that nametags be worn at all times for admittance to
meals and to improve workshop networking opportunities.
New CCB employees and our collegiate guests will have special marked nametags – please
take a moment to welcome them to Winterfest and the county conservation system!
IACCBE RAFFLE – Stash away a couple extra bucks for the always
enticing IACCBE Winterfest Raffle! Each year it just gets better and
better! Funds raised are used to support aspects of the workshop that are
not funded from the general IACCBE budget. Unique artwork and crafts,
CCB facility use packages, assorted merchandise and other products
make for great workshop souvenirs. It would be extra fine if we had a
donation/product from ALL parts of Iowa – so if your CCB would like to
donate, or you are aware of anyone who might be interested – please
contact us! (The drawing for raffle prizes will take place during the IACCBE
Reception on Wednesday evening – need not be present to win).
WHAT TO WEAR? – Winterfest is a casual business-like atmosphere – so
your informal uniform or regular winter casual wear is just fine. You may wish
to dress in layers as some rooms are warmer or cooler than others.
EXHIBITORS – Generally, we have several exhibitors on site sharing their
expertise and products with us. Please take some time to visit with them and
thank them for participating at our Winterfest event.
WORKSHOP AGENDA – Please recognize that the enclosed agenda for this conference is accurate
as of the date of distribution. External factors, as well as January weather may impact the final roster of
presenters. We will do our best to provide replacement sessions as necessary – your understanding and
patience should this occur is appreciated.
COLLEGIATE DAY – The full-length second day of
Winterfest has quickly become a HUGE day with the addition
of college students from as many as 8 college campuses from
around central and eastern Iowa. Very popular with the
undergraduates, this day provides a special one hour session
to introduce the collegiates to Iowa’s county conservation
system; a resume review session with CCB professionals
critiquing resumes; a Collegiate Newsletter; AND the chance
for them to interact will all conference attendees and attend
concurrent sessions! If you are interested in assisting with any
portion of this day – please contact Tom Hazelton at
IACCB@mycountyparks.com. Over 600 college students have
participated in this event since its inception – several have
gone on to become seasonal and full-time staff within our
CCB system, just another great day to be at Winterfest!
COUNTY BROCHURES, JOB POSTINGS, ETC. – On the lower level
of the convention center (near the break areas and collegiate sessions), we
have a couple of tables set up for you to put out information about your CCB
program; employment information, etc. This information can be specifically for
our collegiate attendees, OR information to share with all conference
participants. No need to make advance arrangements – just bring your “stuff”,
and set it out!
EVENING RECEPTIONS – Networking is an important part of any workshop and
Winterfest provides TWO evenings to simply relax, partake of some tasty hors-d'oeuvres, and
enjoy the company of hundreds of fellow CCB employees. Following the educational and
meeting component on Tuesday and Wednesday please ride the escalator to the lower level
to join fellow conservationists for an enjoyable evening. Tuesday’s event is hosted by the
Ramada Inn to show their appreciation for our group. On Wednesday the evening is provided
by IACCBE and the Winterfest Raffle. This year, in celebration of the 45th anniversary of
Winterfest, in addition to some good food and company, we will enjoy the comedic talents of
Doug Thompson. Be sure to join in on the festivities!
KEYNOTE – TUESDAY
Winterfest 2016 At-A-Glance
*WEDNESDAY, January 20, 2016 (cont'd)*
***** TUESDAY, January 19, 2016 *****
8:00 AM
REGISTRATION - Convention Center
9:00 AM 11:30 AM
PRE-WORKSHOP SESSIONS
1. Hunting w/Raptors
Off-site
2. Paines RV
Off-site
3. Inspection & Maintenance Off-site
4. My County Parks 2016 Rm 24
11:30 AM
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN
12:50 PM
WELCOME
Rooms 22 & 23
Scott Bahmann, President, IACCBE
1:00 PM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS Rooms 22 & 23
Ben Hoksch
2:30 PM
3:00 PM
BREAK
Jefferson Street Lobby
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
1. Bee Keeping
Room 21
2. Connecting Rivers/People
Room 22
3. Attracting Beneficial Insects
Room 23
4. Biomass Harvested From Prairie Rm 24
4:15 PM
Room 21
Room 22
Room 23
Room 24
RAMADA RECEPTION
Lower Level- Jefferson Street Lobby
DINNER & EVENING - On Your Own
**** WEDNESDAY, January 20, 2016 ****
7:30 AM
REGISTRATION Convention Center
9:00 AM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS II Rooms 22/23
Chip Taylor- Monarch Watch
Jefferson Street Lobby
10:30 AM
BREAK
11:00 AM
COLLEGIATE SEMINAR Rooms 10 & 11
11:00 AM
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
1. Working Together w/RC&D’s Room 21
2. Retrieving Freedom, Inc.
Room 22
3. Chainsaw Safety
Room 23
4. Partnerships to Save the Monarch
Room 24
LUNCH
Exhibition Hall
* IAN/ICEC Awards, etc.
1:30 PM
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
1. Bird Flu
Room 21
2. Lessons Learned #1- Iowa
Room 22
3. Safely Working Near Power Lines Rm 23
4. Legislative Update
Room 24
2:45 PM
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
1. Wild Game Cooking
Room 21
2. Lessons Learned #2- Iowa
Room 22
3. Mass Casualty Preparedness Room 23
4. Macbride Raptor Project
Room 24
3:45 PM
BREAK
Jefferson Street Lobby
4:15 PM
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
1. Investing In Your Future
Room 21
2. RX Fire In Oak Woodlands
Room 22
3. Status of Iowa’s Turtle Populations Rm 23
4. Indian Medicinals
Room 24
Room 21
5:20 PM
IACCBE Business Mtg.
6:00 PM
IACCBE Reception & Activities
Exhibition Hall- Lower Level
Doug Thompson- Comedian
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
1. Five Dysfunctions of a Team
2. Pro Bass Fishing 101
3. National Geo-grid Referencing
4. NWS Fire Weather Program
5:15 PM
12:15 PM
**** THURSDAY, January 21, 2016 ****
Convention Center
7:45 AM
REGISTRATION
8:30 AM
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
1. Chronic Waste Disease
2. Welcome to Disc Golf
3. Taxidermy 101
Room 21
Room 22
Room 23
Jefferson Street Lobby
9:30 AM
BREAK
10:00 AM
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
1. Waterfowl- Population and Seasons
Room 21
2. Integrating Archaeology into County
Projects
Room 22
3. Astronomy
Room 23
11:15 AM
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
1. Status of Muskrats in Iowa
2. Four Season Food Plots
3. Wild Ginseng
12:15 PM
Room 21
Room 22
Room 23
ADJOURNMENT
Thanks for coming - Have a safe trip home!
Keynote- Tuesday, January 19th, 2016
Mississippi River Trip
Ben Hoksch
The Mississippi river is the 3rd longest river in North
America, winding over 2,300 miles from Minnesota to the
Gulf of Mexico. Its watershed makes up 40% of the United
States, draining 31 states and 2 Canadian Provinces. In
2012 Ben Hoksch set out to travel the entire length of the
river in a solo canoe. Come hear his story as he describes
the people, places and wildlife encountered along his 134
day journey. The presentation will include tall tales and
short stories that flow together to paint a picture of the
importance of our waterways and the people and places
that make them so special.
“PRE – CONFERENCE” SESSIONS – 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
MyCountyParks.com
Tom Hazelton – CEO IACCB
MyCountyParks.com launched a brand new version of the website on June 24, 2015 - join Tom
Hazelton for a re-cap of the new functionalities, and some general "hands-on" administration of the
website. Following a brief overview, this session will focus on the inquiries that participants bring to
this mini-workshop. NOTE: To actively participate in this "hands-on" session, participants will need to
bring their own laptop computers with wireless capability to access the internet.
Hunting w/Raptors
Dr. Ross Dirks – DVM
I will begin with about a 45 minute talk on the
history of falconry, types of hunting with
raptors, equipment etc. [Falconry 101]. We
will then go to a field and demonstrate hunting
with at least one bird. After the field time, we
will use any time left to answer questions.
Inspection & Maintenance
Brett Backhaus - Worth County Conservation Board
With the retiring senior employees leaving, and the new group of young new employees coming into
our system, there is an apparent gap in safe equipment knowledge. We will be using the shop
at Black Hawk County to help employees understand: 1.Basic equipment maintenance, 2. DOT truck
inspections, 3. Safe and legal loading and binding of equipment for transport. This session should
have something for everyone to learn and take with them to better themselves. With the room
available at Black Hawk, we will break into small groups and get one-on-one hands on experience
with professionals in the field. This will be an open discussion session. Everyone can bring ideas to
the session and share successes and failures. All levels of employee experience are welcome, we
are here to teach and to learn. Our goal is tho make the 2016 season a safer and more productive
year for all. This session will be held at the Black Hawk County Conservation Board Shop
Paines RV –Waterloo, IA
RV Orientation- A complete walk through Inside & Out.
Every park employee has had a camper stop them pointing to
problems they are experiencing with their RV camping unit. Often
they want to blame the park’s electrical service or something else.
Paine’s RV has been in the RV business for 50 years and has an
in-depth knowledge of what makes RVs tick. Join two of Paine’s RV
Techs for a complete “walk through” of an RV concentrating on the
“Do’s and Don’ts” when it comes to RVs.
.
NOTE: Please indicate on your registration form which of these “Pre-Conference” sessions that you
plan to attend so that we can ensure adequate space is provided for each program. Also, directions to
the off-site locations will be sent to those counties that have staff sign up for the session. Many
thanks!
Concurrent Session Descriptions
Tuesday, January 19th, 2016
Bee Keeper Program
Steve Anderson
General discussion about beekeeping, the ups and downs of
keeping bees. We will cover how partnerships with County
Conservation Boards can facilitate education, promotion and
research. Different hive styles, and equipment will be present to
show the basic equipment needed to keep hives at your facilities.
Final discussion will be about how an observation hive installed in
a nature center survived a winter and collapsed the next spring.
Connecting Rivers,Connecting People
Nate Hoogeveen – River Coordinator, IDNR
From early settlement to modern times, Iowa
communities have installed many unnatural controls of
rivers, such as walls, levees, culverts, and dams. An
unintended result was citizen disconnection from
waterways in terms of access, navigation, and even
ability to view the streams. In recent years, some towns
and county park settings are reversing the trend line, providing examples that incorporate more
natural elements into downtown areas. Natural channel design benefit floodplains, access to the
water's edge, on-water recreation, fishing, and enhance safety. Hoogeveen's highly visual
presentation will highlight the ways the public is interacting with projects at dam mitigation sites,
designed whitewater facilities, water access, and streambank restoration areas. Learn more about
assistance available (and not available) and what upcoming tools might be used to design, fund, and
implement similar projects in your area.
Attracting Benefical Insects with Prairie Plants & Cover Crops
Kristine Nemec – IRVM Program Manager
The vast majority of insect species are beneficial, playing important roles
in pollination and pest control and providing a critical food source for
birds, fish, and small mammals. Because they are easily accessible,
insects also provide a great educational topic for conservation programs.
This presentation discusses how to attract beneficial insects, including
pollinators and insect predators, using prairie plants and flowering cover
crops. Information on common types of benefical insects in Iowa will also
be discussed.
Assessing the Wildlife Habitat Value of
Experimental Plantings of Tallgrass Prairie
Mark Myers –Associate Professor, University of Northern Iowa
In 2008, the University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center,
in partnership with the Black Hawk County Conservation Board, initiated
a project to investigate the feasibility of using
biomass harvested from diverse plantings of
native tallgrass prairie vegetation as a sustainable
biofuel. One major objective of this research was
to determine optimal methods for managing and
harvesting prairie vegetation while maintaining
high quality habitat for native wildlife. In May
2009, 48 research plots in the Cedar River Natural
Resource Area in southeastern Black Hawk
County were seeded with one of four treatments of
native prairie vegetation ranging in species
richness from 1 to 32 species. From 2009 to
2015, my students and I annually monitored
habitat characteristics and bird and butterfly community dynamics at the site to explore the prediction
that more diverse agro energy crops would support a greater abundance and diversity of wildlife
species over time. I will present the results of our research and discuss the potential habitat value of
tallgrass prairie agro energy crops for Iowa wildlife species.
Five Dysfuctions of a Team
Alan Feirer – Leadership Trainer & Consultant
Working effectively as part of a team is undeniably important for producing quality work, maintaining
workplace morale, and employee retention. Working together as part of a team is the single most
untapped resource for businesses and can lead to measurably greater results when dysfunctions are
addressed. We sometimes find that strong personalities or institutional inertia can create an
atmosphere more comprised of stress-induced communication, as opposed to open and trusting
communication, at work. Patrick Lencioni’s 'Five Dysfunctions of a Team' has been an influential book
for people in all kinds of work. Professionals will be more effective in teams when they can
successfully identify these five dysfunctions, then influence their teams in ways that will lead them
toward the five behaviors of a cohesive team. The five behaviors we
discuss will help them become a more cohesive, efficient, and
effective team.
Professional Bass Fishing 101
Lance Baker – Bass Pro Shops, FLW Tour Co-Angler
Qualifier
Baker will speak about the game of professional bass fishing
including, securing sponsorships, and climbing the ranks to improve
your versatility and success on the water.
National Geo-grid Referencing
Rob Inouye – Captain Cedar Falls Fire Department
The United States National Grid; the "language of location" This program is an introduction to the
geo-referencing power of the United States National Grid (USNG) and how it is being implemented in
Iowa. The USNG is a simple map based tool to quickly and accurately identify an area or a point and
be able to relay it to others. USNG is based off of latitude and longitude, and is being adopted and
implemented across the state of Iowa for trail signage, 911 dispatching and standard search and
rescue procedures. This program will discuss what USNG is and how we can continue to expand the
use of the USNG "language of location" to make emergency response on public lands faster and
more efficient.
NWS Fire Weather Program- Grassland Fire Danger Index
Frank Boksa- Meteorologist
The National Weather Service in Des Moines
has had a formal fire weather
program in place for Iowa for about 10 years. In
the last two years the fire weather program has
expanded a great deal, to include burn planning
forecasts, site specifics potburn forecasts for
those who do prescribed burns and the
production of fire watches and warnings along
with a first glance grassland fire danger map.
Most recently this became a unified plan,
coordinating with 5 NWS offices serving Iowa
and input from our customers. We want to be
your information source for weather and fire weather data including burn forecasts. The session will
introduce the Iowa NWS fire weather program, we will discuss the fire forecast process, the NWS
products available to you and their use to CCB Employee’s. We will be going through the new spot
request form that will be used in 2016. My goal for 2016 is to improve our forecasts and warnings by
having observed data ingested into the forecast system. One of the most critical pieces of information
needed is curing data...how dry are fuels...for each county. I would like to discuss my thoughts on
attaining observed curing data and the benefit this will have to each county. There will also be a
question and answer session following the presentation.
KEYNOTE – WEDNESDAY
Monarch Watch
Chip Taylor
Professor – Lawrence, KS
In 1992, Taylor founded Monarch
Watch, an outreach program focused
on education, research and
conservation relative to monarch
butterflies. Since then, Monarch Watch
has enlisted the help of volunteers to
tag monarchs during the fall migration.
This program has produced many new
insights into the dynamics of the
monarch migration. In 2005 Monarch
Watch created the Monarch
Waystation program, in recognition
that habitats for monarchs are
declining at a rate of 6,000 acres a day in the United States. The goal of this program is to inspire the
public, schools and others to create habitats for monarch butterflies and to assist Monarch Watch in
educating the public about the decline in resources for monarchs, pollinators and all wildlife that share
the same habitats.
Mr. Taylor will share his knowledge with us in helping to understand: Status and Trends in Monarch
Populations; basic biology, migration challenges and habitat considerations.
For more background please visit http://monarchwatch.org/blog/2014/03/25/monarch-butterflyrecovery-plan/
A FRIENDLY REMINDER!
Be sure to dress in layers as it is
impossible to have the perfect
temperature in each session
room.
“Some like it hot and some like it
cold. Some like it in the pot nine
days old!”
Concurrent Session Descriptions
Wednesday, January 20th, 2016
Working Together With Iowa’s RC&D’s
Jessica Rilling, Executive Director, Iowa Valley RC&D
Iowa has nine Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D)
organizations. These nonprofits can be strong partners for
county conservation boards working on land acquisition, multiuse trails, marketing, and land stewardship. Jessica Rilling,
Executive Director for Iowa Valley RC&D, shares information about Iowa's RC&Ds, their history and
project expertise in an effort to expand partnerships and seek new opportunities.
Retrieving Freedom
Keegan Birkicht - Program Director
Retrieving Freedom, Inc. is a non-profit organization which
trains quality service dogs for veterans and children with
autism. During this presentation, we will cover general
service dog etiquette, why we do what we do, and how
service dogs work for those individuals who truly need
them. It will be an informational hour along with time for a
few questions and also a demonstration of the dog
performing service tasks.
Chainsaw Safety
Jason Wickizer – Operations Officer – Shelby
County Conservaton
We will discuss the Safety and Training components of an in
depth Saw Program. We will address the proper components of
training, and policy that follows along with the training program.
We will discuss the use of Position Task Books, and annual
recertification training.
Back From the Brink: Partnership to Save the
Monarch Butterflies
Gregg Pattison- Private Lands Biologist
The monarch butterfly population has crashed and in
response there has been a ground swell of energy,
excitement and a true willingness to do something to help
from all sectors. We will explore the partnerships that
have built over the past year to create habitat that will allow
the monarch to recover. We will discuss ways of creating
new habitat as well as the importance of continuing to
protect and restore our remnant prairies and oak savannas
to support butterfly habitat. And most important - we will
discuss how the County Conservation Board System has
played a key role in making the partnerships work and how
CCB's can do even more through partnerships to create and maintain healthy butterfly habitats.
These partnerships will enhance the visitor experience to your parks and wildlife management areas
and increase overall wildlife use of your sites.
Bird Flu
David Schmitts – State Veterinarian – Iowa
2015 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Iowa.
This will be an overview of the cases, challenges,
impacts, and steps to recovery.
Lesson’s Learned Iowa
John Metzger – Instructor – Iowa Law Enforcement
Academy
View and discuss officer involved videos from Iowa and other states.
Goal is to not second guess what the officers have done but to learn from
what has happened and be better prepared. This will be a two hour
session. Note: You are free to attend both or either session.
Electrical Safety Near Power Lines
Kent Sodawasser – Lead Safety Consultant Alliant Energy
Electricity is often called the "silent killer". Participants will learn about the characteristics and myths
of electricity and how to identify and safely work in the vicinity of overhead and underground electrical
lines.
2016 Legislative Updates
Matt Cosgrove, Dan Cohen, Tom Hazelton – Directors Webster & Buchanan
County Conservation, ISAC Legislative Liaisons & CEO IACCB
Join Matt, Dan & Tom for a review of the current 2016
County Conservation Legislative Program - specifically
the status of current initiatives (REAP & IWILL), how
legislation is formulated for our association, and the
work that IACCB lobbyists perform on behalf of county
conservation. Learn what has resonated with local
elected officials and legislators in a couple of counties,
and why year 'round communications is a key
component of your successful local efforts.
Wild Game Cooking w/ Outdoors Dan
Dan Young
Dan Young, better know as "Outdoors Dan" has been
working in radio since 1997. Dan can be heard on the
following radio stations: "Outdoor Traditions Radio" Show
1460 KXNO AM, News Radio 1040 WHO on the "Outdoor
Grill Show", and is the host of "Outdoors Dan Show" on KTKS
550 AM. He also writes a weekly column for the Des Moines
Register. Outdoors Dan will be talking about all aspects of
cooking wild game.
Mass Casualty Preparedness
Kip Ladage – Emergency Manager
Bremer County
Disasters, mass casualty incidents… they don't
happen in parks and wildlife areas, do they? Yes
they do and you need to know what to do. Are you
prepared for when you have many people injured
and are tasked with leading the response before responders arrive? This session will address mass
casualty incidents - from 4 or 5 victims to many more. We will discuss preparations and then do fun,
but educational scenarios.
Macbride Raptor Project
Shawn Hawks – Macbride Raptor
Project Coordinator
The Macbride Raptor Project (MRP) has been in
existence since 1986.
The goal of this talk is to give an overview of MRP
accomplishments in raptor rehabilitation, species
reintroductions, species monitoring and
management, as well as public education and
outreach to highlight the organization's history of
past leadership to present. Based on
understanding of MRP's legacy, I will introduce a
new vision of rehabilitation that will be scaled
down a bit, but a greater vision of research,
inventory, and monitoring that will focus on
studying Iowa raptors throughout the annual lifecycle of the spring and summer breeding, fall
migration, and understanding how raptors use the
Iowa landscape in winter. This research will also
focus on student involvement, as well as citizen
science based experiential education and
outreach.
Investing In Your Future – The Rest Of The Story
Todd Manternach Owner, Premeir Advisors, LLC & & Tom
Hazelton – CEO IACCB
Join Todd as he discusses options, in addition to IPERS, that will help
you prepare for retirement. He will share strategies on how to grow and
protect your net worth during your accumulation phase – prior to
retirement – to create a predictable, reliable, inflation adjusted income for
your retirement years. As a 2011 retiree into IPERS, Tom will trace his
early steps and stumbles of retirement planning from the 1970s forward outlining a plan that worked well for him - with an emphasis on how
IPERS should play into YOUR strategies
for retirement.
RX Fire in Oak Woodland
Jason Gooder – Director, Franklin County Conservation
Jason will explain how they used Prescribed Fire at Maynes Grove to
control Prickly Ash and Goose Berry. Discuss burn set up, ignition
techniques, weather, and results.
Status of Iowa’s Turtle Population
Chad Dolan – IDNR Fisheries Biologist
I will provide a comprehensive background of
turtle life history, discuss how a number of turtle
life history traits can be an impediment to their
survival in the face of outside pressures, review
the current status of Iowa's harvestable turtle
species, and discuss options for insuring the future
of turtles in the state.
Indian Medicinals
Don Wirth – Environmental Horizons
This presentation is two-fold. The first portion will be medicinal
plants use by the Native American groups in the North-Central
US. The second portion will just be edible wild plants employed
by Native Americans. There will be some selected samples of
wild foods.
Concurrent Session Descriptions
Thursday, January 21st, 2016
Chronic Wasting Disease
Dale Garner – Wildlife Bureau Chief, IDNR
Dr. Dale Garner will cover the history and current status of Chronic
Wasting Disease (CWD) in Iowa and across the U.S.; and provide
information on the current science of CWD.
Hyzers & Hammer Throws: Welcome
To Disc Golf
Charles Vigdal – Naturalist, Dickinson
County Conservation
Disc Golf is one of America's fastest growing
sports with more than 162 courses in Iowa alone,
making it the state with the second most disc golf
courses in the nation. This program will cover
everything from disc golf basics to course
planning, construction, maintenance, and
tournament play. Learn how to create this
awesome outdoor recreation opportunity in your
park.
Taxidermy 101
Greg Cuvelier – Owner, Greg’s Taxidermy
Greg will be describing how to preserve your trophy in the
field. He will also answer any questions about taxidermy.
If time allows he will show how to properly cape out a deer.
Waterfowl Populations & Hunting Seasons
Orrin Jones – Waterfowl Research Biologist IDNR
Update on waterfowl populations, harvest, and hunting
regulations.
Integrating Archaeology Into County Projects
Cindy Peterson – USACE
Research-related archaeological projects can occur at CCB properties in
partnership with other agencies, such as the US Army Corps of Engineers
and AmeriCorps NCCC, and/or through grant funding, including the State
Historical Society-administered Certified Local Government (CLG) and
Historic Resource Development Program (HRDP) grants and the DOT's
Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grants. This session highlights
projects involving enthusiastic volunteers, use of LiDAR to identify mounds,
surveys of newly acquired parcels, excavations at a looted rock shelter, and
learning more about Iowa's little understood earth lodge sites and historicera Indian villages. All these projects provided information that aids in
property management and site interpretation.
Astronomy
Kristen Haynes – Naturalist, Ida County Conservation
Astronomy is a vast topic that seems to never end. This session
will help you find your footing by equipping you with a basic
knowledge of what is up in that big night sky. Get teaching tips
while you learn yourself all about space.
Status Of Muskrats in Iowa
Vince Evelsizer – Furbearer & Wetland Biologist, IDNR
Muskrats are an important mammal for Iowa's marshes
ecologically. They are also a favorite species among trappers in
Iowa. However, muskrat numbers in Iowa have been generally
trending downward over the past 20 years. This talk will cover
muskrat harvest, regional population trends throughout Iowa, fur
market trends, muskrat biology, their importance to marshes and
other wildlife, and the latest in Midwest muskrat research.
Planting Foodplots, Early Spring to Late Fall
Brett Backhaus & Others
The main focus of this session is the change in thinking regarding a continual corn-on-corn plot that
produces poorly. Changing to a varied plot program that can be done three seasons long, with
preparations and crop rotations built in to a 2-3 year in advance cycle can be advantageous. There
will be an open discussion on all seed, fertilizer, equipment, and results of plots in the conservation
system. It is the time to network and share your sucesses and failures so we can all build our food
plot programming. There are a couple conservation plot systems in District 2 that have implemented a
changeover and are reaping the benefits of an improved plot system.
Wild Ginseng
Burt Walters – Conservation Officer IDNR
Conservation Officer Burt Walters will explain Iowa's ginseng laws,
the need for ginseng enforcement, some enforcement techniques
and indicators of ginseng harvesters.
Winterfest…. The premier training workshop planned by county
conservation professionals for county conservation professionals.
Come celebrate Winterfest’s 45th Anniversary in January, 2016.
Become part of the planning team for Winterfest 2017
by e-mailing your interest to Bob at tccb@tamacounty.org