Conservation
Linn Ikes Conservation Initiatives
Linn Ikes Conservation Initiatives
About Izaak Walton League of America
Izaak Walton League – A Century of Conservation Leadership
Linn Ikes Apiary
Save Our Streams (SOS)
SOS is a national clean-water education and outreach program. Since 1969, we have cleaned-up stream corridors, monitored stream health, and restored degraded stream banks. Contact the Conservation Committee, or visit the IWLA site to learn how to start your own water monitoring group.
Birding Station
The Birding Station has been restored. Thank you to the Girl Scouts who helped restore it!
Opening the Packages
New Bees for 2020
Click to watch the apiary video
Apiary
Our Chapter initially set up two beehives in Spring of 2019. In mid-summer, we determined that one of the hives was not doing well. We added two additional hives, bringing the count to four. The hives struggled throughout the summer and fall, but we had high hopes that there was enough honey stored up to make it through the winter. Early on in 2020, Neil Mittelberg checked on our bees, only to find that three of the four hives failed to make it through the winter, and number 4 was marginal. Undeterred, Neil has been working feverishly to re-establish our bees each Spring.
Prairie Plots
We are establishing prairie plots with native vegetation on the Ike's grounds. In the Fall of 2021, we prepared the grassy area of our grounds and seeded the area in mid-winter. Look for progress along 42nd Street. Contact the Conservation Committee for more details.
Monarch Research
In Spring 2019, we prepared two 9x9 foot areas for growing Monarch butterflies. After the newly planted seeds and seedlings were established, we erected a Bio Tent over one of the plots. Caterpillars obtained from the Monarch Research program were placed inside the tent. Over the Spring and Summer, the caterpillars ate, built chrysalis, and in late Summer we had a nice healthy crop of about 50 Monarch butterflies. These were released in early August. Contact the Conservation Committee for more details, or if you wish to help.
This Linn County Ike's crew worked to set up two monarch butterfly rearing tents on the grounds Friday, May 29th. They weeded last year's beds, planted new milkweed, assembled the tents, and staked them in place. Our chapter purchased a second tent this year to help increase the population output.
Now that the tents are up, caterpillar eggs will be introduced once the milkweed matures a bit. The tents protect the monarch caterpillars from all forms of predators as they go through their 4 stages of life. The tents require constant monitoring to remove insects that might feed on the eggs and chrysalis. The tents keep birds from getting to the tasty (to birds, at least) caterpillars. The caretakers will not only water the plants but will vacuum up any of the predator bugs that get inside the tents.
L-R: John Welton, Kealey Oldham (caretaker), Charlie Ong Sr., Clar Baldus (caretaker), CJ Ong Jr., Bill Grams and Neil Mittelberg. Photographed by Dale Braun.