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Conservation

Tama SWCD to host free upcoming cover crop and livestock event

TOLEDO – Join Tama Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) for its upcoming event, “Above, Below & Cattle: the ABCs of soil health and profitability.” It will be held on Tuesday, February 13 at the Reinig Toledo Civic Center, 1007 S. Prospect Drive in Toledo from 9 a.m. to 2 ...

Hedgehog Creature Feature

OTTER CREEK – Have you met Tama County Conservation’s (new!) educational hedgehog Olive? Be sure to say ‘hello’ to her at the nature center during your next trip to Otter Creek Lake & Park! Olive is an African pygmy hedgehog which is a species native to Africa and is not an Iowa ...

Ike’s shooting range 2024 training class set for Jan. 30

​​The Izaak Walton Shooting Facility is a restricted use facility requiring training on rules and regulations prior to use. A class to review rules and regulations is scheduled at 6 p.m. on Jan. 30 with a snow date of Jan. 31. The class will be held at the Tama County nature center at Otter ...

Conservation director presents FY25 budget draft

OTTER CREEK – From native seed and fire equipment to a new skid steer and trailer, Tama Co. Conservation Director Curtis Behrens presented his draft budget for the next fiscal year during the Jan. 3 monthly meeting held at Otter Creek Nature Center. Many of the “needs” Behrens listed for ...

Which Iowa winter animal are you?

With the onset of chilly winter weather, how does wildlife survive? Read on for more information and be sure to take Tama County Conservation’s interactive quiz (link follows the article) to discover which winter Iowa animal you are! 1. Safety in Numbers Most animals form foraging groups, ...

Tama SWCD high school senior scholarships available

TAMA COUNTY – Conservation Districts of Iowa (CDI) is partnering with Tama Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) to foster the higher education endeavors of Iowa students interested in conservation and agriculture by offering local, regional and statewide scholarships. Iowa High ...

Five easy ways to help birds in Tama County

As winter descends on the Midwest, well-stocked bird feeders suddenly become the place to be this time of year. For those looking to expand beyond the traditional feeder, Tama County Naturalist Raina Genaw has created a list of five ‘easy’ ways to further help the feathered beings in our ...

Conservation considers alcohol policy, reverses logo decision

OTTER CREEK – During the Dec. 6 meeting of the Tama Co. Board of Conservation, board members led by the department’s new director Curtis Behrens spent a considerable amount of time discussing adding alcohol to the nature center’s rental policy. Currently alcohol of any kind is not ...

2024 hunting, fishing licenses on sale Dec. 15

Iowans can buy 2024 resident hunting, fishing and other licenses on Dec. 15. Licenses purchased for 2023 expire on Jan. 10. The menu of license options includes the popular Outdoor Combo annual resident hunting/fishing/habitat combo license for $55; the Angler’s Special three-year fishing ...

Behrens ready to put the focus back on conservation

OTTER CREEK – Curtis Behrens was recently hired as Tama County’s next Conservation Director, replacing former director Stephen Mayne who resigned in August. And while Behrens has only been in the position since Nov. 6, he said he’s ready to put the focus of his department back on ...