Posts by Lexi Ruskell

Blue vervain is a plant native to Iowa that blooms in mid to late summer. It is bluish-purple in color...

The Eastern tiger swallowtail features characteristics that make it distinctive from other butterflies. Male Eastern tiger swallowtails are yellow or...

Natural spring water is stored in unique containers beneath the earth’s crust called aquifers. Before the aquifer reaches its full...

The sporatic wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum) can be found flowering in prairies across the state from mid-June to late-July. This one in particular was found on our Flowering Hill Prairie in Dickinson County, a dry prairie remnant that has never been plowed.

Our INHF staff has enjoyed talking about Iowa’s nature and trails with thousands of people while on RAGBRAI this year!...

Our Land Stewardship Interns discovered a smooth green snake at Indiangrass Hills last week. This nonvenomous snake is distinctive from...

Our national bird, the bald eagle, is an important symbol of freedom and strength for America. Due to the upcoming...

The wild rose is Iowa’s state flower, which was adopted in 1897. The five petals of the rose vary in...

Last Monday, the land stewardship interns visited Dennis Wynn and Deb Dykstra’s conservation easement, which was donated with the help...

This photo of Turin Prairie was taken at this past weekend’s Loess Hills Prairie Seminar. The seminar consisted of nearly...

Sorry for the puns, we couldn’t resist! This holiday season INHF wants to help you bring some of the nature...

Just because the weather is getting a little colder doesn’t mean you can’t bundle up and keep enjoying Iowa’s trails....