Blog

Heated gloves, snow tires, cold-weather clothes and groceries purchased in bulk or delivered to your door… come December, our lives are supplemented with gadgets and remedies so that even in the biting cold of deep winter, life can continue uninterrupted by weather. But for other animals, there is no retreat to cozy fireplaces and piping hot soup. How do wildlife cope so well with the shift of seasons? Physiological and behavioral adaptations are the secret to their success — here are just a few of the strategies that help Iowa wildlife survive the winter. 

Without leaves, trees can all start to look like the same big stick stuck in the ground. They aren’t all the same, though. Telling trees apart, especially without leaves, is a skill you can learn!

With no roads in sight, this protection project in Madison and Clarke counties offers a truly immersive nature experience. 

It’s that time of year again! Time for early morning snow shoveling and freezing evenings tossing de-icing salts on your front steps. Deicers have all kinds of unexpected effects, impacting pets, plants, and even our larger environment. Learn about the issues and some safer alternatives. 

INHF welcomed three individuals to our team this fall! Get to know them in their bios below.

Jim and Marcy Gray lovingly donate an oak savanna and prairie in Ida County.

Fall is its own kind of fun: leaves changing colors, pumpkins, apple cider and giant leaf piles to jump into. Once we’re done with our fun, sometimes we bag those leaves up and take them away. But did you know that it’s a good idea to leave the leaves? Here are some good things fallen leaves can do for nature.

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is pleased to announce that it has reached its $1.9 million fundraising goal for the Arnolds Park Nature Area and will purchase the property to ensure it is protected and open to the public.  

INHF is known as a place where staff have longevity with the organization — Diane Graves is a perfect example. If you have ever called or visited the INHF main office, you would have probably met or talked to Diane. After 25 incredible years of dedicated service to INHF, Diane is retiring.

Meet Iowans navigating land ownership and transition decisions. 

Help permanently protect open space in Iowa's Great Lakes. 

Travelers or residents passing eastbound through Shenandoah, IA down 190^th St. may have noticed the noise and busy atmosphere of a hard day’s work on Boylan Farms. During the month of August, INHF and the tenant farmers at Boylan Farms were busy making improvements to the property, including two to homesteads.