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Birds on the west side of the lock and dam.

Birds on Either Sides of a Lock and Dam

Video
Davenport
Birds respond to the impact of lock and dam on a river.
Image of a man with a kite flying mechanism.

Firat Erdam's Kite Choir

Video
Solon
An artist created a unique kite that makes sound.
Blanding's turtle at Nahant Marsh

Blanding's Turtles at Nahant Marsh

Video
Davenport
Nahant Marsh has been conducting a mark and recapture program on Blanding's turtles, keeping a record of this population.
Image of a frog on a pond shore.

Frog Call Monitoring

Video
Woodward
Volunteers around Iowa collect frog call data from a variety of species.
Burr along a path

Burrs Stuck in Student's Hair

Video
Muscatine
A student has burrs stuck in her hair, hanging on by their unique structure.
Image of fallen tree chewed by animals.

Animals as Loggers

Image
Monroe County
Trees can be cut down or stripped of their bark by animals.
Image of mist on a lake surface.

Lake Mist

Image
Council Bluffs
Mist is visible over an Iowa lake.
Image of exposed tree roots.

Tree Roots and Erosion

Image
Council Bluffs
Tree roots that would normally be underground have been exposed due to erosion.
Image of tree with metal tags attached to it.

Emerald Ash Borer Tagged Trees

Image
Council Bluffs
These ash trees have been tagged to show they were treated to prevent damage from the emerald ash borer.
Image of white growths on goldenrod plants.

Goldenrod Galls

Image
Bremer County
White growths (galls) on the stems of the plant allow plant growth while the fly eggs develop inside.
Image of paha hills in Iowa field.

Paha Land Formations

Image
Traer
A "paha" is a unique, but often unknown, Iowa geological feature.
Image of owl pellet next to a leaf.

Owl Pellets Reveal Unique Eating Processes and Behaviors

Image
Waterloo
When broken apart, owl pellets will reveal the types of creatures eaten by the owl. 
Image of shells with holes punched in them.

Shells with Holes

Image
Muscatine
These mussel shells were found with holes punched in them.
Image of several dead fish in a lake.

Eutrophication

Image
Council Bluffs
An excessive amount of nutrients, or eutrophication, can cause water quality issues.
finger with four deer ticks each of various sizes

Dangerous Ticks and Invasive Honeysuckle

Video
Bettendorf
Since 2010 the number of tick-related illnesses in Iowa have increased.
Image of a prairie being burned.

Prescribed Burning

Image
Lucas County
A prescribed burning is a land-management practice.
image of a bird flock flying around a commercial wind turbine

Wind Turbines and Bird Migration

Video
Council Bluffs
Wind energy companies around the world are employing different strategies to protect birds.
Image of man standing next to a large tree.

Trees and Climate Change

Video
Bettendorf
Trees may play multiple roles in combating climate change.
Image of bird sitting right outside a window.

Bird Behavior

Video
Lee County
A bird is repeatedly flying into the glass of a window.
Image of butterfly on a flower.

Butterfly Pollinator

Image
Harvey
Butterflies act as pollinators for many plants and flowers in Iowa. 
Image of buds on tree branch.

Backyard Diversity

Image
Bussey
A variety of life can be seen in just one backyard.
Image of newly built field terrace.

Field Tiling and Terraces

Image
Bussey
Some Iowa fields have been altered with tiling and terraces.
Image of mussel held in hand.

Mussel Reproduction Process

Video
Eagle Grove
The lifecycle and reproduction of mussels are dependent on fish.
Aerial image of Carter Lake, Iowa.

Carter Lake, Iowa, Located in Nebraska

Video
Carter Lake
Carter Lake, Iowa, is unique because it is in Nebraska.
Image of a large flock of geese.

Snow Geese Migration

Video
Harrison County
At the Missouri River flyway near DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge thousands of geese can be seen migrating.
Image of large rocks stacked on each other.

Glacial Erratics

Video
Tripoli
Glacial erratics are a remnant from the most recent times when glaciers covered much of the surface of Iowa.
Image of the Des Moines and Racoon Rivers merging.

Confluence of Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers

Image
Des Moines
The Raccoon River and Des Moines River join together in Des Moines.
Image of an Iowa fen.

Fens

Video
Fayette County
A fen may appear to be just another wet area, until you walk on it.
Image of maple trees with sap collection pails.

Sugar Maple Sap

Video
Waterloo
Maple sap can be collected from certain trees.
Image of a rainbow over a field.

Rainbows & Sundogs

Video
Baxter
If conditions are right, double rainbows and sundogs can be visible.
Image of Mariposa Lake being drained.

Mariposa Lake Draining

Video
Jasper County
Several factors led to Lake Mariposa being drained and restored.
Image of a flooded field.

Impact of Soil on Flooding

Video
Center Point
Two neighboring fields are shown. One is flooded while the other is not.
Image of mushrooms growing on a log.

Mushrooms as Decomposers

Video
Baxter
Fungi are an important part of ecosystems.
Image of fossil in rocks.

Iowa Marine Fossils

Video
Center Point
Marine fossils can be found in Iowa.
Image of man standing next to flooded Mississippi River.

Record Breaking Precipitation and Floods in Iowa

Video
Davenport
The winter and spring of 2019 set several records in the Quad Cities, which is located in eastern Iowa.
Image of person using light meter on snow.

Snow Cover and Temperature

Video
Center Point
On a snowy day, snow has melted on sidewalks and streets but remained on grassy areas.

Funding for Iowa Science Phenomena Provided By

Aliant Energy
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Musco Lighting
Pella
Reserve Endowment and Protection (REAP)