Olivia Cohen

Amber Markham, director of external affairs for the Nature Conservancy, has been working to keep the credits in Iowa, through her work with the Nature Conservancy.

MidAmerican Energy has asked Iowa regulators to approve the addition a small charge to customers’ natural gas bills. If approved by the Iowa Utilities Commission, the charge would add about 17 cents to customers’ average monthly bills.

Volunteers who respond to disasters and aid nonprofits through the federal AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps were informed Tuesday they have been let go from service, effective immediately. One of the corps’ regional campuses, located in Vinton, was closed Tuesday.

Chronic wasting disease, which is fatal to deer, has been confirmed in 29 of Iowa’s 99 counties, according to the latest data from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s census data, Iowa has lost nearly 10,000 farms, marking a 10.1 percent decrease, down to 86,911 farms in 2022, from 96,705 in 1997.

The U.S. butterfly population — not just Monarch butterflies — declined 22 percent in two decades, according to recently-published research.

Alliant Energy is moving forward with its proposed project to store renewable energy in batteries near the company’s retired coal plant in Lansing.

The program has expanded with the help of a $8,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources

The Linn County Food Symposium was launched after the COVID pandemic, in response to questions about local food options. Those questions have started popping up again as the federal government announces tariffs that could increase the cost of food produced outside the United States.

As a Nature Everywhere Community, Cedar Rapids schools will add “greenery” to some school yards and playgrounds. That could be anything from nature — like putting down more grass or installing a garden — to building infrastructure that’s stormwater and flood resistant and incorporates heat protection.

Wildcat Bluff Recreation Area in Benton County, a park known for its camping, hiking and renowned disc golf course, is doubling in size after two years of collaborative work by Benton County Conservation and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.

On March 13, the organization officially launched its reservation system allowing community members to reserve the chairs at no cost for use at the nature center — the first of its kind in Cedar Rapids.

The number of monarch butterflies that spent the winter in Mexico doubled this year, giving hope for a species that has faced decline in recent decades. And while conservationists welcome that news, they warn those numbers still lag and more work is needed.

The Department of Natural Resources is currently working with an outside consultant to determine what modifications should be made to the dam

Researchers worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to lower the water level in Red Rock reservoir a foot and a half so the birds could find more food.