“Mob the Quab” Iowa Mountain Bike Champeonship Race

On Sunday, August 9, 2009 the Iowa Mountain Bike Championship Series heads south.

By Bruce Brown

Have you heard of the famous Chequamegon 40 in Wisconsin that is run on cross country ski trails, forest roads, snowmobile trails and wooded lanes? That's right!! We now have a "Cheqaumegon like" race in our very own Iowa series.

Coming for the second time is Iowa's very own “Mob the Quab” backwoods, super fast, fat tire XC race held on a course loop that rolls on the multi-use cross country ski, snowmobile, and hiking trail that circles Lake Ahquabi. The race loop utilizes backwood sections of the wooded trails throughout Lake Ahquabi State Park to make for a scenic race filled with unique challenges.

COURSE: The 6.75 mile loop includes a trip around Lake Ahquabi's multi-use trail with additional sections that include backwood trails. You will encounter gravel, dirt, roots, ruts, grass, logs, wooden bridges, railroad tie stairs, climbs, fast descents and the best nature has to offer on this scenic course. The loop will be the perfect test of one's fitness with all of the full throttle speed and all of the climbing, but will not be technical in nature to scare off the entry level racer. In fact, this will be a perfect venue for first timers and experts alike.

RACE DAY SCHEDULE: [Mass Start for 2009]

CAT 1 Expert Men/Women's Open - 12:00pm (prizes: 100% expert entry fee pay out for top 3 in Expert Open and Women's Open categories)

CAT 2 Sport Men/Sport Women/Singlespeed/Sport Junior - 12:00pm (prizes and awards for winners)

CAT 3 Beginner Men/Beginner Women/Beginner Junior - 12:00pm (prizes and awards for winners)

Awards Ceremony: After the completion of all categories (approximately 2:00 pm)

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:Registration is on the day of the race starting at 9:00am and closes 15 minutes before each race begins.Entry Fee: $20 for Expert/Sport/Singlespeed; $15 for Beginner/Junior

DIRECTIONS:Lake Ahquabi State Park is five miles south of Indianola (17 miles south of Des Moines) on Hwy. 65/69 and one mile west on G-58. Enter Lake Ahquabi State Park through the main entrance where G-58 ends and the entrance gate is located at the 4 way stop. Parking and registration will be at the Lake Ahquabi Lodge (once you enter the park, take the first left at the Lodge sign). We have the Lodge rented for the day of the race and restrooms are located inside.

MAKE IT A FAMILY OUTING:The start/finish line area below the Lodge is only a few minutes walk from the swimming beach and boat rental. Bring the entire family and let the kids swim and build sand castles. Or rent one of the many canoes, kayaks, double kayaks, row boats, or paddle boats available. There is a concession stand with food and drinks as well as lots of shade and picnic tables for those seeking to avoid the sun.

YOUR MOB the QUAB Race Director/Promoter:Bruce Brown

More Information: brown.bruce@mchsi.com

515-961-0251; 515-205-4295

Black Hawk Lake Summer Water Carnival

The 56th Annual Black Hawk Lake Summer Water Carnival begins Friday, July 17th and runs through Sunday, July 19th. The weekend is packed with events for the entire family, many revolving around the waters of Black Hawk Lake. What started in 1952 as a small carnival with dances and boat races has grown into an annual tradition that attracts 20,000 + visitors to the shores of Black Hawk Lake.

For the 2009 Water Carnival - the Kiddie Parade will be held on the sidewalk between the Stone Piers on Friday night. The Kiddie Parade will begin at 7:00 p.m. Following the Kiddie Parade, a local talent show will take place on the stage near the west Stone Pier. The McDermott Midway and the local food stands will open at 6:30 p.m. Friday evening.

Saturday is a big day! Events for the day are the Lion's Club Waffle Feed, the Big Street Parade, a pedal tractor pull, and the Bill Riley Talent show.

The headlining event of the Water Carnival is the Parade of Water Floats held on the waters of Black Hawk Lake at dusk on Saturday. Boats pull decorated pontoons that are lit by using generator power. This awe-inspiring parade on the water draws tens of thousands of spectators each year. The fun-filled weekend concludes with a beautiful fireworks display after dark on Sunday over the waters of Black Hawk Lake.

On both Saturday and Sunday, craft vendors will be displaying at "Art in the Park." Also, midway rides by McDermott Shows, the Black Hawk Men's Club Beer Garden, and local food and entertainment stands will begin on Friday evening and run all weekend long.

On Sunday, visitors will be treated to a wide variety of entertainment, including the annual Little Miss Black Hawk Pageant. The Little Miss Black Hawk pageant has been held each year since 1970.

As always, there is no admission charge to enjoy the entertainment at the Black Hawk Lake Summer Water Carnival!

Great American Campout - Connecting to the Natural World

Explore Iowa’s Great Natural Resources this Summer

Great American Campout is June 27

June has been proclaimed Great Outdoors Month as a way to encourage Iowans to put down the video game, turn off the television and head outside.

There are enough wonderful natural resources in Iowa for everyone to enjoy, from camping to bird-watching to canoeing. Try something new this year like geo-caching or fishing. Or, if you are a seasoned pro, take along someone who has never had the opportunity and show them the ropes. You could gain a hiking or fishing buddy for life.

There are many physical and psychological benefits to getting out and enjoying the great outdoors. Research shows that youngsters who regularly play outside have lower stress levels, tend to play more creatively and have a greater respect for themselves, for others and for the environment. Did you know that good old-fashioned dirt contains a variety of microbes, bacteria and viruses that are actually good for kids by helping boost their immune systems. So take the children outside and get dirty this month.

The Great American Campout is June 27 so, grab your tent and the marshmallows and head out to a state park or at the least, your own backyard, for a campout. Watch the stars light up the sky as you tell stories and connect, not only with the great outdoors, but also each other.

There are dozens of camoping opportunties in State Parks, Recreation Areas and County Parks near you.

This is the perfect opportunity to start traditions that will last a lifetime.

Celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright's Birthday at Cedar Rock

Join us for a celebration of Frank Lloyd Wright's Birthday at the Walters Residence - Cedar Rock State Park on June 6.

When Iowa businessman Lowell Walter died in August of 1981, he and his wife, Agnes, left their dream home, Cedar Rock, to the Iowa Conservation Commission and the people of Iowa. Designed by the famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the residence lies on a limestone bluff overlooking the Wapsipinicon River near Quasqueton in Buchanan County. Cedar Rock is one of seven residences Wright designed in Iowa.

The Walter house was one of Wright's most complete designs. Nearly everything at Cedar Rock bears the architect's imprint. Wright designed the furniture, selected the carpets, chose the draperies and even picked out the accessories. Cedar Rock was begun in 1948 and completed in 1950. It's roof and floors are concrete; the walls are brick, glass and walnut.

The Walter house is an example of a simplified style of house Frank Lloyd Wright developed and called "Usonian". The plan for the Walter house follows the characteristic "tadpole" form, typical of Wright's Usonian homes - the bedroom wing of the house constituting the tail of the "tadpole" and the living/dining room the head. The house is one story and the overall length is about 150 feet.

Everything about the Walter residence is compact and efficient - everything, that is, but the combination living/dining room which Wright called "the Garden Room". The Garden Room covers more than 900 square feet and has a fireplace which can hold five-foot logs.

The view of the river and wooded valley, through the Garden Room's three glass walls, is breathtaking. Glass doors open directly from living areas to ground-level terraces.

Natural light fills the house. Broad overhangs with upturned edges soften sunlight and shade the glass walls. There are openings in the overhangs covered with vines for summer shade. Clerestory windows, or "skylights", are incorporated in every room to brighten interior spaces and release hot air trapped near the ceiling. Recessed artificial lighting creates the effect of natural light, even at night.

The Walters were justifiably proud of Cedar Rock. Very little has been altered in the house since its construction and the structure and furnishings are in good condition.

Cedar Rock State Park - Candle Light Walk

When: Saturday, June 6, 2009 - 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

What: Celebrate the 142nd anniversary of Frank Lloyd Wright's upcoming birthday. Take this chance to enjoy the estate by luminary light. The typically inaccessible maid's quarters and boat pavilion will be open. Birthday refreshments will be served around a fire at the Walter House grounds. Guests meet at the Cedar Rock visitor center.

Questions can be directed to cedar_rock@dnr.iowa.gov or by calling the park office at 319-934-3572.

Make Visiting Iowa Parks Tradition

Did you know that Iowa ranks almost last in the nation for spending on State Parks? If you love camping in Iowa this is a sad thought.

Iowa's young adults are leaving the state every year in search of more areas to recreate outdoors. I went to college in Colorado for a while and I met dozens of people at my college who moved to there for the same reason I did; for the camping, hiking trails, parks, water trails, and the list goes on.

More support and money for parks in Iowa means we won't have to leave the state in order to have fun outside!

Still, Iowa's parks are amazing places with good lakes for fishing and swimming, winding woodland trails for hiking, fields for Frisbee and kites. nearby places of quiet beauty where you can relax, relieve stress and have fun without spending a lot of money.

Fifty three state parks also have overnight camping from primitive tenting sites to those with all the RV hookups you want. Others have camping cabins with even more comforts of home.

See what you are missing by visiting a State Park AT LEAST once during the upcoming camping season. Camping kick-off weekend is May 1, 2 and 3. Campers in an Iowa State Park during May 1, 2 and 3 will receive a gift package that includes a camping coupon good for one night of camping at an electrical site, a free issue of Iowa Outdoors magazine, recipes, camping tips and more in a reusable mesh trash bag. The theme for the May 1 - 3 Camping Kick-off Weekend is to be a green camper.

Reservations can be made by going to www.reserveiaparks.com, or by calling 1-877-IAPARKS (M-F 8:00 am to 4:30 pm CDT). You do not need a reservation to obtain a campsite; about half are available by first-come-first-served.

If you want to do even more to support Iowa State Parks, go to www.iowanaturestore.com. All profits from the Iowa Nature Store go directly to the improvement of our State Parks. You'll find new apparel, hats, bags, and books.

For Iowa bicycle enthusiasts, the Nature Store has a new book for sale titled "Bicycling Guide to the Mississippi River Trail." The book guides you on the Mississippi River Trail, turn by turn. It takes you from Itasca State Park in Minnesota, to the southernmost point in Louisiana, on the Gulf of Mexico (a 2000-mile journey!). Maybe you just want to ride through Iowa or maybe you want to tackle the whole 2000 miles. However far you want to ride, this is a great resource for all who love to bike.

Visit www.iowadnr.gov/parks/index.html for more information about Iowa State Parks.

Lauren Burt, Des Moines

Spring is Here - Check Out These Beautiful Parks

CONNECTING PEOPLE TO PLACES OF BEAUTY

These three State Parks are among the dozens of natural spaces in Iowa that offer great opportunities for camping, fishing, hiking and mushroom picking during the spring season.

Pine Lake State Park - Located in Hardin County in north-central Iowa

Pine Lake State Park provides a pleasing mix of woodland, river and lake in the midst of rolling farmland. The 650-acre park encompasses two lakes: 50-acre Lower Pine Lake and 69-acre Upper Pine Lake. Of special appeal to nature enthusiasts are the ancient white pine, the white-barked birch trees and rare ferns found along the Iowa River.

A renovated 124-site campground includes facilities usually available around mid-April. Four rustic stone and timber cabins, nestled along the Iowa River, are available year-round. Reservations are accepted for both camping and cabins.

Fishing opportunities at the lakes and river provide the angler a chance at bass, crappie, northern pike, and channel catfish. Boat ramps and more than seven miles of well-developed trails are available around the lakes. There is also a 2.5-miles concrete bike path that runs from the welcome center in Eldora along both lakes in the park to near County Highway S56. Wildlife watching and mushroom hunting are two favorite activities in the spring. For further information on the park, call 641-858-5832.

Lake Ahquabi State Park - Located just south of Indianola and the Des Moines metro area

Lake Ahquabi State Park provides a variety of recreational opportunities. The 770-acre park is very popular with anglers, offering opportunities for crappie, bluegill, redear, sunfish and bass. Facilities include numerous jetties for shoreline fishing, two boat ramps, and a covered ADA fishing pier, which provides an excellent opportunity for all visitors to enjoy fishing no matter what time of year. A renovated 142-site campground includes facilities usually available around mid-April. Reservations are accepted. The park offers 8 miles of trails for hiking. Wildlife watching and mushroom hunting are favorite spring activities. For more information, contact the park at 515-961-7101.

Lake of Three Fires State Park - Located in Taylor County in southwest Iowa

Lake of Three Fires State Park is popular in the spring for visitors interested in picnicking, fishing, hiking, nature photography, or harvesting mushrooms, berries and nuts. The park includes 8 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding and includes two campgrounds, both located a shore distance from the lake. The 23-site equestrian campground and the 98-site non-equestrian campground both have facilities that are available usually around mid-April. The park also features six modern family cabins available year-round. Reservations are accepted for both camping and cabins.

The 85-acre Lake of Three Fires is nearly a mile long and a half-mile wide, with scenic inlets ideal for fishing and boating. Surrounding the lake are 691 acres of picturesque woodlands. For more information, contact the park at 712-523-2700.

Other parks in Iowa that you might want to consider for a springtime visit include: Ledges State Park (central Iowa), Red Haw State Park (south-central Iowa), Pikes Peak State Park (northeast Iowa) and Lake Wapello (southeast Iowa).

Cleanup Project will Tackle Cedar River

Project A.W.A.R.E. is an Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) effort designed to lead Iowans to the natural waterways of the state and to engage them in efforts to cleanup the environment.

The AWARE objectives include:

• Increasing awareness about water quality issues that threaten the health of Iowa's water resources and promote advocacy and action towards their improvement and protection.
• Engaging Iowa's citizen volunteers in a project that challenges them to become stewards of the river and produces a tangible, quantitative result (numbers of citizens involved and quantity of trash removed, recycled, reused, or properly disposed).
• Demonstrating the commitment of Iowa's citizens by giving of themselves and their valuable time to make a difference - one stretch of river, one piece of trash at a time.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has announced that this year's cleanup project will help spruce up an 86-mile stretch of the Cedar River from Center Point to Muscatine.

This is the seventh annual Project AWARE. Hundreds of volunteers are expected to turn out for the cleanup project from June 20 to June 27. During the expedition, volunteers use canoes and kayaks to float down the river and pick up trash along the way.

Some volunteers also take part in land-based projects. Organizers said Project AWARE has enlisted more than 1,200 participants to clean up nearly 500 miles of Iowa's rivers.

Check out the DNR Project AWARE Web Site for more information.

Restoring Wetlands in Iowa Symposium

April Symposium Will Focus on Creating and Restoring Wetlands in Iowa

A two-day symposium exploring the importance of wetland restoration and management will be held April 2-3 in Des Moines.
One of the goals of the symposium is to explore options, both financially and socially, to restore wetland benefits for all parties concerned including agriculture and urban development. For instance, strategic use of state and federal conservation programs can assist landowners in maximizing unproductive land.
Wetlands are areas where water is at, near, or above the land surface long enough to be capable of supporting aquatic or hydrophytic vegetation and which has soils indicative of wet conditions. Iowa wetlands are diverse resources that include marshes, bogs, floodplain woodlands, wet meadows, low prairies and fens.

Iowa has one of the most altered landscapes in the world. Prior to settlement, an estimated four million to six million acres of Iowa were in wetlands. It is estimated that nearly 90 percent of Iowa's wetlands have been lost with only California and Ohio having lost more, according to The Iowa Wetlands and Riparian Areas Conservation Plan.

Wetlands have long been recognized for their value to wildlife, but it has only been in recent years that we've begun to understand the importance of wetlands in improving water quality for larger lakes and streams as well as reducing impacts from flooding. The restoration of wetlands provides not only environmental benefits in terms of improving water quality, but also economic benefits. In addition to hunting and fishing opportunities, wetlands are a haven for many non-game species.

Wildlife watching, particularly bird watching, is the fastest growing outdoor-related activity in the United States. Quality wildlife watching opportunities can be a boon to local economies that have wetland complexes designed to attract wildlife and, in turn, the people attracted to watching wildlife.

In recent years, the Iowa DNR has been actively working on restoring some of Iowa's largest wetland complexes. A video highlighting the DNR's efforts to restore existing wetlands, "Reviving Iowa's Shallow Lakes," can be found at:

http://www.iowadnr.gov/video/index.html

Registration: Wetlands: Reinvesting in Iowa's Natural Capital, April 2-3, 2009,*.pdf

Cycling South Part One - Iowa's State Parks Along the 2009 RAGBRAI

The RAGBRAI XXXVII Route was announced over the weekend and presents opportunities for riders and their crews to get acquainted with a few of Iowa's beautiful state parks along the way.

For those traveling along I-29 from the north - you may want to stop by Stone State Park and the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center in Sioux City or the Lewis and Clark State Park near Onawa. You will also find Wilson Island State Park and its visitor's center about 25 miles north of Council Bluffs. These are all great spaces for a break from the road - refreshments and a picnic.

If you are coming up from the South, you will want to stop by Waubonsie State Park the first Iowa stop on the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail and just north of the Missouri border. The unique topography of the park resembles the "badlands" of the west and harbors plants like the yucca which are normally found in more arid climates. Named for Chief Waubonsie of the Native American Pottawattamie tribe, the park is much the same today as it was when it was purchased in 1926.

Those traveling from the east along I-80 will want to stop and take a break at Lake Anita State Park just five miles south of the Anita interchange. Lake Anita was dedicated in 1961and is one of the most popular outdoor recreation facilities in southwest Iowa. The 1,062-acre park features a beautiful 171-acre artificial lake which was formed by creating a dam on a branch of the Nishnabotna River.

Saturday July, 18, 2009 - Council Bluffs

No visit to Council Bluffs would be complete without a visit to Lake Manawa State Park. Riders looking for a quick 'warm up' ride on Saturday should jump on the Council Bluffs trail system which will link you to a paved bike trail within the park, the Western Historic Trails Center and the Wabash Trace Trail. A great way to start off your RAGBRAI experience.

'Breathing Spaces' is the Official Blog of the Iowa Parks Foundation

Places of Quiet Beauty - Parks, Preserves, and Environmentalism

By Rebecca Conard

Foreword by Wayne Franklin

Resource protection and public recreation policies have always been subject to the shifting winds of management philosophy governing both national and state parks. Somewhere in the balance, however, parks and preserves have endured as unique places of mind as well as matter. Places of Quiet Beauty allows us to see parks and preserves, forests and wildlife refuges—all those special places that the term “park” conjures up—as measures of our own commitment to caring for the environment. In this broad-ranging book, historian Rebecca Conard examines the complexity of American environmentalism in the twentieth century as manifest in Iowa's state parks and preserves.

“Places of Quiet Beauty is a wonderfully crafted story about people and politics and how each in turn influenced the other. Rich in biographical detail, Places examines the conflicting demands that are placed on parks and the implications of the constant ebbing and flowing of public and political support. Rebecca Conard, through her wonderful mosaic of people, places, politics, and the environmental movement, reminds us that the maintenance of a strong park program depends on a constantly vigilant public and progressive and supportive legislatures. Enjoyable, educational, and highly readable, Places of Quiet Beauty helps us understand why we treasure our parks and what, in the final analysis, 'land stewardship' really means.”—Dwight T. Picaithley, Chief Historian, National Park Service

“As a result of Conard's study, Iowa will resume its rightful place as an acknowledged leader among the states in early twentieth-century park and conservation affairs. Because of the breadth of its coverage, Places of Quiet Beauty will appeal to scholars, public officials, resource managers, and civic leaders with an interest in Iowa government, politics, and resources as well as to those interested more specifically in parks.”—Susan Flader, editor and coauthor, Exploring Missouri's Legacy: State Parks and Historic Sites

“This book is much more than a historical documentary. It is a window to the past that easily opens through the author's skill and passion for her subject. The reader not only experiences the events but comes to know, in a personal way, the major characters who provided leadership in early conservation efforts. It enables the reader to understand and appreciate conservation issues over the past century and their particular relevance to today's challenges. . . . Conard is a great historian and Places of Quiet Beauty is a great guide.”—Iowa Conservationist

“Places of Quiet Beauty is highly readable, fairly presented, and impressively well researched. It should be read by scholars and citizens who are interested not only in Iowa’s state parks but in the protection of valued places all over the globe.”—Journal of American History

“Places of Quiet Beauty delivers a rich story of Iowa’s state park system from its inception to the present. . . . Well conceived and written in an engaging fashion, Places of Quiet Beauty is a significant work in a field awaiting more scholarly attention.”—Kansas History

Rebecca Conard received the Throne-Aldrich Award from the State Historical Society of Iowa in 1993.

400 pages, 25 photos, 1997 $36.00 paper, 0-87745-558-9, 978-0-87745-558-5

Environmental ammendment one step closer to the ballot

A constitutional amendment that would earmark a portion of state sales taxes specifically for natural resources funding won unanimous approval by the Senate Natural Resources Committee Tuesday.

The money raised from the tax would go to things like helping farmers control soil erosion, creating and maintaining wildlife habitats and maintaining recreation trails and state parks.

Senate Joint Resolution 1 would reserve 3/8 of a cent of the next sales tax increase for natural resources funding. Estimates place the revenue from such a tax increase at $150 million per year.

The proposed constitutional amendment was approved last year, so approval this year by both the House and Senate would put the issue before Iowa voters in November 2010.
But even if voters approve the amendment the legislature would have to approve a new increase in the sales tax for it to bring in any money.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said previously that he opposes the idea of altering the Constitution for this type of purpose but believes the resolution will receive overwhelming support in the legislature this year.