Olivia Cohen

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.

Potash from Canada, a major ag fertilizer, to be hit with 10 percent tariff starting April 2.

A line of storms is expected to move through Eastern Iowa Friday. Despite that, experts say dry soil and lower water levels in the state’s rivers and streams should mitigate any flood risks and runoff.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a fish kill in Winneshiek County’s Dry Run Creek, southwest of Decorah, than spanned six miles.

The EPA said Monday it’s still evaluating the citizen petition nearly a year after it was submitted.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources fielded a series of calls last week after dead fish were found floating in Cedar Rapids’ Ellis Harbor. A fisheries biologist with the agency said it was a naturally occurring kill that resulted in thousands of dead gizzard shad.

The Iowa Faith & Climate Network – formerly known as Iowa Interfaith Power & Light – changed its name in February and is launching their ‘climate informed ministry cohorts’ program

The project — approved in December — will bring the first 765-kV transmission line to the Upper Midwest. It is part of the largest electric grid expansion project in U.S. history.