Floyd County Conservation staff stays busy during winter months

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

As winter tightens its grip, colder weather forces people inside and curtails many of the activities that take place in the spring, summer and fall.

But for Floyd County Conservation, there’s still plenty to do for Director Adam Sears and his crew of naturalist Heidi Reams, natural resource/resident ranger Tyler Walters, natural resource manager Tyron Steere and office assistant Amy Leaman.

Sears said brush cutting is a big project in the winter as trails are cleared and timber stand improvement is undertaken. That also means removing unwanted or invasive plants in the area, herbicide application on stumps and equipment maintenance.

“We don’t want to do all of that in the summer. We’re working on those trails to keep them open so we groom for cross country skiing,” said Sears.

As the mercury dips, that also means analyzing worksheets to prepare the yearly budget.

“Grant writing is huge for us this time of year. If we get downtime we’re writing grants and we’re always seeking money,” said Sears.

Sears and his staff also work together to facilitate ag lease options or contracts.

“We’re working with our operators to put in cornfields or crop land to get some profit back and sometimes we leave food plots for wildlife,” he said.

Sears will dig out a host of maps that give detailed descriptions of the 31 county conservation areas he oversees.

That work entails wildlife area planning and what brush needs cut, where it needs taken out and whether or not it needs to be burned.

“So the next season we can prepare fire breaks so we can burn the next year. So you’ve got to be thinking a year or two ahead of time on some of those outside projects,” said Sears.

Signs and picnic table repair and boundary inspections are just a handful of some of the tasks his staff is constantly monitoring.

As far as keeping tabs on the critters, large and small, that call Floyd County home? That’s usually a task for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

“The wildlife – the DNR would work more directly, as far as population management. But we still do everything we can, obviously, to increase populations,” said Sears.

Students in the Floyd County area will see naturalist Reams more often in their classrooms during the winter.

“For me, it’s when I go to the schools instead of them coming to me for field trips,” she said.

Reams helps plan programs with teachers in the county at the beginning of the semester that coincides with that school’s curriculum.

“I go by what they’re teaching and so I’m the hands-on component to kind of go with their unit,” said Reams.

“(Sometimes) they don’t realize I’m covering the same stuff they’re talking about,” she said. “A lot of the times I’m their introduction and sometimes I’m their review of the unit.”

Reams also comes up with new programs year-round and helps with the taxidermy work that brings new animals into the prairie center.

Sears said, “There’s a lot of paperwork still that’s involved in being a naturalist.”

Reams said she does get asked regularly if she takes the winter off.

“Because our visitor center closes and our campgrounds close in the fall, they wonder what we do all winter. For me they even said, ‘do you work in the wintertime?’” laughed Reams.

Although outdoor events may be fewer in the winter, they do happen.

Organizing and planning cross country skiing are high on Ream’s checklist.

The shed antler deer hunt at the park is a popular event to attend in February. The second annual Rudd Ice Fishing Frenzy – which conservation and board members help out with – is scheduled to take place in February as well.

The Fossil and Prairie Park and nature center just outside Rockford close at the end of October.

The Floyd County Conservation office is located at the Fossil and Prairie Center. Its hours are Monday-Thursday 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Floyd County Conservation began in 1958 after being mandated by the Iowa Legislature.

The Floyd County Conservation board consists of five members: President Dirk Uetz, Vice President Joel Cannon, Beverly Fisher, Cala McGregor and Pete Kloberdanz. Those members are appointed by the Floyd County Board of Supervisors.