Now’s the time to start thinking ahead to the summer months! We are excited to offer multiple types of outreach to help Iowans of all ages learn about the natural world around them.
For YOUTH EVENTS—summer schools, camps, and library summer reading programs—Water Rocks! brings action-packed presentations right to your site, engaging youth in a structured 30-45 minute session featuring natural resources-focused games and activities. Read on for additional details below.
For COMMUNITY EVENTS—fairs, festivals, farmers markets—Water Rocks! and Iowa Learning Farms join forces to bring their award-winning Conservation Station trailer fleet to your public event, providing visual demonstrations and discussion to engage adults and youth in learning about Iowa’s land and water resources. The Conservation Station will be onsite for a 3-4 hour block of time. Read on for additional details below.
Perfect for camp, summer school, library reading hour, or other youth group activity
Best for 10-30 participants per group
Sessions run 30-45 minutes each (multiple sessions can be presented back-to-back)
Structured presentation includes fun hands-on activities and age-appropriate learning about a single topic area (water, wetlands, ecosystems, pollinators), with Water Rocks! providing all materials and supplies
Site requirements: Indoor or outdoor space large enough for the group to learn and get up and move around (These presentations do NOT include the Conservation Station trailer)
Cost: Free of charge (Many thanks to our partners for making this possible!)
Provides visitors to fairs, festivals, farmers markets, and other public events with a range of demonstrations, games, learning opportunities and hands-on activities
Visitors of all ages will explore and learn about the impacts of land management choices, both urban and agricultural, on water quality and the connections between our state’s water, soil, and wildlife
Trailer will be onsite and ‘open for visitors’ for a 3-4 hour block of time
Site requirements: Flat open space of at least 35’ x 60’, clear driving path in and out
Cost: Free of charge (Many thanks to our partners for making this possible!)
Have an interest in the environment, conservation, and agriculture, particularly water and soil quality?
We are seeking undergraduate student interns for summer 2024 who are self-motivated, detail-oriented, strong communicators, enthusiastic, and have a sense of fun!
Interns’ time will be split between outreach and research, all centered around environmental issues and challenges in Iowa. Summer interns have the opportunity to:
Work with two award-winning Iowa State University education and outreach programs:
Develop strong oral communication skills as you help children and adults better understand environmental and agricultural issues
Travel throughout the state of Iowa with the fleet of Conservation Station trailers
Contribute to water and soil research projects with theConservation Learning Group, including a project exploring soil health and water quality impacts of relay intercropping as method of sustainable intensification
Gain technical skills related to agricultural and biosystems engineering, environmental science, soil health and water quality through both field and lab research
The program is based on campus at Iowa State University and will involve travel to various outreach events around the state, which includes some scheduled night and weekend events, as well as select research sites. This is a paid internship, $14.50 per hour, with students working up to 40 hours/week. The internship program begins Wednesday, May 15 and runs through Saturday, August 3, 2024.
The Iowa State University water resources internship program serves as an outstanding springboard for careers in agriculture, engineering, the environment, and/or further studies. Past participants in our internship program have gone on to such careers as project engineer, watershed coordinator, environmental educator, field research specialist, and USDA-FSA program technician, while others have pursued graduate school opportunities.
From a relatively small beginning as student research assistantships in 2007 with a single trailer-mounted rainfall simulator, to the addition of a second and the launch of the Conservation Station fleet in 2010, interns were integral to the program. Today, there are multiple Conservation Stations in regular use, and the teams of interns go out with them for nearly every visit.
Currently enrolled undergraduate student at a U.S.-based college, community college or university (open to all majors)
Demonstrate interest and/or background in environmental science, natural resources, conservation, soil and water quality, agriculture, and/or education
Evidence of strong communication skills
Ability to learn new tasks quickly
Teamwork skills
Self-motivated
Detail-oriented
Time management skills
Additional internship requirements include:
Valid US driver’s license
Background check with ISU Risk Management for working with youth
How to Apply:
Required application materials include:
PDF Resume (Be sure to include your GPA, major, and previous work experience)
PDF Cover Letter (Tell us what interests you about this internship and why you’d be a great fit!)
The internship application deadline is 5:00pm CT on Monday, February 5. Please submit your complete application package to Ann Staudt via email – astaudt@iastate.edu using “Water Resources Internship Application” as the subject line. We will conduct interviews with qualified students in early- to mid-February.
13 years. All 99 county fairs visited. 957 total events. 120,000 people reached. 200,000+ miles traveled.
The Conservation Station trailers have had QUITE the journey. With the original Conservation Station trailer officially launching in 2010, it’s wild to reflect back on 13 years on the road. 13 YEARS!
Just like our own personal vehicles experience significant wear and tear over that length of time, the same is certainly true for a trailer (even with annual inspections, new tires, and repairs to axles, batteries, generators, and pumps). So as trailer season was winding down in late summer/early fall 2022, plans were beginning to materialize for a new trailer body—keeping the tested-and-proven educational activities like the Rainfall Simulator and Watershed Game, and the walk-through Learning Lab integrating history, science, and art, with a fresh new trailer body to replace our original Conservation Station trailer. Building on the well-established and well-respected outreach delivered by the Iowa Learning Farms and Water Rocks! teams, this new trailer would provide longevity for these award-winning ISU Extension and Outreach programs to continue delivering highly engaging conservation and water quality outreach for years to come.
Now nearly 12 months later, I’m pleased to announce that we just premiered our brand-new Conservation Station trailer in early August (Latest Edition Conservation Station Debuts at International Conference in Des Moines)! This new refreshed Conservation Station trailer certainly builds on many lessons learned over the course of 13 years and the process of bringing 4 previous trailers to fruition. Join me behind-the-scenes as we explore the making of a trailer.
Fall 2022 First things first, building a new trailer takes TIME! We learned very early on that a custom trailer would likely be a 12-month project for construction of the trailer body itself (let alone all of the customization that would follow to make it an attractive and engaging unit for outreach).
With committed funds in place to replace the original Conservation Station trailer, the first step was evaluating exactly what we wanted in a new trailer. What elements did we like from our previous trailers (e.g. aluminum/fiberglass construction, air-conditioning, fold-down RV-style steps, built-in water tank, interior/exterior sound system, museum-quality lighting)? What elements/materials did we not care for/have consistent frustrations with?
Armed with our comprehensive list of needs, wants, and must-not-haves, we worked closely with ISU’s Procurement Services and Transportation Services to develop a public Request for Quote (RFQ) for a 20-ft enclosed trailer. Contractors had two weeks to submit bids for the project. Once the bid window closed, we closely evaluated each quote for adherence to the specifications, production price, and timeline and then awarded a winning bid.
Winter 2022-23 Once the bid was fully approved with ISU, the winning bidder/manufacturer provided us with detailed drawings of the trailer body for our review and revision prior to the start of any manufacturing. When building a trailer like this, SO many elements are customizable—including placement and style of side doors, rear doors, divider wall between front and back compartments, generator, and water tank. The one KNOWN element was that we’d be moving over our existing Rainfall Simulator from the original trailer, so we definitely needed this new trailer body to accommodate that footprint and all of its moving parts. The trailer drawings were approved in December 2022, parts ordered in December 2022 – January 2023, and manufacturing of our trailer was officially underway in February 2023.
Spring 2023 Trailer fabrication continues. We wait. Doors are impacted by supply chain delays. Door hardware is impacted by supply chain delays. We wait.
May 2023 We wait. We get the good news that trailer fabrication is COMPLETE and our new trailer is delivered on May 22!
June – July 2023 The summer months featured a flurry of activity getting the new trailer road-ready. While trailer spent very little of its summer with our team, it was in great hands with the folks at Lane Trailer Manufacturing Co., outside Boone, who transferred over the Rainfall Simulator to the new trailer, powder-coated the Rainfall Simulator, installed custom hardware for the new trailer, and equipped the rear of the new trailer with custom shelving to transport our education/outreach materials to and from events.
In the meantime, our visual outreach team worked on the graphic design/layout of the trailer wrap, both inside and out. We knew from the start that we wanted to feature the “Hope for Iowa” mixed media artwork created in 2018 for the original Conservation Station trailer, showcasing the beauty of Iowa’s landscapes, bridging the past, present, and the vision for a future we hope to achieve (Art and Science create Vision for Future in Conservation Station). ISU Printing Services and Transportation Services installed the trailer wrap in two layers—with the first layer including the digitized mixed media artwork, and funders added in the second layer via custom-cut vinyl lettering (think large-scale Cricut for you crafty types). At the same time, design, layout, and printing of the wrap for the insides of the back doors and the rear vinyl banner (behind the Rainfall Simulator) were also in production.
August 2023 We load soil trays into the Rainfall Simulator. We test the Rainfall Simulator with its new pump. We adjust water pressure to reach the desired placement and intensity of rainfall. We load the new trailer with hoses, electrical cords, power adapters, hand tools, bungee cords … all the behind-the-scenes supplies that accompany the trailer day-in-and-day-out. We move over our accompanying education/outreach materials, including the Watershed Game (Enviroscape) and its supply totes, Poo Toss game and its supply totes, sandwich board signs, pop-up tent and weights … We premier the new Conservation Station trailer on August 6!
While the new Conservation Station has made its official debut (and was the object of trailer envy for many conservation professionals across the country), we’re not done yet. As we’ve done in years past, we’ll continue to revise, refine, and adapt how we can create the most effective educational experiences for different audiences visiting the Conservation Station trailers. In particular, in the fall and winter months ahead, we are especially looking forward to diving in to the audio-visual capabilities of the new trailer, creating a series of video montages that will feature the voices of farmers, landowners, and conservation professionals from across the state, in synergy with the mixed media artwork highlighting Iowa’s past, present, and vision for the future.
From my perspective, success of our Conservation Station trailers requires five key ingredients: time, patience, amazing partners, focused messaging, and passionate educators. A trailer like this is truly a work of science and art, and it takes a village to make it happen. Thank you to everyone along the way who has visited our trailers, promoted them in your counties and communities, and continues to advocate for our land, water, and wildlife—you are all a part of this village!
The new Conservation Station trailer is a collaboration of Iowa Learning Farms, Water Rocks!, ISU Extension and Outreach, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Department of Natural Resources (USEPA Section 319 of Clean Water Act), USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and the Iowa Nutrient Research Center.
Our fleet of Conservation Station trailers are available free of charge and are a great addition to county fairs, farmers markets, festivals, and other community events. Submit your request by March 15 for priority consideration.
Yes! The Conservation Station trailers attend events fully staffed with 2-3 team members and free of charge. Many thanks to our partnersfor making this possible!
How do we request the Conservation Station for our event?
Submit a request online! Please note that submitting a request does not guarantee that the Conservation Station is booked for your event. We often receive many more requests than we are able to fulfill, and must implement a lottery system to determine which events we’ll be able to visit in the months ahead. Get your request in by March 15 for priority consideration!
Have an interest in the environment, conservation, and agriculture, particularly water and soil quality?
We are seeking undergraduate student interns for summer 2023 who are self-motivated, detail-oriented, strong communicators, enthusiastic, and have a sense of fun!
Interns’ time will be split between outreach and research, all centered around environmental issues and challenges in Iowa. Summer interns have the opportunity to:
Work with two award-winning Iowa State University education and outreach programs:
Gain technical skills related to agricultural and biosystems engineering, environmental science, soil health and water quality through both field and lab research
The program is based on campus at Iowa State University and will involve travel to various outreach events around the state, which includes some scheduled night and weekend events, as well as select research sites. This is a paid internship, with students working up to 40 hours/week. The internship program begins Wednesday, May 17 and runs through Saturday, July 29, 2023.
The Iowa State University water resources internship program serves as an outstanding springboard for careers in agriculture, engineering, the environment, and/or further studies. Past participants in our internship program have gone on to such careers as project engineer, watershed coordinator, environmental educator, field research specialist, and USDA-FSA program technician, while others have pursued graduate school opportunities.
From a relatively small beginning as student research assistantships in 2007 with a single trailer-mounted rainfall simulator, to the addition of a second and the launch of the Conservation Station fleet in 2010, interns were integral to the program. Today there are multiple Conservation Stations in regular use, and the teams of interns go out with them for nearly every visit.
Currently enrolled undergraduate student (open to all majors)
Demonstrate interest and/or background in environmental science, natural resources, conservation, soil and water quality, agriculture, and/or education
Evidence of strong communication skills
Ability to learn new tasks quickly
Teamwork skills
Self-motivated
Detail-oriented
Time management skills
Additional internship requirements include:
Valid US driver’s license
Background check with ISU Risk Management for working with youth
How to Apply:
Required application materials include:
PDF Resume (Be sure to include your GPA, major, and previous work experience)
PDF Cover Letter (Tell us what interests you about this internship and why you’d be a great fit!)
Internship application deadline is 5:00pm on Tuesday, January 31. Please submit your complete application package to Liz Ripley via email – ejuchems@iastate.edu. We will conduct interviews with qualified students in February.
Iowa Learning Farms, Poweshiek County Soil and Water Conservation District and USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) will host a cover crop field day Tuesday, August 9 from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Luke Bayer’s farm near Guernsey. The free event is open to farmers and landowners and includes a complimentary meal.
Farmer host, Luke Bayer, has been experimenting with different cover crop species on his farm over the past few years utilizing the longer establishment window provided by harvesting winter cereal rye for seed. Attendees will be able to hear from Luke on what he found works and what doesn’t, as well as explore his recently established cover crops. NRCS soil conservationist Jack Little, will offer some hands-on soil health demonstrations that farmers can utilize on their own fields. The field day will also feature the Iowa Learning Farms Conservation station rainfall simulator and drone cover crop seeding demonstration.
NRCS Soil Conservationist Jack Little shows local farmers the difference between no-till/cover crop soil and conventionally tilled soil during a 2021 cover crops field day cohosted with ILF.Iowa Learning Farms Conservation Station Rainfall Simulator.
The field day will begin at the air conditioned shop located at 2310 430th Avenue, Guernsey, IA 52221 and will be held rain or shine. From Exit 201 on I-80, head south on IA-21 for 1.5 miles. Turn left to head east on 430th Avenue for 1.1 miles. The farm is located on the south side of the road and field day signs will mark the driveway to enter.
The event is free and open to farmers and landowners, though we require reservations to ensure adequate space and food. For reasonable accommodations and to RSVP please contact Liz Ripley at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu. Attendees will be entered in a drawing for ISU Prairie Strips honey.
Today’s guest blog post comes from water resources intern Nathan Lewis. Originally from Pagosa Springs, CO, Lewis is a junior at Iowa State University majoring in Biological Systems Engineering.
Hello! My name is Nathan Lewis and I grew up in Pagosa Springs, Colorado which is situated about thirty minutes from the Continental Divide. In my childhood, I spent a lot of my time exploring forks of the San Juan River, watching rodeos at our county fair, and learning as much as I could both in the classroom and outside of it.
Coming to Iowa, I was excited to explore and learn about a new environment. Being an intern for Water Rocks! and Iowa Learning Farms has allowed me to discover Iowa in more ways than I ever anticipated.
The county fair in my hometown consisted of a small number of livestock and 4-H presentations, with the main attraction being a rodeo show at night. I quickly realized that county fairs in Iowa were nothing like the ones I was used to. This summer, I have seen more pigs and cows than I thought was possible, nearly cried laughing from a 4-H presentation on “How to play Mario Kart on Wii,” and have met countless people who care about and want to learn more about water quality and conservation here in Iowa. One of my favorite conversations was with a farmer and a couple of his kids down at the Jefferson County Fair about conservation tillage on farms. The farmer was very friendly and provided me with valuable insight about his experience practicing conservation tillage and was eager to learn more about the benefits of no-till from me. This conversation along with countless others has given me opportunities to learn from members of the community in situations where I’m supposed to be the one teaching. Experiences like this have allowed me to broaden my knowledge and become a better teacher.
My favorite experience of this summer was a field day in which I assisted a graduate student Andrew Rupiper with his research on beavers. I, along with the four other interns, spent the day exploring multiple creeks along the Des Moines River in search of beaver dams. For the first time since moving to Iowa, I felt truly immersed with nature and it reminded me of my time growing up in Colorado. Through the field experience, I was able to learn how beaver dams improve water quality and how beaver dams can be responsible for the creation of oxbow wetlands. This knowledge has helped me become a better wetlands educator when I am out with the Marsh Madness Wetlands trailer.
As a part of this internship, I was also able to accompany Dr. Matt Helmers to Des Moines for the announcement of Iowa receiving additional funds from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce pollution in the Gulf of Mexico dead zone. I had the opportunity to meet Radhika Fox, who is the assistant administrator for water with the EPA and helped me to better understand the governmental side of conservation and where funding for conservation practices comes from.
Overall, this internship experience has helped me to understand all of the individual pieces of conservation and how they fit together. From community outreach to field days, each experience has allowed me to learn something new that is applicable to my degree in biological systems engineering.
Whether you are looking to improve your understanding of wetlands, wanting to add wetland content to your class lesson plans, considering adding a wetland to your farm, or looking for an educational display to have at a community event, there is a good chance that a wetland educational resource exists that will fit your needs. Resources come in a variety of formats including written, video, and hands-on demonstrations. Here are just a few resources that can help get you started on your wetland educational journey.
If you are looking for a quick way to learn about wetlands in Iowa, check out a recorded webinar or virtual field day. These recordings have information ranging from basic material on wetland ecosystems to research being conducted in Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) wetlands. Here are a handful of webinar recordings and virtual field days from the past few years:
Educators wanting to incorporate wetland content into an agriculture or environmental science class might be interested in the Wetlands and Wildlife: Watershed-Based Conservation Case Study Training Kit. The wetlands and wildlife case studies were designed to be used in a classroom setting at the high school or college level but can be adapted for other audiences and age groups. Students are tasked with the role of a conservation professional developing a plan for the construction or restoration of a wetland on a client’s property. Students need to use a combination of included and outside resources to make conservation and land management decisions taking into consideration the cost and benefit of wetland restoration and construction and the impacts a wetland would have at the farm level and watershed scale.
Farmers and landowners considering adding conservation practices to their land will find useful information in the Whole Farm Conservation Best Management Practices Manual. The manual provides a summary of conservation practices and practice adoption decision trees for improving water quality, soil health, and wildlife habitat. Those interested in adding a wetland to their farm should take a look at the Edge of Field Conservation Practices that Work section of the manual, as well as the following decision trees: Could Edge-of-Field Practices Work for You; Choosing the Right Edge-Of-Field Practice for Water Quality Improvement; and Is a Wetland Right for You. The manual was designed to help decision makers select and incorporate conservation practices that are most appropriate to their land, farming operation, and preferences.
For those looking for an in-person demonstration at an event, consider reserving the Conservation Station Marsh Madness trailer. The inside of the Marsh Madness trailer, launched in May 2021, immerses attendees in the sights and sounds of wetlands. The trailer also includes stand-alone 3-D wetland models of a prairie pothole, treatment, and oxbow wetland. All models were 3-D printed using actual elevation data collected in Iowa and have running water to demonstrate the wetland’s hydrology. The prairie pothole wetland model has a rainfall simulator, the treatment wetland receives water from tile drainage, and the oxbow wetland was designed to mimic both a natural oxbow receiving water from a river and a multi-purpose oxbow designed for nitrate-nitrogen removal receiving tile drainage water. The Marsh Madness trailer is free to reserve for outreach events.
This summer, an educational wetland video series will be launched focusing on wildlife and water quality benefits of Iowa wetlands. A total of 12 short videos will be created using drone footage and a narrative voice-over. The first video will provide an overview of wetland types in Iowa. Subsequent videos will focus on either a specific wetland type or wetland use. Some of the drone footage was debuted at the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in February 2022. Below is a sneak peak of a video clip from the Riverside Stormwater Wetland in Webster City, Iowa. This silent clip gives a bird’s eye view of an urban stormwater wetland and will eventually be part of the narrated wetland video series. The videos will be posted on the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Agriculture and Natural Resources YouTube page.
I hope you find these resources useful and are inspired to learn more about wetland ecosystems.
Iowa Learning Farms and Water Rocks! are now accepting applications from event organizers and organizations to request a visit from one of their four Conservation Station trailers in 2022.
Recognized with the Conservation Innovation Award last summer from the Soil and Water Conservation Society, the trailers are equipped to deliver accessible and relevant science-based information about Iowa’s environment and ecosystems, natural resources, water quality, biodiversity, wetlands and conservation practices.
“The Conservation Station trailers are one of our most effective public outreach tools and have been designed to carry a broad range of materials, demonstrations and activities that make it easy for our team members to tailor each visit to fit the needs of the event and the audience,” said Ann Staudt, Water Rocks! director. “We always receive more requests than we can fulfill, so organizers of county fairs, farmers markets, festivals, and other community events should submit requests by Monday, March 21 for priority consideration.”
Visits from the fully staffed Conservation Stations are conducted at no cost. Iowa Learning Farms/Water Rocks! team members will work with requesters to determine which of the four Conservation Station trailers will best meet the needs of the intended audience. At each visit the Conservation Stations are staffed by Iowa Learning Farms/Water Rocks! team members and ISU extension experts.
“Whether demonstrating field runoff with our rainfall simulators, exploring the biodiversity of wetlands with visitors, or encouraging young people to learn more about their natural world, our team is eager to share information and encourage action among Iowans to help build a culture of conservation,” said Staudt. “The Conservation Stations provide unique tools and techniques to engage with Iowans across the state on these important topics.”
Submitting a request does not guarantee that the Conservation Station is booked for an event. Submit requests by Monday, March 21 for priority consideration.
Have an interest in the environment, conservation, and agriculture, particularly water and soil quality?
We are seeking undergraduate student interns for summer 2022 who are self-motivated, detail-oriented, strong communicators, enthusiastic, and have a sense of fun!
Interns’ time will be split between outreach and research, all centered around environmental issues and challenges in Iowa. Summer interns will have the opportunity to:
Work with two award-winning Iowa State University education and outreach programs:
Water Rocks!, focused on youth outreach, and
Iowa Learning Farms, focused on adult/community outreach
Develop strong oral communication skills as you help children and adults better understand environmental and agricultural issues
Travel throughout the state of Iowa with the fleet of Conservation Station trailers following Iowa State University policies regarding face coverings and physical distancing.
Contribute to water and soil research projects with the Conservation Learning Group.
Gain technical skills related to agricultural and biosystems engineering, environmental science, soil health and water quality through both field and lab research.
The program is based on campus at Iowa State University and will involve travel to various outreach events around the state, which includes some scheduled night and weekend events, as well as select research sites. This is a paid internship, with students working up to 40 hours/week. The internship program begins Wednesday, May 18 and runs through Saturday, July 30, 2022.
The Iowa State University water resources internship program serves as an outstanding springboard for careers in agriculture, engineering, the environment, and/or further studies. Past participants in our internship program have gone on to such careers as project engineer, watershed coordinator, environmental educator, field research specialist, and USDA-FSA program technician, while others have pursued graduate school opportunities.
From a relatively small beginning as student research assistantships in 2007 with a single trailer-mounted rainfall simulator, to the addition of a second and the launch of the Conservation Station fleet in 2010, interns were integral to the program. Today there are multiple Conservation Stations in regular use, and the teams of interns go out with them for nearly every visit.
Currently enrolled undergraduate student (open to all majors)
Demonstrate interest and/or background in environmental science, natural resources, conservation, soil and water quality, agriculture, and/or education
Evidence of strong communication skills
Ability to learn new tasks quickly
Teamwork skills
Self-motivated
Detail-oriented
Time management skills
Additional internship requirements include:
Valid US driver’s license
Background check with ISU Risk Management for working with youth
How to Apply:
Required application materials include:
PDF Resume (Be sure to include your GPA, major, and previous work experience)
PDF Cover Letter (Tell us what interests you about this internship and why you’d be a great fit!)
Internship application deadline is 5:00pm on Monday, January 31. Please submit your complete application package to Liz Ripley via email – ejuchems@iastate.edu. We will conduct interviews with qualified students in February.
Iowa Learning Farms 