Summer 2012 - Nahant Marsh Education Center

Nahant Marsh Newsletter Summer 2012
Nahant News
Summer 2012
Volume 6, Issue 3
Welcome Nahant Summer Conservation Crew
By: Heather Arras
Inside this
issue:
Upcoming Events
2
Prairie Burn
3
Weather Extremes
3
Summer Plant
4
Kids Corner
5
Featured Bird
6
Farewell
7
Visit us at our Nahant Marsh
website:
www.nahantmarsh.org
Nahant Marsh Website:
It is summer, so once again a group of
nature nuts join together in their common goal to
maintain the natural beauty of the Marsh. Their
to-do list includes many items, such as invasive
species removal, construction of an observation
platform, and trail maintenance and development.
Overseeing this crew is Bob Bryant from Davenport, IA, who became Nahant Marsh’s Resource
Manager after retiring as Director of the Wapsi
River Environmental Center. Crew Supervisor
Heather Arras, from Columbia, IL, just finished
her Masters of Biology from Western Illinois
University. The Crew Leaders this year are Brittany Ackerland and Will Peek. Brittany, from
Colona, IL, finished her Associates of Biology
from Black Hawk College and is looking forward
to starting at Southern Illinois University in their
Fisheries Biology and Environmental Studies
program. Will, from Fort Hood, TX, just completed a Post-baccalaureate certificate in Environmental GIS from Western Illinois University.
 Educational
information
 Photos
 Become a Member
 Marshy Facts
 Marshy Blog
 Calendar of Events
 This Newsletter
 Sign-up sheets for events
 And much more!!!
What is your least favorite invasive species?
“Wild Parsnip”- Aaron
“Musk Thistle”- Alaina
“Mare’s Tail”- Amy
“Garlic Mustard”- Bob
“ Wild Parsnip”- Brittany
“Garlic Mustard”- Craig
“Curly Dock”- Heather
“Sweet Clover”- Jake
“Musk Thistle”- Kory
“Garlic Mustard”- KJ
“Sweet Clover”- Lindsay
“Musk Thistle”- Travis
“Queen Anne’s Lace”- Will
Sitting on the pile of the invasive phragmites removed by the
crew: Bob Bryant, Heather Arras, Brittany Ackerland, Alaina
Pfenning, Amy Komadino, Aaron Ruder, Lindsay Christner.
This summer, Nahant Marsh hired nine
conservation aids. Aaron Ruder, from Park
Ridge, IL, recently graduated from Augustana
College with a Bachelor’s in Environmental
Science. Alaina Pfenning, from Council
Bluffs, is working on her degree in Biology
from St. Ambrose University. Amy Komadino,
from Orion, IL, is looking forward to attending
the University of Illinois in the fall to receive
her Bachelor’s in Integrative Biology. Craig
Randerson, from Davenport, IA, is currently
attending Scott Community College’s Conservation program, and is looking to go on to
Western Illinois University’s Parks and Recreation department. Jake Doyle, from Princeton,
IA is also enrolled in Scott Community College’s Conservation program. Kory Darnell,
from Davenport, IA, is working at Nahant
Marsh to have a welcome change of pace from
his fulltime job. Like Kory, KJ Rebarcak, from
Davenport, IA, is working at the marsh this
summer simply because she loves it! Lindsay
Christner, from Princeton, IA is in the Conservation program at Scott Community College.
Finally, Travis Lang, from West Liberty, IA, is
attending Muscatine Community College in
their Conservation Technology program.
Naha nt Ma rsh Education Center
Volume 6, Issue 3
Page 2
Upcoming Summer Events at Nahant Marsh
By: Elizabeth Jurich
Summer is here and there are many exciting events happening at the marsh! There will be plenty of
opportunities for you to be outside and enjoy what nature has to offer. There are events for all ages, and we
hope you will join us!
EDIWILD
June 25-28
Nahant Marsh will be hosting EDIWILD, or Educators in the
Wild this summer. It is a collaborative effort between Nahant
Marsh, the Wapsi River Environmental Education Center, and
the Clinton County Conservation Board. This year's workshop
will explore a variety of environmental topics and stewardship
of our natural resources. Slots are still available and registration
is through AEA 9. For more information contact Nahant Marsh.
Earth II Workshop
July 16-20
Muskrat for Supper– Kenny Salwey
Thursday-July 26
Salwey is known as the "Woodsman of the Mississippi
Backwaters". He is also known to be a hunter, trapper, outdoor
guide, educator, keynote speaker, and an advocate for the Upper
Mississippi River. He has been an educational speaker in the Midwest since 1988. He is also a master storyteller with the ability to
pull his audience into his world of backwater adventures. He has
authored Tales of a River Rat: Adventures Along the Wild Mississippi, The Old-Time River Rats: Tales of Bygone Days Along the
Wild Mississippi, and Muskrat for Supper: Exploring the Natural
World with the Last River Rat. He also co-authored The Last River
Rat: Kenny Salwey’s Life in the Wild.
Kenny Salwey will be at Nahant Marsh to sign his new
book, Muskrat for Supper. The book inspires young people to explore nature's life cycles and understand the concept of the circle
of life, as told through the tale of a family that embarks on a hunting and trapping adventure. The story weaves together themes,
such as, sustainable living, our natural environment, and living
closer to nature. After the signing, Kenny will tell stories of his
adventures and life on the river. Following the storytelling, Nahant
staff will lead trail tours around the marsh.
The event will take place at Nahant Marsh Education
Center with two presentation times; the first from 5:30-7pm and
the second presentation will be from 7:30-9pm. Adults $6, Children 16 & under $3 or $10 at the door. Tickets are limited and
registration deadline is July 19th. To register, go to:
www.nahantmarsh.org. For more information call 563-323-5196.
Nahant Marsh is also hosting EARTH II workshop for teachers.
It is being led in conjunction with Eastern Iowa Community
College, the Advanced Technology Environment and Energy
Center (ATEEC) and the University of Iowa's Science Education department. Topics in this workshop are themed around
implementing inquiry-based science into the classroom and using that strategy to investigate environmental problems and solutions. Slots are still available. For more information contact
Nahant Marsh.
Junior Conservationist Day Camp
July 23– 27
Youth will learn valuable skills and about the natural world
through environmental games, crafts, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, water sampling, nature hikes, and much more!. Ages 8-12
are welcome. To sign-up, participants must register with the
Davenport Park and Recreation Department. For more information and to register go to: http://recpro.ci.davenport.ia.us/
Default.aspx?mode=crs&crsid=2720&id=12&scid=79&cid=2
Muddy Boots Nature Club
Is your child interested in the outdoors? If so, check out
Nahant’s newest program, Muddy Boots Nature Club. The nature club is designed to promote environmental stewardship by
providing fun, educational, positive experiences with nature.
The club will take place every other Wednesday, excluding holidays, and is for children 8-12. For more information contact
Amy Loving at 563-323-5196 or visit www.nahantmarsh.org.
Naha nt Ma rsh Education Center
Volume 6, Issue 3
Page 3
Spring Prairie Burn Follow-Up
By: Brian Ritter
Fire is just of the many tools that Nahant Marsh's staff uses to restore habitat and promote new growth. This spring’s warm weather
and drier conditions proved favorable for prescribed burning at
Nahant Marsh. Due to multiple flooding events over the past decade, it has been several years since we have been able to do spring
burns. For the most part, the burns seem to have had a positive effect.
How a species will respond to a burn depends on the timing and
intensity of the burn. At Nahant Marsh, we use fire to promote the
growth of our native prairie and wetland plants. We also use fire to
set-back woody growth like cottonwoods and willows, and invasive
species, such as Reed Canary Grass, one the worst invasive species
in Nahant's wet areas. Late spring burns seem to have
a negative impact on Reed Canary Grass, allowing
native species to gain an upper hand.
The burns did not have a good outcome for everything. Phragmites, or common reed grass, a vey tall
and highly persistent invasive species seems to have
been stimulated by the recent burns and has spread
further out from small patches. Nahant's summer work
crews are using other methods to deal with it.
Depending on what the fall brings, additional burns
may be done in areas that haven't experienced a burn
in many years.
Weather Extremes
By: Brian Ritter
In Spring of 2011, after a exceptionally harsh winter throughout the Upper
Midwest, with record cold and snow, Nahant Marsh experienced the 6th
highest flood ever recorded. Only a year later, after a record warm winter
and spring throughout the Upper Midwest, Nahant Marsh, along with the
rest of Iowa is now officially in a drought. The main marsh is about as low
as it has been in several years.
The drought and drop in water level is not necessarily a bad thing for the
marsh. Mud flats have begun to emerge around the edges of the marsh and
new life has sprung forth on the recently exposed ground. These new
plants will provide cover and food for the migrating waterfowl when they
return this fall.
Another advantage to having lower water levels is that carp begin to die
off or migrate out of the marsh. This will hopefully allow for Nahant's
notoriously murky, yet shallow, water to clear up. If that happens, then
plants like arrowheads and lily pads may have a chance to return. It is important to note that not too many years ago, Nahant Marsh had an abun-
of these plants throughout the area that is now open water.
Droughts and floods, cold and heat, wind and rain, are all
part of the ongoing cycle of that brings life and takes in
away. It is exciting to see the changes that each cycle brings
and the opportunities that they create for the living things at
Nahant.
Naha nt Ma rsh Education Center
Page 4
Volume 6, Issue 3
Summer Plant: Cattail Sedge
(Carex typhina)
By: Elizabeth Jurich
The Cattail Sedge has been
recently found here at the
Marsh. Its status in the state
is vulnerable, so its amazing
to find it here at Nahant.
It is a grass-like perennial.
They can grow from 30 to
90 centimeters tall. The
leaves are long and narrow
and they have parallel veins
and a pronounced midrib.
The lowest leaves do not
grow from the base of the
stem but from a point well
above the ground. The flowers of cattail sedge are small
and unisexual, grouped in a
spike-like head. Female
(pistillate) flowers form a
cylindrical head above the
smaller cluster of male
(staminate) flowers.
What makes a sedge a sedge?
North American State/Province
Conservation Status
Map by Nature Serve (2007)
Cattail sedge prefers very moist conditions. They can tolerate shade and
acidic soil. They grow in marshes,
wet woods, and along streams from
Quebec south to Florida and Texas.
Sedges,
true grass, and rush plants
.
are difficult to tell apart. All three
are classified as graminoids,
grass-like, flowering herbaceous
plants. All three produce flowers
that are relatively inconspicuous
and are usually yellow, green, or
tan. Sedge’s have flat leaves similar to grasses, but most sedge’s
have triangular stems, while
rushes have round stems and
grasses have hollow stems as seen
below. Here is a saying that may
help you remember the difference
between these plants: Sedges
have edges; rushes are round;
grasses are hollow right up from
the ground.
Sedge
Populations are being harmed by disturbance and alterations of their wetland habitats, from logging, draining
for agricultural or development, or
changes created by flood control regimes. If the species has any hope of
recover, their habits will have to be
preserved and protected.
Rush
For more information please look at the
following websites:
http://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/
factsheets/15145.pdf
Grass
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?
symbol=CATY
http://www.siosa.org/blog/eco-lingo-forbsedge-rush-or-grass/
http://www.siosa.org/blog/
eco-lingo-forb-sedge-rushor-grass/
Naha nt Ma rsh Education Center
Volume 6, Issue 3
Kids Corner: Summer Fun Word Find
http://www.funpagesforkids.com/independence/4thmedium/
Page 5
Naha nt Ma rsh Education Center
Volume 6, Issue 3
Page 6
Featured Bird: Tree Swallows
(Tachycineta bicolor)
By: Elizabeth Jurich
Tree Swallows are often seen
here at Nahant in the summer.
They are common in marshes
and open fields, preferring open
areas near water. They are
small, slender birds in the Hirundinidae family with a forked
tail indicative of swallows.
They average five inches in
length and have metallic blue or
blue-green upper feathers and
white feathers on its underside.
They have black bills, dark
brown eyes, and light brown
legs and feet. Females are duller
in color than males and their
foreheads may be a brownish
color. Juvenile birds have dull
brown upper feathers, but can
be distinguished from similar
swallow species from their clear
white underbelly.
© Gerrit Vyn
They readily inhabit nest boxes
and often overtake the Blue Bird
nest boxes found here at the
marsh. The female builds a cup
shaped nest from grass or pine
needles, and then both the male
and female collect feathers from
other birds, usually waterfowl, to
line the nest. These feathers help
keep the nestling warm and keep
levels of ectoparasites, like mites,
low.
Tree swallows are aerial feeders.
They search for flying insects like
beetles, horseflies, moths, grasshoppers, and dragonflies over
land and water and catch their
prey in the air. They may feed on
berries in the winter.
The tree swallow is a North American Species that breeds from
Alaska to Newfoundland, and south
to California, Colorado, Nebraska,
and Iowa. They winter along the
Gulf Coast, into California, and the
Carolinas. They winter farther north
than any other American swallow,
and are usually the first to return to
their nesting grounds.
For more information visit these
websites:
http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/tr
eeswallow.htm
http://www.allaboutbirds.or
g/guide/tree_swallow/id
Their numbers are increasing
slightly across most of their
range, so their IUCN status is of
least concern.
Naha nt Ma rsh Education Center
Volume 6, Issue 3
Page 7
Farwell To Nahant Marsh
By: Leanne McEvoy and Karri Folks
Last September I was lucky enough to begin an internship at Nahant Marsh and
then in November began my term as an AmeriCorps Iowa State of Promise member. As a born and raised Quad-Citian who only found out about Nahant Marsh
just before serving there, one of the most rewarding aspects of my term was finding
out that attendance at the marsh has significantly increased over the years and especially so in this past year. I, along with Brian, other AmeriCorps members, and the
Friends of Nahant, worked hard to raise awareness and plan events to draw the public into a truly unique area of Davenport. Finding out that a lot of that work was
paying off felt great!
Some of the most memorable experiences I had at the marsh were seeing the success of our first ever Nahant Winter Festival and working with almost 100 volunteers of all ages at our Global Youth Service Day Spring Clean-up/Tree Planting.
Having people brave the cold for our early morning bird hike during the winter fest or risk getting caught in the possible storms to plant trees during GYSD meant that the work put into planning these events and the measures we took to
inform the public were worth it.
My AmeriCorps term ended in June, but over the summer I still plan to be involved in programs when needed
at the marsh. My experiences there have solidified my career goals of being an environmental/conservation/animal
educator. I will be finishing my Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Zoo and Aquarium Studies at Western Illinois in December, and will be on the job hunt long before then! I want to express my gratitude to everyone I worked with during
my time at Nahant Marsh because I know I learned things that I will keep with me throughout my career. See you
soon!
I joined the Nahant Marsh Education Center family in March of 2011 as an education intern. When I started as an intern I hoped that working at Nahant would
broaden my horizons in the areas of wildlife conservation and plant science as
well as gain new perspectives in the area of science education. I accomplished
my goals but I ended up gaining so much more in the process. Beyond environmental education programs, teachers workshops, nature hikes, bald eagle days,
home school programs, AmeriCorps, and many other programs that the marsh
offers, I gained friendships and memories that will last a lifetime! I remember
my very first week working at the marsh I was able to help out with a pond study
pond study program for a school group. In pond study, students are able to learn about aquatic macroinvertebrates. The students are able to use nets to catch these aquatic creatures and study them under microscopes and learn how to identify them
as well. As the children got on the busses to return to school all of them yelled out “thank you Nahant marsh!” One child
stayed behind to thank me personally and to let me know her secret; “I thought pond study was the best, I caught a crawdad!” It was at that exact moment that I knew that my days at Nahant would be filled with wonderful moments such as
this!
As an intern, I was able to participate in a variety of programs that the marsh offered such as EDWILD, summer
camps, home school programs, master conservationist, and many more. In the fall of 2011, I became an AmeriCorps member stationed at the marsh through the Iowa State of Promise program (IASOP). The marsh became more than just an internship/place of work; it was a place of personal growth. I will miss many things about the marsh: the atmosphere, the
friendships, the animals, but most of all I will miss my coworkers and my supervisor. I hate saying goodbyes but this isn’t
a forever goodbye, I plan on visiting the marsh often and helping out as often as I can! Thank you for allowing me to be a
part of the Nahant Marsh family!
Visit us on the web at:
Nahant Marsh preserve is one of the largest urban wetlands on the Upper
Mississippi River. It is comprised of marshy areas, mesic, wet, and sand
prairie, and bottomland forest. A spring-fed quarry, known as Carp Lake, and
the surrounding grounds, is part of the Nahant Marsh Preserve as well.
Nahant Marsh was used for skeet and trap shooting from the 1960’s to the
1990’s. Because of the lead left behind, the marsh was declared an EPA
Superfund site and was cleaned up in 1999. After that time, the site was
declared a preserve and educational center. The building and 78 acres of land
is owned and managed by the City of Davenport. The remaining land is held
by the Nahant Board, a 501c3. The Educational programming is overseen by
the Eastern Iowa Community College District. River Action, Inc. is also
critical part of Nahant Marsh.
www.nahantmarsh.org
Getting to Nahant Marsh…
Nahant Marsh
Nahant Marsh Education Center
4220 Wapello Avenue
Davenport, IA 52802
Phone: 563-323-5196
From Davenport, Iowa:
Connecting People with Nature.
Take Highway 22 South and turn left on Wapello Avenue ( last left turn
before the I-280 overpass). Follow Wapello Avenue and you will see Nahant
Marsh to your left, just before the railroad crossing.
From Illinois:
Organization
Take I-280 to Iowa and take the Highway 22/Rockingham Road Exit. Turn
right onto highway 22 and right onto Wapello Avenue. Nahant Marsh is on
the left, just before the railroad crossing
Summer Happenings at Nahant
Muskrat for Supper: Join us and Kenny Salwey for book signing, story telling, and trail tours. To Register:
www.nahantmarsh.org. For more information call 563-323-5196.
When: Thursday July 26
Time: Two sessions: 5:30-7 and 7:30-9
Cost : Adults $6, Children 16 & under $3 or $10 at the door. Tickets are limited and registration deadline is
July 19th.
EDIWILD and Earth II Teacher workshops: This year's workshops will explore a variety of environmental topics and stewardship of our natural resources. Slots are still available and registration is through
AEA 9. For more information contact Nahant Marsh 563-323-5196.
When: June 25-28 and July 16-20
Junior Conservationist Summer Day Camp: Youth will learn valuable skills and about the natural world
through environmental games, crafts, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, water sampling, nature hikes, and much
more!. Ages 8-12 are welcome. To sign-up, participants must register with the Davenport Park and Recreation
Department. For more information and to register go to: http://recpro.ci.davenport.ia.us/Default.aspx?
mode=crs&crsid=2720&id=12&scid=79&cid=2
Muddy Boots Nature Club: The nature club is designed to promote environmental stewardship by providing fun, educational, positive experiences with nature. The club will take place every other Wednesday, excluding holidays, and is for children 8-12. For more information contact Amy Loving at 563-323-5196 or visit
www.nahantmarsh.org.
Friends of Nahant Marsh
Friends of Nahant Marsh host a work day the first Saturday of every month from 9:00am to 12:00pm at the
Nahant Marsh Education Center.
Volunteers are much needed and help for just an hour is valued!
For further information visit our website at: www.nahantmarsh.org