Sunday, September 7th, the annual Pelican Festival was held at Saylorville Lake near Ankeny, Iowa. Though the day was overcast and even the rain visited a couple times, a few thousand pelicans could be seen resting and catching small fish throughout the mud flats of Saylorville Lake at Jester Park.

Every year, thousands of pelicans make their way from northern breeding grounds through Iowa on the way to warmer temperatures in the south. The perfect place to catch fish and rest their giant wings, Jester Park is a great place to see these wonderful birds in action. Sunny, warm days are the best time to view these birds due to warm thermal uplifts that make flying long distances a breeze.

With a wingspan up to 9 feet, pelicans nest in northern lakes of the United States. North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Canada are prime breeding grounds and provide a wide range of fish for feeding. The White Pelican is able to hold up to 3 gallons of water in their throat pouch, which they scoop up along with small fish before filtering the fish down their throat and the water back to the lake. Pelicans hunt for fish in groups and gather the fish in shallow water before scooping them up with their large mouths. They are known to travel up to 100 miles a day in search of food.

Nesting takes place within a colony of over 20,000 birds. The nests are placed a few feet apart and 2-3 eggs will be laid in each nest. Newly hatched chicks will form “pods” or groups to protect themselves from predators. After 7-10 weeks, the young birds will be able to fly and care for themselves.

Though in 1972, the American white pelican was placed on the threatened species list, in 1987 it was removed due to measures taken to protect these birds. Today, there is an estimated 250,000 adult pelicans and 150,000 immature birds in the United States.

Found on DesMoinesRegister.com
The green slime or pond scum that comes from algae could be valuable after all. Renewable Energy Group of Ames says it has developed a process that takes the oil from algae and turns it into biodiesel fuel.

“Algae oil would give us a third option as a biodiesel feedstock after soybean oil and animal fats,” said Daniel Oh, chief operating officer of Renewable Energy Group.

That would be a breakthrough of seismic proportions for the biodiesel industry. The soybean oil that has been the basic oil feedstock for biodiesel has doubled in price in the last 18 months, robbing operating biodiesel plants of their profitability and forcing shutdowns or delays at other facilities.

Researchers around the nation are trying to skim energy from algae.

“People who have made fun of green slime and pond scum won’t do it in the future, when they find out not only how valuable the oil is but also the byproducts,” said Jimmy Simpson, an algae researcher at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield…….

Read the FULL story at the Des Moines Register.

Des Moines, Iowa:
On Saturday, the Polk Country Conservation Board hosted the 7th annual River Run Garbage Grab to clean up trash and debris along the Des Moines River south of the Saylorville Reservoir. Canoes, kayaks, and motorboats were launched along the river, by volunteers, to scour the banks and sandbars. Throughout the morning hours, boaters braved the beautiful weather and shining sun hoping to bring back the biggest piece of garbage.

Garbage sacks full of trash and canoes piled with everything from tires to rusty drums, were deposited safely into the hands of conservation board staff. Metro Waste Authority provided garbage bags and dumpsters for anything someone was willing to haul out of the river.
Tires appeared to be especially sought after, as one volunteer could be heard cheering for a canoe delivering a pile of metal, paper, and a dirty fat tire.

Though, it did not appear that anything was found as big as the engine block that was hauled out during 2007, the Des Moines River is definitely a cleaner waterway after the great work by Iowa residents.

The river was not the only thing that got a thorough cleaning. Those volunteers that chose to stay on land, walked along the shore and picked up garbage lying near walking and biking trails. Among the trash collected on land was a twin sized mattress, propane tanks, beer cans, and countless coils of fishing line and bait containers.

Many groups were represented at the River Run Garbage Grab ’08. Some of those in attendance were the Izaak Walton League of America, Des Moines Water Works and Central Iowa Anglers. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Unit, Flotilla 4 of Des Moines Iowa, provided safety and security services which included a patrol vessel and jet skis. Their professionalism was put to the test when a motorboat capsized and the occupants were helped from the water. This effort would not have been made possible without all of the support from the many Iowan sponsors and volunteers.

Later today, a special celebration is being hosted for all of the volunteers involved. Free food, music, and door prizes will be given away at the Simon Estes Amphitheater. The entertainment will be provided by the Des Moines Community Steel Drum Band, Plymouth Church Chancel Choir, and John Stravers and the Big Blue Sky Band.

As an Iowan and American, I would like to personally thank all those involved with this great community service project. Keeping our rivers and trails clean is a small project that every community can contribute to. By spreading the word, the next annual River Run Garbage Grab will be even bigger and more beneficial.

Thank you Iowa.

For more information about the River Run Garbage Grab, visit RiverStewards.org