Calling all wildlife watchers! The Iowa DNR will be hosting two training opportunities for people interested in becoming volunteer bald eagle nest monitors.
One workshop will be held via Zoom Saturday, Feb. 10 from 1-4:00 p.m. and the other will be held in person at the Central Park Nature Center in Jones County Saturday, March 23 from 12:30-4:00 p.m.
Community science volunteers have been helping to monitor Iowa’s eagle population since 2006. In 2023 they monitored over 300 nests. Prospective monitors who attend a workshop will learn about this program and how to get involved and monitor a nest in their area of the state. With over 600 active eagle nests in Iowa, volunteer monitors are crucial to monitoring this species.
To be a bald eagle nest monitor you will need a pair of binoculars and preferably a spotting scope. Nest monitors are particularly needed in Allamakee, Appanoose, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Howard, Lucas, Jones, Monroe, Wayne, and Winneshiek counties, but interested people anywhere in the state are welcome.
The Iowa DNR will try to match you up with a nest near your home base. The time commitment for conducting the survey and submitting data is roughly six hours total between March and July each year and will require multiple visits to a nest.
Each workshop will have limited spots available and will require a $10 fee, which covers the cost of materials and postage. Prospective volunteers only need to attend one of the workshops, not both. Registration for each workshop will close one week prior to the date of the workshop or whenever the attendance limit is reached.
For more information and to register go to the Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Program (VWMP) webpage at www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/Volunteer-Opportunities or contact Stephanie Shepherd at [email protected].