Extension Staff Natural Resources Professional Development Day – 2026
This one-day event brings Extension professionals together from across Iowa — and across many program areas — to explore, connect, and learn. We’ll dig into natural resource issues, discover new opportunities, and build relationships — all while enjoying the great outdoors. This year’s program is on Thursday, May 28, 2026.
Please join us the night before, May 27, for an informal gathering at West O’ Beer (503 Terrace Park Blvd, Milford, IA 51351). We will gather around 6:30pm for anyone who is interested in hearing from Joe Tiefenthaler who leads West O’s water quality and conservation efforts. West O’ will have live music from 7-9pm and food and beverages available for purchase.
There will also be an optional tour of Brooks Golf Course (1201 Brooks Park Dr, Okoboji, IA 51355) at 7:15am on May 28. Owned by Conservation Foundation of Dickinson County, Brooks is a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Golf Course and leads a monthly “Birding on the Greens” tour.
On May 28, the morning program will start at the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory (1838 IA-86, Milford, IA 51351). Lakeside Lab is owned by the state of Iowa and its mission is twofold: 1) to provide science classes and research opportunities for university students, and 2) to offer Outreach Programs and provide services through the state universities.
Lakeside’s 147-acre campus is located on scenic West Okoboji Lake, on Little Millers Bay. The bay and adjacent natural areas are used as outdoor classrooms for Lakeside’s university courses and Outreach Programs.
We’ll spend the morning learning about the history of the lab, its work on water quality sampling, and how it connects, cares for and supports the natural areas that surround it.
We will also have a special session on county innovations on natural resources programming! What creative, impactful and informative natural resources education are you offering? We’d love to highlight your work with a 5-minute lightening. If you’re interested in giving a short talk, please reach out to the organizers (listed at the bottom of the page).
We will have lunch together, then in the afternoon we will have two tour options.
Tour #1: Explore Kettleson Hogsback, a 2,040 acre DNR-managed site that includes a never-been-plowed native prairie. It is one of the most bird-rich of any areas of Iowa with more than 270 species identified. Then, we’ll visit the Wallace and Bowers Nature Area, where the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation maintains a diverse native prairie buffer and alfalfa buffer to protect Big Spirit Lake. The site also includes cover crops, no-till and a wetlands restoration.
Tour #2: Experience conservation in action on a guided tour that highlights both public stewardship and grassroots innovation. At the Dickinson County Conservation Board’s Nature Center, enjoy a hike to an active osprey nest and hear from the director about the land they manage—and how Extension is partnering to support their work. Then visit Monarch Cove, an inspiring example of urban conservation where concerned citizens transformed runoff problems into a privately funded community solution.
Registration
Registration is open to all ISU Extension employees. Educators from county offices and campus across all four program areas are welcome and encouraged to attend this unique professional development event!
Please use this link to register by May 24th: https://go.iastate.edu/E2NZQZ
Funding for the annual Natural Resources Professional Development Day is provided by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Iowa mini-grants. This funding allows us to offer this event at no cost to participants.
