From the Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Gardening fever has broken out across the state with homeowners digging, planting, weeding and mulching to avoid missing out on spring rains. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is encouraging homeowners to include pollinator friendly native plants as part of the landscape.

Native Iowa plants are the most beneficial for pollinators and can be designed to look nice, Stephanie Shepherd, wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Diversity Program said.

“We prefer native plants over plants that have been genetically modified as the modified versions may or may not produce the same levels of pollen or nectar as the natives,” she said. “Native plants also bloom at the right times, just when our native pollinators are relying on them.”

Part of the design plan should include a mix of plants that bloom during different seasons in order to maximize opportunities for pollinators. Consider a mix of plants like golden alexanders, large flowering beard tongue, or foxglove beard tongue that bloom in spring; butterfly milkweed, which is also a host plant for monarchs, pale purple coneflower and wild bergamot, aka bee balm, that bloom in summer; and prairie blazing star, New England aster and the goldenrods that bloom late summer and fall.

For more information on pollinators, lists of plants and tips for planting a backyard prairie and more, go to https://www.iowadnr.gov/pollinators. Plantings this spring can be supporting bees and butterflies later this summer during National Pollinator Week, June 16-22.

“If the thought of what to plant is too much, then plan to limit the number of different kinds of plants to 6 to 9; 2-3 early spring blooming, 2-3 summer blooming and 2-3 late summer/fall blooming,” she said. Including native grasses like prairie dropseed, little bluestem, and side-oats gramma are useful as host plants for butterflies and moths.

And don’t overlook redbud trees or serviceberry shrubs, in the spring blooming category if there’s space, Shepherd said.

These pollinator plants are likely to attract monarchs, and common eastern and brown-belted bumble bees. Most bees aren’t aggressive; just foraging and want to be left alone,” Shepherd said.

Homeowners who have bumble bees visiting their flowers can help the Iowa DNR with data collection by contributing to Iowa’s Bumble Bee Atlas.

The Bumble Bee Atlas is a volunteer community science project with a goal of learning more about bumble bees in Iowa, particularly what species are here, where they are in the state and what kind of habitat and flowers they like.

Anyone interested in participating will need to complete an online training and optional hands on field training to practice catching and handling bumble bees. The Iowa DNR has Bumble Bee Atlas video online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BTk70i96uw.

More information is available online at https://www.bumblebeeatlas.org/pages/iowa

Special to the Times Vedette

On May 7, a total of 13 players participated. Kathy Mahoney, Dan Webb and Robert Klever each got a 16, Sandy Rumelhart got a 20 and Chet Vaughan had a 21.

The Guthrie Center cribbage players generally meet at Guthrie Center Library on Mondays at 8 a.m., at the New Homestead independent living rec room at 8 a.m. on Wednesdays, and at the Guthrie Center Activity Center at 1 p.m. on Fridays. Organizers say there is always room for more, and they will be glad to teach you how to play. They play for quarters on Wednesday and Friday.

Special to the Times Vedette 

Kelsey Laabs (Panorama), Malia Fuller (West Central Valley) and Emmarae Ellis (ACGC) were recognized by Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Chris Cournoyer for outstanding academic achievement at the 23rd Annual Governor’s Scholar Recognition Ceremony on April 27 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.

The statewide program, sponsored by the Iowa Governor’s Office, Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and its title sponsor the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), honored 424 high school seniors from across Iowa.

“Iowa Farm Bureau has a long history of supporting students in their educational journey knowing they represent the leaders of tomorrow,” IFBF President Brent Johnson said.  “From providing more than a half-million dollars in college scholarships annually to our long-time title sponsorship of the Annual Governor’s Scholar Recognition Ceremony, we’re honored to support and celebrate Iowa’s outstanding students.”

Each high school was invited to select a senior student with the highest academic ranking for their first seven semesters. Students selected for the award also had the opportunity to recognize their favorite/most influential teacher and will receive a photo plaque of their meeting with Gov. Reynolds.

“The principles learned through academic success, like those learned from participation in education-based activities, help develop outstanding leaders and citizens,” IHSAA Executive Director Tom Keating said.  “The partnership between the IHSAA and the Iowa Farm Bureau, along with the great cooperation of the Governor’s Office has made this event possible for many years.”

Ninety-eight percent of those recognized participate in extra-curricular school activities, with more than 82% participating in at least one interscholastic sport. More than 63% of the group plan to continue their education in Iowa.

Special to the Times Vedette

Aureon, a technology solution provider of connectivity, managed IT, staffing consulting and contact center services, announced the recipients of its 2025 Scholarship Programs. Ten Iowa high school students have been awarded a total of $13,000 in scholarships in recognition of their academic achievements, leadership and community involvement.

Building on the announcement of Aureon’s expanded 2025 Scholarship Programs, the company continues to support Iowa students through two distinct opportunities: the Aureon STEM Scholarship Program, available to students residing in communities served by Aureon’s Iowa Telecommunications Company (ITC) partners and pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM), and the Aureon Scholarship for Technology Students, open to students living in metro areas directly served by Aureon who are planning to pursue technology degrees at Iowa colleges, universities, or trade schools.

“Each year, we are inspired by the drive and potential of students across Iowa,” said George O’Neal, CEO of Aureon. “Our scholarship programs reflect Aureon’s ongoing commitment to empowering the next generation of innovators and industry leaders. Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients; we look forward to seeing all you will accomplish.”

The recipients of the 2025 Aureon STEM Scholarship Program are:

• Elliott Eiler, New Hampton – $3,000 scholarship, attending Iowa State University (Software Engineering)
• Blaine Benjamin, Keosauqua – $2,000 scholarship, attending Iowa State University (Mechanical Engineering)
• Savannah Feenstra, Hull – $2,000 scholarship, attending Iowa State University (Civil Engineering)
• Kolter Good, Peru – $1,000 scholarship, attending DMACC (Engineering)
• Baylyn Herring, Panora – $1,000 scholarship, attending the University of Iowa (Biomedical Engineering)
• Kamden Nusbaum, Birmingham – $1,000 scholarship, attending the University of Iowa (Computer Science & Engineering) 

Recipients of the 2025 Aureon Scholarship for Technology Students are:

• Tannen Bell, Waterloo – $1,000 scholarship, attending college to study Industrial Engineering
• Finian Huggins, Des Moines – $1,000 scholarship, attending Iowa State University (Cyber Security Engineering)
• Dominic Channon, Waukee – $1,000 scholarship, attending the University of Iowa (Technology)

Applications for the 2025–2026 Aureon Scholarship Program will open in December, continuing Aureon’s commitment to supporting Iowa students pursuing careers in STEM and technology. Through these programs, Aureon invests in the educational and professional success of future leaders across the state.

For more information about Aureon and its community programs, visit aureon.com.