SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
Indoor ideas for fall beauty Autumn, that special time of year where taking a deep breath is the most invigorating feeling. Leaving the windows opens at night means waking up to a too cool house in the morning. Campfires are appreciated for their warmth. Fields are being harvested, and pumpkins are filling up front yards. Those feelings inspired by the natural beauty of the season found outside can be brought in doors as well. If you’re not in the fall mood just yet, here are a few craft ideas to get you there. One of my favorite parts about autumn is that the décor can be used for all the fall holidays (well, almost). Maybe hide the bats and ghosts before Thanksgiving? Fall décor can be simple, inexpensive and affordable. Corn stalks, straw bales, pumpkins, and gourds are a great start. For some that may sound easier said than done, so here are a few helpful hints to make nature work for you. Color Blocking. We love the changing colors of the leaves, not just because everything else is brown, but because we like color
vitality. Bring this indoor with a few different shades (orange, yellow, and red) of leaves. Cut a few small branches and put them in a vase ENNA with water. That’s OLLOCK sure to add a splash EMMET COUNTY of outdoors light to brighten any room. NATURALIST Expanded color palette. We’re used to our typical fall colors, but don’t be afraid to bring some of the purples and lush greens growing in the garden indoors as well. Fall doesn’t necessarily mean muted tones. Sparkle and shine. There’s something about orange pumpkins and homemade jack-o-lanterns that make even the crotchetiest folks reveal a slight smirk. Sometimes the oversized orange pumpkins, especially when carved, aren’t the best option for indoor decorating. Uncarved, light colored pumpkins and gourds can offer an upscale feel that satisfies the seasonal mood. Start with a light-colored pumpkin to bring the festive seasonal light inside. Then spray it with iridescent paint for a nice shine. For added sparkle, sprinkle gold or silver glitter while the paint is still wet.
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Kids can have fun decorating pumpkins without all the scraping and gutting. Use iridescent spray paint and allow the kids to use their favorite color of glitter or combinations of colors to make a wacky pumpkin. Painted pumpkins and using a pumpkin as a Mr. Potato Head can also be fun ways for the kids to enjoy the season. Gourd Vase. At the end of the season, save a few gourds for next year. Allow the gourd to dry naturally for durability. Turning a gourd into a vase or a birdhouse is a great recycled craft. Another recycled craft that takes a step away from natural materials and a step towards the spookier side of Halloween is a milk jug ghost. Kids can have a lot of fun with this craft but adult supervision is important for cutting the plastic. Start saving up your milk jugs now! There are a variety of patterns available online for this craft. Wild center pieces. Prairie grasses make unique and beautiful center pieces without a lot of work arranging. The ability to adjust the height of the arrangement makes it an excellent option for any table in the house. Once the grasses are dried in the prairie, no need to worry about watering this center piece!
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DUCKS UNLIMITED AND PARTNERS RECEIVE $1 MILLION NAWCA GRANT BY MIKE SHANNON REGIONAL DUCKS UNLIMITED BIOLOGIST
Wildlife habitat across northern Iowa will be getting a boost over the next two years thanks to a recent $1 million U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant to Ducks Unlimited and its partners. This grant, funded through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), will protect and enhance over 1200 acres of wetlands, prairies, and streams in Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, O’Brien and Clay Counties. NAWCA is an incentive based, land-owner friendly program that fosters the development of public-private partnerships to protect North America’s migratory bird habitat. The grant will enable public agencies to acquire six new tracts of land to add to existing public wildlife areas within the Little Sioux River Watershed. The partners will also enhance nearly 450 acres of wetlands in the Marble-Hottes Lakes wetland complex adjacent to Spirit Lake and restore natural potholes on a Waterfowl Production Area in Kossuth County. In addition to improved wildlife habitat, Iowa residents will also benefit from abundant recreation and tourism opportunities, increased flood storage in restored wetlands and improved water quality in local lakes and streams. While DU is the recipient and administrator of the grant, competing for these NAWCA funds at a national level requires a strong group of partners and at least $2 million in non-federal matching funds. This project is made possible by a cooperative effort among a multitude of partners and interested parties in Iowa. Besides DU, project partners include Iowa DNR, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Pheasants Forever, O’Brien County Sportsman’s Club, Dickinson County Water Quality Board, the Andrea Waitt Carlton Family Foundation, Little Sioux Valley Conservation Association, Millborn Seeds, and Conservation Boards in O’Brien, Clay, and Dickinson counties. This is the third phase of this partnership, which will have restored or protected a total of 3,100 acres between 2010 and 2015.
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