Thursday May 15, 2014
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Frain, Phipps share CHS Outstanding Male Athlete Award
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SPORTS, page 7A
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Survey of Iowa’s small towns continues
Hunting for morels Morel mushroom hunting in southwest Iowa “is just starting to get good” according to DNR Biologist Chad Paup ■
By JAKE WADDINGHAM
CNA associate editor jwaddingham@crestonnews.com
H
unters are out in full force this spring searching for an elusive prey that has started “popping up” thanks to the spring rains and warming temperatures. Morel mushrooms are in season and one of the most popular and saught after fungi. As first-time explorers and veteran hunters head out to their secret locations and use their specific harvesting practices, the main worry is if the journey will be a bust or a morel jackpot. The hunt Trekking off into the woods to search for the coveted morel mushroom is not for the faint of heart. They typically appear from the beginning of April to the middle of May, but are very weather dependent. Morels need good moisture from spring showers and a spike of warm spring weather to start popping up to be harvested. “When the lilacs start blooming, that is about the time people start seeing morel mushrooms,” said Chad Paup, Department of Natural Resources biologist for south-central Iowa. “The best time is early to mid-May, generally speaking, when the weather starts to warm up.” Gray-colored morels appear
(MCT) — Iowa State University will continue a study of the quality of life in small-town Iowa by conducting a statewide survey looking at social and civic community engagement. Researchers say a total of 14,850 surveys will be sent out to 150 residents in each of 99 different towns representing each county in Iowa. Colo has been selected for the third round of studies ■ Towns in and will represent other the CNA small towns and rural areas in Story County.The coverage area university has received a included in grant from the National this survey Institute for Food and Agriculture of the Unit- are: Afton, ed States Department of Bedford, Agriculture to conduct Corning, the survey. It is extremely impor- Fontanelle, tant that those selected Mount Ayr. complete and return the survey, because each survey actually represents 20 to 35 other Colo residents, according to Terry Besser, a sociology professor in the agriculture department at ISU and one of the researchers who has been with the study since it first began in 1994. “It’s really important for them to do that or there will be a huge hole in the research, and we won’t be able to trust our findings,” Besser said. “Small towns don’t get the attention that big places get. When we started this study back in ‘93, we had just come off of a significant farm recession crisis and the states woke up and realized small towns couldn’t survive off just agriculture anymore,” Besser said. Besser said when the state realized there was no
first and are smaller than their other edible counterpart, the yellow morel. Each hunter has their own secrets to what location makes Paup it a good fit to search for the fungi. “It is all about having the right conditions,” Paup said. “Spots with dying trees that are just starting to lose their bark are good places where people tend to see morels.” Elm trees are another popular sign that the area has the ability to support the morel’s ideal habitat. It also likes to protect itself by tucking in beneath or near thick cover or decomposing leaves and stumps to take advantage of the moist conditions. It is like an Easter egg hunt for adults each spring, but instead of candy, there is a chance no prize could be found after tiptoeing through thorny and thick undergrowth for hours. But each year, Iowans are willing to risk scratches, pricks and wild ticks for a chance at harvest morels. “It is just starting to get good,” Paup said. “We had been kind of cool and dry, but now with this rain and some good weather coming next week, it would be a great time to get out.” In order to help the morel population, hunters suggest using a knife to cut the morel off at ground level so the root system stays intact. “There are a lot of wise tales out there, like pushing the stems back into the ground,” Paup said.
Please see SURVEY, Page 2
MORE INSIDE
ELKS TRACK MEET: The annual Cres-
ton Elks Lodge #605 track meet was held for middle school students and elementary students Wednesday evening at Creston High School. See page 12A for photos. Events included softball throw, football throw, long jump, high jump and several running events.
Please see MORELS, Page 2
Where can I find morels? Elm trees are a sign that the area has the ability to support the morel’s ideal habitat. Morels also like to protect themselves by tucking in beneath or near thick cover or decomposing leaves and stumps to take advantage of the moist conditions.
THROWBACK THURSDAY: What was happening 5, 10, 20 years ago in the Creston News Advertiser area for this week in history? See page 2A. Serving Southwest Iowa since 1879
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Volume 130 No. 238 Copyright 2014
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Contents
Church. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Deaths. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Heloise Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 NASCAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Friday weather High 58 Low 37 Full weather report, 3A