DES MOINES, Iowa (March 10, 2026)—The Nationwide Audubon Society has employed Tucker Lutter as Iowa Conservation Supervisor for Audubon Higher Mississippi River. On this function, Lutter will lead the rollout of the Audubon Conservation Ranching program in Iowa, partnering with farmers and ranchers to advance bird-friendly land administration practices throughout the state.
A local of Bronson, Iowa, Lutter is raring to work alongside farm and ranch producers in his dwelling state to strengthen grassland conservation and develop alternatives for working lands that profit birds and folks.
“I’m proud to be working with cattle and bison producers in Iowa,” stated Lutter. “Rising up within the state, I’ve witnessed the lack of prairie and the decline of grassland birds. Iowa is over 97% privately owned, and farmers and ranchers who implement conservation practices are our greatest hope to guard avian assets within the state. With the efforts of conservation-conscious producers, we’ll proceed to listen to meadowlarks singing each spring and expertise the joys of flushing a covey of Northern Bobwhite.”
“Audubon Conservation Ranching is a rising answer as a result of it connects all of us—farmers and ranchers who steward these landscapes day by day and the general public who profit from wholesome grasslands. Tucker’s expertise in land administration and his deep Iowa roots make him the best particular person to assist develop this work throughout the state,” stated Sarah Hewitt, Senior Conservation Supervisor for Audubon Higher Mississippi River.
Earlier than coming to Audubon, Lutter served because the Western Iowa Assistant Land Steward for The Nature Conservancy. In that function, he helped handle a herd of greater than 200 American bison and applied land stewardship practices—together with prairie restoration and prescribed fireplace—on preserves within the Loess Hills and the Little Sioux River Valley. He additionally taught Anna Beal interns and supported a variety of habitat administration efforts geared toward bettering ecological outcomes throughout western Iowa’s prairies and grasslands.
Lutter earned a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from Franciscan College of Steubenville and labored as an archaeologist earlier than pursuing a Grasp of Pure Useful resource Administration at North Dakota State College, which he’ll full in Might 2026. Throughout graduate college, he collected information on breeding and migratory birds and carried out a social survey at websites collaborating within the Audubon Nice Plains City Woods and Prairies Initiative alongside the Crimson River in Fargo and Moorhead.
Audubon Conservation Ranching works with cattle and livestock bison producers to implement science-based grazing practices that enhance grassland chook habitat whereas sustaining farming and ranching operations. This system certifies collaborating ranches as Audubon Licensed Hen-Pleasant Land, whereas the certification seal provides visibility for a rising market of shoppers searching for conservation-driven merchandise. Greater than 150 ranches nationwide have earned the certification, inserting greater than 4.5 million acres below bird-friendly administration. Merchandise from Audubon Licensed Hen-Pleasant Land can be found in additional than 2,000 retail places.
Lutter lives in Hawarden together with his spouse and their 4 youngsters. Exterior of labor, he enjoys climbing together with his household, canoeing, backpacking, figuring out vegetation, and birding.
Funding for Audubon Conservation Ranching in Iowa is offered by the Nationwide Fish and Wildlife Basis and a USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant.
For extra details about Audubon Conservation Ranching in Iowa, please contact Tucker Lutter at Tucker.Lutter@audubon.org.
About Audubon Conservation Ranching
Audubon Conservation Ranching companions with ranchers to maintain wholesome grasslands, ample birdlife, and resilient rural communities. By means of our bird-friendly land certification and science-based strategy, we empower land stewards to reinforce habitat, enhance soil well being and water high quality, and strengthen the connection between conservation and ranching. By buying merchandise from Audubon Licensed Hen-Pleasant Land, shoppers develop into conservationists, serving to shield America’s grasslands and the birds, wildlife, and folks that rely upon them. For extra data, go to www.audubon.org/ranching.
