With a Bird’s Eye View to Grasslands, Tucker Lutter Joins Audubon as Iowa Conservation Manager

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 position, 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 keen to work alongside farm and ranch producers in his residence state to strengthen grassland conservation and broaden 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 are going to proceed to listen to meadowlarks singing each spring and expertise the fun 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-after-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 broaden 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 position, he helped handle a herd of greater than 200 American bison and carried out 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 enhancing 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 Could 2026. Throughout graduate faculty, 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 fowl 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 customers searching for conservation-driven merchandise. Greater than 150 ranches nationwide have earned the certification, inserting greater than 4.5 million acres beneath bird-friendly administration. Merchandise from Audubon Licensed Hen-Pleasant Land can be found in additional than 2,000 retail areas.

Lutter lives in Hawarden along with his spouse and their 4 kids. Exterior of labor, he enjoys mountaineering along with his household, canoeing, backpacking, figuring out crops, 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 way of our bird-friendly land certification and science-based method, we empower land stewards to boost 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, customers turn into conservationists, serving to shield America’s grasslands and the birds, wildlife, and folks that rely on them. For extra info, go to www.audubon.org/ranching.