Katelyn Weisbrod | June 1, 2018

How much do you know about Iowa’s legacy of conservation?

Several leaders in conservation have Iowa roots, including Jay N. “Ding” Darling, the illustrator behind the first duck stamp and a Pulitzer-Prize-winning cartoonist for the Des Moines Register, focusing his cartoons on protecting wildlife and natural resources.

Drake University currently has an exhibit featuring some of Darling’s works at Cowles Library from now until June 30. The exhibit aims to show how his cartoons helped to create policy in the United States surrounding conservation.

Neil Hamilton, director of Drake’s Agricultural Law Center, said in a video that the issues of conservation and preservation Darling was bringing light to 60 years ago are still relevant today.

Learn more about Darling and his exhibit here: