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

DES MOINES, Iowa (March 10, 2026)—The National Audubon Society has hired Tucker Lutter as Iowa Conservation Manager for Audubon Upper Mississippi River. In this role, Lutter will lead the rollout of the Audubon Conservation Ranching program in Iowa, partnering with farmers and ranchers to advance bird-friendly land management practices across the state.

A native of Bronson, Iowa, Lutter is eager to work alongside farm and ranch producers in his home state to strengthen grassland conservation and expand opportunities for working lands that benefit birds and people.

“I am proud to be working with cattle and bison producers in Iowa,” said Lutter. “Growing up in the state, I have witnessed the loss of prairie and the decline of grassland birds. Iowa is over 97% privately owned, and farmers and ranchers who implement conservation practices are our best hope to protect avian resources in the state. With the efforts of conservation-conscious producers, we will continue to hear meadowlarks singing every spring and experience the thrill of flushing a covey of Northern Bobwhite.”

“Audubon Conservation Ranching is a growing solution because it connects all of us—farmers and ranchers who steward these landscapes every day and the public who benefit from healthy grasslands. Tucker’s experience in land management and his deep Iowa roots make him the right person to help expand this work across the state,” said Sarah Hewitt, Senior Conservation Manager for Audubon Upper Mississippi River.

Before coming to Audubon, Lutter served as the Western Iowa Assistant Land Steward for The Nature Conservancy. In that role, he helped manage a herd of more than 200 American bison and implemented land stewardship practices—including prairie restoration and prescribed fire—on preserves in the Loess Hills and the Little Sioux River Valley. He also taught Anna Beal interns and supported a range of habitat management efforts aimed at improving ecological outcomes across western Iowa’s prairies and grasslands.

Lutter earned a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from Franciscan University of Steubenville and worked as an archaeologist before pursuing a Master of Natural Resource Management at North Dakota State University, which he will complete in May 2026. During graduate school, he collected data on breeding and migratory birds and conducted a social survey at sites participating in the Audubon Great Plains Urban Woods and Prairies Initiative along the Red River in Fargo and Moorhead.

Audubon Conservation Ranching works with cattle and livestock bison producers to implement science-based grazing practices that improve grassland bird habitat while sustaining farming and ranching operations. The program certifies participating ranches as Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land, while the certification seal adds visibility for a growing market of consumers seeking conservation-driven products. More than 150 ranches nationwide have earned the certification, placing more than 4.5 million acres under bird-friendly management. Products from Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land are available in more than 2,000 retail locations.

Lutter lives in Hawarden with his wife and their four children. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking with his family, canoeing, backpacking, identifying plants, and birding.

Funding for Audubon Conservation Ranching in Iowa is provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and a USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant.

For more information about Audubon Conservation Ranching in Iowa, please contact Tucker Lutter at Tucker.Lutter@audubon.org.

About Audubon Conservation Ranching

Audubon Conservation Ranching partners with ranchers to sustain healthy grasslands, abundant birdlife, and resilient rural communities. Through our bird-friendly land certification and science-based approach, we empower land stewards to enhance habitat, improve soil health and water quality, and strengthen the connection between conservation and ranching. By purchasing products from Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land, consumers become conservationists, helping protect America’s grasslands and the birds, wildlife, and people that depend on them. For more information, visit www.audubon.org/ranching.