If you attend a Hawkeye football game this season and happen to notice a real live hawk flying around the stadium, just know, that it's no coincidence. You may have even noticed this last year during football games. A live hawk will be flying over the crowds at Kinnick Stadium for the second year in a row, according to KCRG.

As fitting as it is to have a hawk flying over a football game being played by a group of Hawkeyes, there is good reason for having the pseudo-mascot present during games. Dave Conrads is the Director of the UI WILD Department for the University of Iowa College of Education and he spoke to KCRG about Iowa's landscape and habitats.

Iowa is the most altered landscape in the nation and so our wild habitats are really threatened and endangered.

According to Hawkeye Sports, the Iowa Raptor Project's mission is to "connect students and community to the conservation of birds of prey and their natural habitats through research and education."

One of the coolest parts about the birds you will see at hawkeye games (and other athletic events) is that they are native to Iowa.

Just like the Hawkeye football players, these birds have been working hard to be prepared for the upcoming season. They've been training for about a month and a half and so far the flights have been going well. Dave Conrads spoke to KCRG about the practice sessions and how important these birds have been to the Iowa Raptor Project.

It’s pretty intense and especially when we’re flying birds it’s like they’re wild birds but they’re well trained, but you still always wonder you know is it going to fly well. We have so many people that come through the Iowa Raptor Project that have never been to our place before saying that we saw you either at Kinnick or in the winter time at Carver

If at any point during the Hawkeye football season you happen to see a red-tailed hawk flying around the stadium just remember it's flying for more than just entertainment. It's flying to remind all of us about the importance of maintaining Iowa's healthy landscapes and habits.

Behind the Scenes with the Iowa Hawkeyes-Iowa's Ladies Football Academy 2022

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be behind the scenes with the Iowa Hawkeyes? When you're part of the Ladies Football academy you get the full experience of what it's like to be on the field in Kinnick Stadium with Kirk Ferentz, coaches and the Iowa Hawkeye football players.
Take a look inside the locker rooms and other places regular people can't normally see.

Here's a bit of history.
The Ladies Football Academy has been a University of Iowa football tradition for over a decade. This year's event was the last; held on June 11, 2022. 665 women participated in the day-long event raising funds for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. Over $500,000 was raised this year alone.

Since the tradition began in 2010 (the academy was canceled two years during the pandemic) the program has raised nearly $3 million.

The ladies must raise at least $500 to participate in the football camp, but in exchange, they can meet the Iowa Hawkeye football players, coaches, and trainers, get autographs, tour the football facilities and run drills with the players. It's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime bucket list experience.

Let's take a look behind the scenes in this year's final Ladies Football Academy.

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