Experience a guided tour of the Main Library Gallery's fall 2026 exhibition, It's Been Wonderful Knowing You: Wildlife Conservation and Advocacy Through the Lens of Jay N. "Ding" Darling. 

A Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist for The Des Moines Register, Jay N. "Ding" Darling (1876-1962) was also one of the nation's most influential figures in the American conservation movement. Appointed director of the United States Bureau of Biological Survey (later part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Darling made historic attempts to answer the growing concerns of industrialism's impact on the environment. 

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of his birth, his exhibition explores the transformation of Iowa's environmental landscape during Darling's life and his contributions to environmental and wildlife conversation advocacy nationwide. It also showcases how his legacy lives on today both locally and across the country, and how other Iowans have played key roles in our state's conservation efforts.

Curated by librarians Lindsay Moen and Collin Vandewalle, It's Been Wonderful Knowing You highlights the Jay N. "Ding" Darling Papers from Special Collections and Archives, specimens from the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History, and more from across the Libraries. 

Following the tour, there will also be time to enjoy the exhibit on your own and stop by the Main Library's Learning Commons, which includes Food for Thought Cafe, 18 private group rooms, and six open group areas, all with writing surfaces and monitors that encourage collaborative work. 

Date: Sept. 15
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Host(s): Sara Pinkham and Anne Bassett
Location: Main Library – 125 W. Washington St.
Notes: Meet inside the north entrance of the Main Library, which faces the English-Philosophy Building. Public parking is available at the Stanley Museum of Art and the Capitol Street Ramp. The Main Library is also a stop for several Cambus routes.