It’s time for the Hawkeye State to shine as Good Morning America brings its “50 States at 50: America the Beautiful” series to eastern Iowa.
As part of GMA’s show on Friday, January 30, ABC Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce will provide live coverage from the University of Iowa Raptor Project (IRP) in Solon.
Here’s what you need to know:
“50 States in 50 Weeks: America the Beautiful” is a year-long series from GMA and ABC commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Each week a reporter showcases a state’s “unique culture.”
What is GMA’s “50 Weeks, 50 States: America the Beautiful” series?
“50 States in 50 Weeks: America the Beautiful” is a year-long series from GMA and ABC commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The series kicks off with Delaware, the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Iowa was the 29th state to join the Union and the 29th state to join the Union. The year-long series will conclude on Friday, July 3 in Hawaii.
More: What is the first state? When each of the 50 states ratified the Constitution
The series also coincides with GMA’s 50th anniversary, which is celebrated on November 4, 2025.
“This series gives us an opportunity to explore the country and share stories that reflect the core of each state,” Simone Swink, senior executive producer of “Good Morning America,” said in a press release.
An unnamed ABC producer with ties to Iowa prompted GMA to visit the Birds of Prey project.
“One of our producers from Iowa knew that the state had strong bird conservation programs, and ‘Birds of Prey’ stood out as a unique story that was different from what we were highlighting in other states,” said ABC publicist Kyndall Sears.
What is the Iowa Raptor Project?
The Iowa Raptor Project is based within the McBride Natural Recreation Area and serves as a raptor rehabilitation and education program that “connects students and residents to the conservation of raptors and their natural habitats.”
“We are very surprised and honored to recognize that there are many others in Iowa who are doing great work not only with raptors but with other wildlife and are equally committed to protecting our natural resources,” David Conrads, director of the Iowa Raptor Program, told “Good Morning America.”
Project Raptor, Through the UI Wild program (wildlife mentoring and leadership development) in the UI College of Education, Offers guided and self-guided tours of the Bird of Prey Center, home to 13 species of non-releasable birds of prey, including eagles, buzzards, owls, falcons and vultures. The Raptor Project conducts educational experiences and collaborative research projects in eastern Iowa, as well as off-site programs across the state.
More: Iowa City earns high marks as ‘bird-friendly community’
A peregrine falcon stands near a heat lamp Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008, at the McBride Raptor Project at McBride Nature Recreation Area in Johnson County.
The Iowa Raptor Project was started in 1985 by Burke Miller Thayer, a graduate student in the University of Iowa College of Recreation Services.
“We are extremely pleased for all of the 30-plus volunteers who help care for our birds and assist in the field, as well as for our UI WILD department, the College of Education and the entire University of Iowa community,” Conrads. “We are blessed to be able to represent the state of Iowa.”
Signage at McBride Nature Recreation Area was photographed Monday, March 3, 2025, near Solon, Iowa.
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UI will not renew lease with Macbride Nature Area
In July 2025, the University of Iowa announced that its lease with the McBride Natural Recreation Area would not be renewed after 2029 due to “financial and operational sustainability issues.” The Iowa Raptor program will continue to operate beyond 2029 but must find a new home.
The UI and College of Education said they are “committed to continuing important education and outreach programs.” UI WILD Director Karen Allen said they hope to continue “actively working to find new locations for these programs so that Iowa’s K-12 students and communities can continue to benefit.”
Other UI programs at the McBride Nature Recreation Area include the Wildlife School and the Iowa Wildlife Campus.
ABC News chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce.
Did Mary Bruce have an Iowa connection?
No, Bruce has no ties to Iowa State.
More: University of Iowa earns national honors for community involvement
The Washington, D.C., native has made multiple reporting trips to Iowa, including during the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. In 2020, Bruce served as chief campaign reporter for ABC News, covering the Biden campaign from the primaries to the main campaign events, including the debates and the Democratic National Convention.
Several ABC reporters have returned to their hometowns for the series, including GMA co-hosts Michael Strahan and Ginger Zee, who cover Texas and Michigan, respectively.
A segment on the Okoboji University Winter Games will also air as part of Iowa’s “50 States in 50 Weeks: America the Beautiful” feature on Good Morning America. The festival’s 46th performance takes place on Thursday, January 22-25, 2026.
Okoboji University Winter Games will also be featured on GMA
The GMA Iowa feature will also focus on the Okoboji University Winter Sports.
The Okoboji University Winter Games celebrated its 46th anniversary from January 22nd to January 22nd. 25. Held near summer hotspot Lake Okoboji, this winter tradition features human foosball, curling, motorcycle races, a 5K race and plenty of indoor and outdoor live entertainment.
More: We look back at the iconic trips that helped define our country. Explore the United States.
Sears said GMA producers believe the Winter Games “showcase Iowa’s spirit of making the most of freezing temperatures.”
Mary Wagner, a senior at the University of Iowa and an intern with the McBride Raptor Project, releases a rehabilitated barred owl in front of McBride Hall on the University of Illinois campus on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. The owl was injured after flying into the window of the John Papajohn commercial building.
Can residents attend the Iowa Raptor Project livestream?
Can’t. Filming for Good Morning America’s Iowa Raptor Project radio show is closed to the public. Guests can learn about the Iowa Raptor Project by taking a tour or attending one of IRP’s events when the Iowa Raptor Project is open.
Jessica Rish is the entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be contacted via: JRish@press-citizen.com or on X (formerly Twitter), @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared in The Iowa City News-Citizen: GMA Live in Iowa on Friday, focusing on Iowa Raptors program
