DES MOINES - As the Iowa State Fair approaches, Keepers of the Land volunteers prepare to turn garbage into artwork - one of many natural resources volunteer projects planned for the coming months.

During both weekends of the Aug. 11 - 21 Iowa State Fair, volunteers and other fairgoers will construct a sculpture using metal salvaged from Iowa waterways. This June, volunteers retrieved nearly three tons of scrap metal from the Little Sioux River during Project AWARE (A Watershed Awareness River Expedition).

The weeklong river cleanup invited volunteers to canoe and camp along the river, removing garbage and learning about water quality. Ogden artist David Williamson will guide returning Project AWARE volunteers, and anyone else willing to help, as they melt, hammer and mold the collected aluminum, iron and steel outside the DNR building on the fairgrounds.

This artistic effort, known as Riverse, and will also include a collaborative written project. Last year's program produced a 10-foot tall sculpture of a canoe paddle and a poem called "Clear." The sculpture will be on display at the fair this year. It is housed in the lobby of the Wallace State Office Building.

Prospective volunteers can visit www.iowaprojectaware.com for more information about the cleanup and its companion artistic effort. Visit www.keepersoftheland.org for information about other natural resources volunteer efforts, including a new online calendar of volunteer events. Fairgoers can also visit the Keepers of the Land display in the DNR fair building.

Upcoming projects include cleanup events at Carter Lake (Sept. 17) and the Upper Iowa River (Sept. 24). Volunteers will also continue to build the Riverse sculpture at the Clay County Fair, Sept. 10 -18.

Keepers of the Land is the volunteer program within the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

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