Salamander survey May-June 2021 (message from Dawn Snyder)

 more...........

https://bewildrewild.org/scorecard new in 2020~ wildlife crossing monitoring program

Iowa Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Program: workshops in early spring (Bald Eagle, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Frog & Toad Calls, Bats)eBird: record bird observationsGreat Backyard Bird Count: record bird observations over a short period of time in mid-February, since 1998Audubon Christmas Bird Count: seasonal bird census running since 1900Project FeederWatch: seasonal winter bird observations from home, since mid-1970'sMonarch Butterflies: tagging and other researchSearch for your county and Monarch tagging on the internet, or use www.mycountyparks.com to find events in your desired area. iNaturalist: record observations of any species of life for contribution to large datasetsIowa Water Monitoring: statewide program discontinued, but local opportunities available Local Organizations & Others:CitizenScience.gov
Loess Hills Wild OnesLoess Hills Audubon SocietyNational Park ServiceEarthWatch InstituteChandra Clarke's citizen science blogInsects of Iowa (and other life too!)Earth Day Backyard Bio-Blitz  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U4555A_mdhc7cYt8QdxCPqCyZ0hBZxwx1BvGjyS1jNg/editInteresting book: Diary of a Citizen Scientist: Chasing Tiger Beetles and Other New Ways of Engaging the World by Sharman Apt Russell Google is also a great way to find opportunities. Search for citizen science, where you want to do it, and your subject of interest and you have a good chance of finding something!One last thing......If you see one of these, please let us know!(Read more details in the Prairie Preservation tab)

Prairie Moonwort

Report a Prairie Moonwort finding to:

James H Locklear, Director of Conservation, Lauritzen Gardens

100 Bancroft St, Omaha NE, 68108

402.356.4002 ext 207 or www.lauritzengardens.org 

Biking With Butterflies~ written by Sara Dykman

Conversation with the Author

Tuesday, April 27, 6:30 PM

12 BEST IOWA HIKES for 2021

January ~ Ledges Park  (photo credit: AllTrails/ Ryan Dresback)

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/iowa/hikes-for-2021-ia/

BeWildReWild Wildlife Crossing Monitoring Program

(Picture furnished by Kelly Madigan)

You can help!  https://bewildrewild.org/scorecard new in 2020~ wildlife crossing monitoring program

"Solvitur ambulando – It is solved by walking"

by Lance Brisbois~Golden Hills RC&D 

(Kelly at the Mondamin Unit of Loess Hills State Forest. Photo by Doug Chafa)

https://www.goldenhillsrcd.org/news/solvitur-ambulando-it-is-solved-by-walking?fbclid=IwAR1AWvKaUxtsxhCsWAvRCdXeKazj1W11JWV5lr5VPtPkPYAN6G_WVldbCVw

"Our Roots Become One"

Click here to see how by, adding native plants, a community garden in Sioux City has tranformed itself to become a destination spot for neigboring families as well as wildlife!

 Native Plants Support Life

Click here to see a slideshow of photos of native plants and the critters that use them.  If you'd like to add some of yours, send them to us at nwiasierragroup@gmail.com

Did you get a chance to browse through to page 14 (the EXPLORE section) of your November/December 2020 issue of Sierra Club Magazine? Enjoy reading "A Grand Plan B" Cheryl Graham.

 Go to: https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2020-6-november-december/explore/surprise-thrills-iowas-most-intense-trail-hitchcock-nature-center

November 2020: It's now time for the prairie to continue its work underground.

 Above photo by Dianne Blankenship

July 2020: While we're going through our everyday lives, the Loess Hills prairie gradually changes, and voila, full signs of summer appear!  

Want to learn more? https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/page/plants-by-name

Ready for Spring 2020? "Pasque flower" is one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring, often coming up while there is still snow on the ground. Look for it on south facing slopes in dry to average sandy soil, typically in scattered clumps. It does very well as a garden plant."

Want to learn more? https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/american-pasqueflower

We need your help to protect our precious Loess Hills and its prairies.

There are many ways you can help. Ask us how, or share your story or photo with us, at nwiasierragroup@gmail.com or call/text 712.986.6210.

Plant a little prairie in your yard.  Loess Hills Wild Ones' 2021 native plant sale will begin soon!  Visit their Facebook page for updates, and Zoom into the roll-out presentation at 2 p.m. on January 24 (registration link will be shared on Facebook and in their newsletter).
 

Carbon Sequestration: Forests vs. Grasslands

"On a global scale, grasslands store at least as much carbon as forests (Grace et al., 2006; Scharlemann et al., 2014; Fargione et al., 2018). Compared to forests, grasslands store more of their carbon – up to 98% (Hungate et al. 1998) – below ground, where it is secure from fire and other processes that release carbon. In drought and fire-prone regions grasslands are more secure carbon sinks than forests. This was confirmed by a recent study in California (Dass et al., 2018)."

We had a great time meeting families at Art Splash 2019. Thanks to all who stopped by to learn about the prairie!

A special thanks to Emily Dirks, on loan from Stone State Park. Her wood art crafts were a big hit! A big thanks also goes out to Monona County Conservation Board for sending the pelts, bones, antlers, and live animals up with Andrea Porter.

Last but not least, KWIT-KOJI: Siouxland Public Media was right next door, so we had to catch Mary and Sheila in a pose, as well. 

Heendah Hills Meteor Night Hike-August 13, 9:30 PM. 70 degrees and a light wind lent itself to a long and enjoyable visit. The nearly full moon stopped us from seeing any but one meteorite as it passed. That fact didn't seem to dampen our experience! We hiked around the lake where we paused to catch a glimpse of one shooting star while learning from Vianca lots of info about the meteor shower. As always, when we visit Heendah Hill at night, we were treated to the exciting sound of coyotes communicating! A first for our host, Vianca.

 (This Picture was taken by Vianca Milan, Stone Park summer employee, at around 10:30 PM... It came out pretty good, didn't it?) 

In late June, members from the Sioux City and the Akron area joined Orange City members to tour two privately owned prairies and one public wetland site near Orange City. The light rain and soggy conditions of the prairies didn't deter the intrepid explorers as we enjoyed our afternoon!

Also in late June, Northwest Iowa Group Outings Chair, Andrea Porter, led us on a tour of a more primitive portion of Lewis and Clark Lake near Onawa Iowa.

Loess Hills Prairie Seminar May 31-June 2

The Loess Hills Prairie Seminar's outdoor sessions at the Loess Hills Wildlife Management Area northeast of Onawa, offered on Saturday and on Sunday morning, allow participants to see many native plants in both prairie and woodland. Evening programs at West Monona High School in Onawa on Friday and Saturday feature speakers on a wide range of topics related to natural history. LHWO and other organizations will exhibit and share information at the high school. Visit the website for details, and find it on Facebook, too.

Grand Meadow
On May 4, we hosted an "Our Living Prairie" table during the Grand Meadow Heritage Center schoolhouse fundraiser. In our appreciation of the native prairie strip that was recently added along two sides of the perimeter of the heritage center, visitors to our table were encouraged to browse the posters and help themselves to a set of the seven unique posters depicting the insects, animals, and plants that have occupied this region since long before Europeans arrived in this area. The posters were donated by Iowa Living Roadways Trust Fund-Iowa DOT. We also spread the word about the upcoming 43rd Annual Loess Hills Prairie Seminar, offering posters and brochures to interested visitors. 

2018

Star Party

A Night Sky program will be held at Spirit Mound Historic Prairie Saturday, August 11, 2018 beginning at 9:00 p.m. Once the light fades, the event kicks off with a tour of the night sky, followed by star and planet viewing through several telescopes, and watching meteors from the Perseid meteor shower. The Perseids is one of the most popular meteor showers of the year with a potential rate between 100 to 200 meteors an hour. This program sponsored by the National Park Service along with volunteers. Meet in the parking lot at Spirit Mound, about 7 miles north of Vermillion on Highway 19. Dress for the weather and prepare for mosquitos. The program may be canceled due to overcast or other weather conditions. For further information call 665-0209. 

Spirit Mound Prairie is Beautiful

I would encourage everyone to take a drive out to and all the way around the Spirit Mound Prairie. In May a large strip on the west side of the Mound and all the way from east to west across on the north side of the prairie was burned. The burn did not go up on the actual Mound.

The growth of grasses and forbs is remarkable. There are bunches of Big Bluestem 7-8 feet tall along the gravel road on the west side of the mound. Huge Compass Plant, Cup Plant, Ox-Eye and other flowering plants are obvious. Quite spectacular.

Loess Hills Prairie Seminar-June 1-3

 Website: https://www.loesshillsprairieseminar.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mononacounty17/ 

The biannual Blood Run Bi-State Advisory Committee meeting was 1:30-4:30 p.m. on April 17, 2018. Interested members of the public  attended this meeting to learn more about the efforts being made by both Iowa and South Dakota at Blood Run National Historic Landmark. Please note that there will be no opportunity for public comment at the meeting; it is informational in nature only.  At the Good Earth State Park at Blood Run Visitor Center; 26924 480th Avenue; Sioux Falls, SD.

Your input on prairie preservation is important.

Please speak to your Iowa legislators and let them know you support funding for the Loess Hills Alliance to continue to provide vital funds for tourism, economic development, and stewardship! House members at 515.281.3221 and Senators at 515.282.3371, or find other contact information www.legis.iowa.gov.

Please remind your legislators of the following as you talk to them:
1. LHA funding is NOT SHOWING FAVORITISM!! We hear this a lot from legislators who say it is only in western Iowa - remind them that the Great River Road has received funding for years.
2. This is the only place in the world that preserves the Loess Hills this well!  China has not done as well as we have, and has spent decades and millions to try to restore what they've lost.
3. The Loess Hills Region is a tourism economic engine of $697+ million each year when you include the seven-county region according to the U.S. Travel Association for 2016. The money spent on marketing the Loess Hills is equal and therefore all seven counties receive an equal amount of targeted advertising. NONE of these counties could provide this funding for their individual marketing efforts.  Less money = less advertising = fewer tourists.  We can’t take credit for the entire impact, but the Loess Hills definitely has an impact on western Iowa, and that $697 million is due in a large part to the efforts of the Loess Hills Alliance and our committee.  The Return On Investment for their money has been HUGE.
4. Loess Hills businesses count on us to help with promotion. Many can’t afford all the marketing we do on behalf of the entire seven-county region.  The Loess Hills guidebook, truck wrap, Our Iowa ads, etc. all directly impact them too.

For information, contact: 

Renea Anderson, Executive Director
Harrison County Development Corporation
109 N. 4th Ave. Suite 2
Logan, Iowa 51546
Phone: (712) 644-3081
hcdc@iowatelecom.net 

 November 2017

Thursday, November 9, 12-1 PM: Fund the Trust Lunch-Please join area supporters and local leaders to talk about funding the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreational Trust Fund. The event will be held at the Family Table Restaurant in LeMars Iowa, 511 Hawkeye Avenue. It is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP: Grant Young (call or text) at 515-402-6715. 

Sunday, November 12, 2 PM: Loess Hills Wild Ones will view a presentation of Doug Tallamy speaking on “Creating Healthy, Biodiverse Neighborhood Corridors.”

 at the Sioux City Public Library.

This talk was recorded at the 2014 Wild Ones national meeting and is excerpted from a DVD entitled "The Vital New Role of the Suburban/Urban Garden." The first half of the video, highlighting the value of having native plants in our yards, was shared at the May 2017 Loess Hills Wild Ones program.

Doug Tallamy is currently professor and chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has taught behavioral ecology among other subjects. His research goal is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how these interactions determine the diversity of animal communities.

Tallamy won the Silver Medal from the Garden Writer's Association for his book Bringing Nature Home. He also authored The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity with Rick Darke.

“Our natural areas are too small and isolated to sustain the plants and animals that run our ecosystems. By using native plants in our neighborhood and corporate landscapes we can restore vital ecosystem functions where we live and work. We can all play a role in stitching the natural world together again, creating networks for life.” – Doug Tallamy

October 2017

Friday, October 27: Northwest Iowa Group Sierra Club and friends toured Good Earth/Blood Run park led by Jim Henning. Five members of The South Dakota Canoe and Kayak Association also joined us.

Friday, October 27 Evening: Upon returning from the park, Bill and Dotty Zales hosted a Halloween party at their Loess Hills prairie. There was an outdoor scavenger hunt, a trivia game, a moonlit night-fright hike, sing-alongs, and we dined on Halloween themed potluck items, but the windy conditions squelched our plans to gather at the fire circle. Entrance to the party was through the window. Most arrivals were captured on video! 

Iowa Prairie Heritage week was September 10-16, 2017

Find events in your area by visiting the calendar at http://www.iowaprairienetwork.org/ 

September 8, 6-7:30 p.m.: Search for migrating monarchs and help tag them on their journey to Mexico. Wear sturdy walking shoes and meet at the Talbot Road entrance to Sioux City Prairie, about a half mile north of the Military Road and Talbot Road intersection in Sioux City. Sponsored by The Nature Conservancy and Woodbury County Conservation Board.

 

September 10, 2 p.m.: In honor of Iowa Prairie Heritage Week, we joined other prairie and wildflower enthusiasts at the Sioux City Prairie to see late-summer wildflowers and late-season prairie grasses. Contact Dianne Blankenship for more information: dianne.blankenship@gmail.com. Sponsored by the Iowa Native Plant Society (iowanativeplants.org), Loess Hills Wild Ones (facebook.com/LoessHillsWildOnes), and Iowa Prairie Network Region 1 (iowaprairienetwork.org). The following is a list of plants which are found in the area of our hike. The currently blooming plants are in bold print. were in bloom: Grasses: Big Bluestem, Indian Grass, June Grass, Little bluestem, Plains muhly, Rough dropseed, Side-oats gramma, Switchgrass... Wildflowers: Compass plant, Cutleaf ironplant, Dotted blazing star, False boneset, Goldenronds (stiff, Canada...), Heath aster, Aromatic aster, Hoary vervain, Long bearded coneflower, Milkweeds (common, whorled,green), Purple Prairie coneflower, Ragweeds (xommon, western, giant), Rough blazing star, Rough false foxglove, Silky aster, Skeleton plant, Snow-on-the-mountain, Sunflowers (common,prairie,false (ox-eye)), Thimbleweed, Thistle (native wavy-leaf), White prairie clover, White sage, Shrubs: Lead plant, Rough-leafed dogwood, smooth sumac, Prairie rose, Buckbrush.

 

September 11, 6:45-8 p.m.: Celebrate Iowa Prairie Heritage Week with “A Little Reading on the Prairie.” Bring your favorite passage of prairie literature or a piece of original writing with a prairie focus. Sponsored by the Center for Prairie Studies at Briar Cliff University. Meet at the northwest corner of the Sioux City Prairie. Inclement weather alternative will be the Assisi Room in the Saint Francis Center on the BCU campus. The following pictures were taken by Jeff Gard, Director of BCU's Writing Center:

 

:

 

 

September 16, 10:30 a.m.: First Day (of autumn) Hike at Stone State Park. Meet at the east parking lot.

 

September 23: Sunset and Dinner on the Bluff at Five Ridge Prairie. Celebrate Loess Hills Prairie and Heritage Week with a short (but steep!) hike to one of the most scenic overlooks in Plymouth County. Join conservation staff at the hike in cabin at Five Ridge Prairie for a short program about the Loess Hills followed by a picnic style dinner, and then enjoy a front row seat for a breathtaking sunset. Please call to make a reservation: 712-947-4270. $15/person. Meet at the Five Ridge Prairie Parking Lot (west) off of Hwy 12, just north of 26779 Hwy 12. vdevos@co.plymouth.ia.us

 

September 23, 6-10 p.m. Nature Calls combines beer and wine tasting, a nature art market, and a charity auction to help raise funds for the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center. Sioux City Convention Center. $30 in advance or $35 at the door.

 

September 25, 7 p.m.: “Lessons from China's Loess Plateau” presented by filmmaker, environmentalist, and educator John Liu, hosted by the Center for Prairie Studies at the Saint Francis Center at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, IA. For more information, find Center for Prairie Studies on Facebook.

 

September 26, 5:30-7 p.m.: “4th Tuesdays”- Join Northwest Iowa Group Sierra Club for a guided visit at Broken Kettle Grasslands Preserve. The Nature Conservancy's Assistant Western Iowa Land Steward, Dan Smith, and Loess Hills Project Director, Graham McGaffin, will lead the mobile tour, and may incorporate a few short hikes to view bison and other featured areas. Meet at Broken Kettle Grassland's TNC office, 24764 Highway 12, at 5:30 p.m. Dress for the weather and possible short hikes. 

 

September 28, 2-7 p.m.: Bill and Dotty Zales host their annual Seed 'n Feed at Prairie Hills (15384 North Ridge Road, Westfield, IA). Rain date is the next day. Seed collecting begins at 2 p.m.; a light dinner for the seed harvesters is offered at 5:30 p.m. Bring clippers, garden gloves, and drinking water. RSVP to 712.540.0952. Please call to confirm if in doubt about whether the rain date will be needed. 

 

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Past Events - 2017

New signs of spring (2017) note:  Our prairie is waking from its rest and many of us are looking for ways to shake off winter. We would like your help with ideas for conservation of our precious Loess Hills. There are many ways in which you can help. Please share a personal story or a favorite picture so we can add it to this website. Email: nwiasierragroup@gmail.com or  call Jim: 712-389-0841

June 2 evening-June 4 noon: Loess Hills Prairie Seminar: https://www.loesshillsprairieseminar.com/ 

Saturday, June 10: Show and Go road trip to Spirit Mound, SD. Sioux City residents will leave at 10 AM. Please call 712-389-0841 for meeting place and more details.   

Sunday, June 18, 5:30 PM: Join Northwest Iowa Sierra Club members and friends for a short evening hike on the Sioux City Prairie led by Dianne Blankenship. Meet at the Talbot Road entrance. Hike time may change. Call 712-587-1562 for details.

Friday, June 23, 2 PM: Show and go roadtrip to explore the blooms at Bill and Dotty Zales' prairie. Directions, carpooling and more info: 712-389-0841

Saturday, June 24, 10:30 AM:  First Day Hike, Stone State Park, Sioux City, IA. Meet in the east parking lot near the corner of Talbot Rd and Memorial Drive. Celebrate the beginning of summer with the Friends of Stone Park.

Tuesday, June 27, 6:30-7:30 PM: Hike Riverside Bluffs. Join the Woodbury County Conservation Foundation board members on this hike through this native prairie. Meet at the last parking lot on top of the hill in kirk Hansen Park along West 19th Street in Sioux City, Iowa. 712-258-0838 

April 30, 1-3 PM Kick off Iowa Wildflower Month (May) one day early. Wildflower enthusiast Rich Pope will lead this walk to find early prairie bloomers. Wear sturdy walking shoes and dress for the weather. Meet at the Sioux City Prairie east entrance adjacent to Briar Cliff University's western-most student parking lot on top of the hill. Sponsored by the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center. For more information, call 712-258-0838.

April 10, 7 PM: A Sugar Creek Chronicle: Communicating Climate Change, Composing Hope. Connie Mutel will discuss effective communication about science and environment and deliver a ‘hope message’ regarding opportunities for climate action in addition to talking about her new book. The public is invited Location: Weikert Auditorium in the Buhler-Rolfs building on Morningside College campus, Sioux City, IA. Call Dianne Blankenship for more details: 712-253-5805. 

April 11, 7 PM: A visit with Connie Mutel -the importance of native plants and natural areas. Connie Mutel, author or editor of several books, including ones about Iowa's natural history, the Loess Hills, Iowa's floods, and restoration of tallgrass prairie, will share her extensive knowledge of ecology. Her most recent book is A Sugar Creek Chronicle: Observing Climate Change from a Midwestern Woodland. This visit is sponsored by Loess Hills Wild Ones, a new organization in Sioux City that encourages landowners to plant native wildflowers and other native plants in their yards. Location: First Unitarian Church, 2508 Jackson St, Sioux City, IA. The public is welcome to attend this informal program which will provide a unique opportunity to visit with Connie. Loess Hills Wild Ones native plant orders are also due at this meeting. For more information about the program or about the plant orders, contact Dianne Blankenship: bennaid@hotmail.com

April 12, 7 PM: A sugar Creek Chronicle reading by Connie Mutel. Location: the Meis Auditorium at Briar Cliff University, 3303 Rebecca St, Sioux City, IA. Hosted by Briar Cliff University's Prairie Studies and Modern Languages departments, along with Loess Hills Audubon. The public is invited.

February 19, 2 PM:  Loess Hills Wild Ones will screen “Urban and Suburban Meadows” created by award-winning documentary filmmaker Catherine Zimmerman at the Sioux City Public Library's Gleeson Room at 2 p.m. on February 19, 2017.  The public is invited; there is no charge to attend. 

January 22, 2 PM: Butterfly Gardening with Rod Tondreau. Learn more about attracting butterflies and other pollinators to your yard. The public is invited to this program at the Wilbur Aalfs Library Gleeson Room at 2pm on January 22, 2017. Hosted by Loess Hills Wild Ones, an organization that helps to educate about landscaping with native wildflowers. For more information, contact Dianne Blankenship at bennaid@hotmail.com . 

January 22, 4:15-5:15 PM: Loess Hills Preservation/Protection meeting: We have a lot of catching up to do.  Please join us for our first meeting of  2017. We'll meet from 4-5 PM on Sunday, January 15, at Keller Williams in the Ho-Chunk Center in Sioux  City, IA.  You'll park on the NW side. The office is right at those doors. Kathie Pfaffle will have it unlocked for us! For more information, call Jim Redmond.

From: Iowa Prairie Network
Re: Iowa Prairie Heritage Week events, 2016

The Iowa Prairie Network is a grass-roots, volunteer organization that is dedicated to the preservation of Iowa’s prairie heritage. Each year IPN promotes education about our prairies by coordinating Iowa Prairie Heritage Week. The official 2016 week is celebrated from September 11th through the 17th, however additional events are also noted. Activities are sponsored by many different organizations.

In western Iowa, which includes both IPN Regions and 1 and 4, these events will be held:

Sept. 11 - 1-4pm - Elk Talks and Monarch Tagging during the Open House and 50th anniversary celebration at Hillview Recreation Area - sponsored by the Plymouth County Conservation Board - 712-947-4270

Sept. 13 - 6-7pm - Monarch Tagging at Sioux City Prairie (Talbot Road entrance) - learn about the importance of prairie to these butterflies - sponsored by the Woodbury County Conservation Board - 712-258-0838

Sept. 15 - 6:45-8pm - The 5th Annual “A Little Reading on the Prairie” at Sioux City Prairie (Briar Cliff entrance) - a shared readings event - sponsored by the Center for Prairie Studies at Briar Cliff University -712-279-5495

Sept. 20 - 6-8pm - Hitch Hike at Hitchcock Nature Center near Honey Creek - a vigorous hike to a scenic Missouri River Valley overlook sponsored by Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation - 712-242-1197

Sept 22 - 1-7pm - Seed ‘n Feed at Prairie Hills in Plymouth County - collect seed during the afternoon and then get treated to a light dinner - sponsored by IPN Region 1 - 712-540-0952

Sept. 24 - 9am - 12pm - Turin Prairie Dedication - birding, hiking, seed collection - sponsored by INHF and Iowa DNR - RSVP 515-288-1846, ext. 11

Oct. 1 - 3-4pm - “Arts in the Prairie” at Dordt College prairie in Sioux Center - kid-friendly activities, too - 712-722-6220

For more details visit the calendar at http://www.iowaprairienetwork.org/ or call the numbers provided.

If you were looking for a Northwest Iowa Group Sierra Club member anytime between June 3 and June 5, you would have to travel to the 40th Annual Loess Hills Prairie Seminar! 

Here are four scenes that capture a fraction of the spirit which was the LHPS! We also posted more pics and video clips from this event.  Click here for quick access to view them on our Facebook site: "Like" Us on Facebook.

Accepting even a small role during a prescribed burn can be very rewarding. Leesa and Jon invited friends, family members and the Akron fire department to their Loess Hills property yesterday. To find out more about the "hows and whys", go to: http://www.iowaprairienetwork.org/

April 29 and April 30 in Schleswig, IA.We had a table during the Izaak Walton League Convention. This year's convention featured the Loess Hills. We met many new friends from other conservation groups. Rich Pope was keynote speaker.

 

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources held a public meeting and open house in Rock Rapids on Thursday, March 10, to provide information and discuss the cultural landscape master plan for Blood Run State Park. Eileen, Caroline and Jim attended. They had a chance to get an catch up with Jim Henning, former Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center Naturalist, now park ranger of Good Earth State Park. 

The Blood Run National Historic Landmark is located in Lyon County and encompasses a culturally significant landscape, providing links to the people and traditions associated with the past use of the site. This area between the Big Sioux River and Blood Run Creek was home to people practicing the Oneota tradition between 1300 and 1720 A.D. The area will eventually be a first-of-its-kind state park shared between South Dakota and Iowa.

First day of winter note: Although our prairie is at rest and many of us are staying indoors, we would like your help with ideas for conservation of our precious Loess Hills. There are many ways in which you can help. Please share a personal story or a favorite picture so we can add it to this website.

Email: nwiasierragroup@gmail.com or  call Jim 

September was a very busy month for prairie lovers.  Along with creating our own fun (see events and meetings), we participated in several of the Iowa Prairie Heritage events listed here:

• September 19: Joined Andrea Porter, Nature Conservancy  and others in clearing black locust brush from Sioux City Prairie  #1

• September 18: "Seed and Feed" at Bill and Dottie Zale's prairie near Westfield Iowa  # 2, 3, 4 & 5

• September 17: Monarch tagging at Sioux City Prairie 
• September 15: Shared stories and enjoyed the sunset on Sioux City Priaire during "A Little Reading on the Prairie" 

OBrien Prairie and Pioneer Cemetery walks 

Join us on Saturday, August 29  at 10:30 AM for a visit to O'Brien Prairie. As we walk around this little gem, we'll be treated to the sights and sounds of an untouched remnant of native prairie. Dianne Blankenship will help us identify the grasses and forbs abundant within. Next will visit the nearby Pioneer Cemetery where we may also spot some native prairie plants. Call 712-389-0841 for more info or email nwiasierragroup@gmail.com

Landowner Burn Association

A Landowner Burn Association meeting, hosted by Scott Moats, The Nature Conservancy,  is scheduled at Hitchcock Nature Center on July 29, 2015.  This meeting is similar to the meeting held at Stone State Park on June 30 (click to see the notes) and is meant to help brainstorm barriers and potential solutions to address prescribed fire on private lands throughout the Loess Hills.   

Bison Days at Broken Kettle Grasslands Preserve

There are currently over 140 bison including 40 plus born in Spring of this year. This fun event is in its fifth year and offers a chance for children of all ages to see the native bison in their natural setting. 

We also posted three video clips from this event.  Click here for quick access to view them on our Facebook site: "Like" Us on Facebook

Loess Hills Prairie Seminar 2015

Jerome Kills Small told children's stories as Strong Women of the Four Directions and their family members, along with another parent and child, listened intently. This was taken Friday evening during the Loess Hills Prairie Seminar.

What is so interesting to these shutter-bugs? Check out the owl (and Tyler from S.O.A.R.S., of course)! The Loess Hills Prairie Seminar ends every year around noon on Sunday with a raptor program. This year highlighted the release of a beautiful hawk.

Thanks to Amy for providing some much needed bedding to a couple NW IA Sierra Group campers while we attended the Loess Hills Prairie Seminar last weekend. We asked her to share her story:

"I'm from Shellsburg, a small town in east central Iowa. I grew up on a small farm raising beef cattle and in high school I got dairy goats for 4-H and FFA projects. I went to Central College in Pella, and majored in Communication Studies because I'm a "people person" and Environmental Science, because I like science (probably because of my farm background, since farming is basically like ecology) but I didn't want to work in a lab or hospital. I was blessed to have some really wonderful professors, and became more interested in conservation, and learn more about Iowa's natural history. I had heard about INHF from a good friend who did the internship a few years ago and it sounded awesome, so that's what I'm doing this summer. That's what brought me to the Loess Hills Prairie Seminar, for work last week we cleared cedars in a couple places in the hills and then attended the conference. I really enjoyed it! It was fun getting to meet so many conservation-minded people and spend time in such a scenic and ecologically rich location! And I loved learning from all the speakers and session leaders! After this summer I'm hoping to find a job in the sustainable agriculture field, I'm not sure what exactly that would be, but I love working with people and I hope to combine my two passions, ag and conservation, which many people think can't go together, but I'm pretty sure they can! "