Latest news with #IowaNaturalHeritageFoundation
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Taking out wild trash: Volunteers pull invasive garlic mustard from wildlife area
Erica Place holds up a bundle of garlic mustard, an invasive species that volunteers helped remove on Earth Day. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) 'We found some!' Volunteers shouted from a wooded area on the Brenton Slough property between Grimes and Granger. They were hunting for garlic mustard, a fast-growing invasive species, as part of an Earth Day trash bash organized by Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. Erica Place, communications and outreach manager for the foundation, said instead of human-generated trash, the group was hunting for 'garbage plants.' The invasive species has been reported in almost all states and across Canada, but was originally introduced to North America as an herbal antiseptic and erosion controlling plant, according to The Nature Conservancy. Garlic mustard, sometimes called poor man's mustard or hedge garlic, emerges early in the spring, which allows it to outcompete other plant species. This leads to a loss of plant biodiversity and the destruction of forest ecosystems, not only from the plant's above-ground growth, but also from a toxin in its roots that can inhibit soil fungi. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Areas with garlic mustard invasion had not been identified at Brenton Slough, a more than 1,100-acre property purchased by INHF in partnership with Polk County Conservation, which meant volunteers were also on a scavenger hunt for the plants. 'You would be hard-pressed to enter any Iowa woodlands and not find garlic mustard,' Place said to volunteers before they hiked further into the slough to begin their hunt. Garlic mustard has round, somewhat crinkly leaves with lots of veins and, per its name, a pungent garlic aroma. In the first year of its life cycle, the plants are small 'rosettes' on the ground, but in the second year, they send up a tall stalk with white flowers and prolific seeds. The plant looks similar to common blue violets and stinging nettle, which volunteers found plenty of on their first pass through a forested area. It's edible Many foragers will pull garlic mustard and use it to make things like pesto, pastas, or stir fries. 'This is one of those things where you want to find some to feel accomplished, but it's a good thing not to find any,' Place said and led the group to a different area of the slough to keep looking. Most of the volunteers chose to participate because their workplaces incentivized volunteer hours, and they decided to cash in on an opportunity that brought them outdoors on a pleasant Tuesday afternoon. Kate Davies, a volunteer from Des Moines, has participated in several 'trash bash' events put on by the City of Des Moines, and said she enjoys being involved in conservation work. As a mother to two children, she said she wants to make sure the nature she enjoys will 'still be around' when her children are older. Joe Jayjack, the external affairs director for INHF, said volunteer events like this accomplish two main goals. Practically, it takes a big group of people to do the work of pulling and identifying invasive plants like garlic mustard or honeysuckle. He said the events also bring people out to the natural spaces around them. 'And it helps people care,' Jayjack said. 'I think the more that people learn about these things, the more they're likely to care about protecting special spaces like this.' Most of the volunteers were at Brenton Slough for the first time. Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is finishing raising a total of $8 million in order to transfer the land over to Polk County Conservation. INHF bought the property from the Brenton family with the intention of holding it until it could raise enough money to transfer the property to the county conservation group, who will maintain and open the reserve to the public. 'It's a really really interesting place,' Jayjack said. 'The slough is kind of a wetland ecosystem. It backwaters off of Beaver Creek and it's just amazing for water quality … and for wildlife habitat.' Jayjack said the plan is to keep the area pretty wild, with minimal infrastructure of a parking lot and some mown trails. Walking around the slough, volunteers found garlic mustard beginning to carpet the forest floor. They pulled what was possible, making sure to bring up the roots as well to fully kill the plant, and Place noted the areas with garlic mustard infestation. 'That'll be really helpful for Polk County Conservation to concentrate their efforts when they take control of the property,' Place said to volunteers. Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has volunteer events throughout the year, but several upcoming events will remove garlic mustard and other 'garbage plants' from wildlife areas near Pella and Waukon. Central Iowans can also participate in trash bash events, organized by the City of Des Moines, through the end of the week in areas around the metro. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources encourages Iowans to celebrate Arbor Day on Friday by planting trees or learning about the tree species around them. DNR has a registry of some of the biggest trees in the state and resources on identifying the most common trees in Iowa. Additionally, the department has residential tree distribution events in Greenfield, Iowa Falls and DeWitt, where Iowans can purchase landscape-sized trees at an extreme discount. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tree removal to help foster remnant prairie at Green Valley
Apr. 15—Patrons of Green Valley State Park have witnessed an alarming sight this year — dozens of trees removed or even burned. Though the image is drastic, park operators are working to restore the natural balance of the land. "The cedar tree, they are a native tree but highly invasive," Green Valley Park Ranger Jason Hyde said. "Underneath the canopy of those trees is going to be some really good prairie grass. Looking at a lot of aerial photos from the 30s, we think this place was pasture ground in the past, and it might even have some remnant prairie." By simple definition, remnant prairie is true native prairie. Unlike restored or reconstructed prairies, which have been reestablished or returned to prairie, prairie remnants are fragments of the original, pre-settlement prairie landscape. "Remnant prairie is extremely rare in Iowa," Hyde said. "We're trying to, number one, have the opportunity to have it. And if we've got it, we have to make sure it's protected and safe. That's what we are doing here." The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation estimates 80% of the state was once covered by prairie, the largest percentage in the nation. Today, less than 0.1% of Iowa's native prairie remains, mostly existing in small, untouched parcels. "Native prairie is overwhelmingly rare in Iowa," INHF President Joe McGovern said. "We must do everything we can to preserve this important part of our natural history that is so fundamental to our future." Remnant prairies are home to a minimum of 100 species of prairie plants, some with roots known to reach depths of 20 feet. High quality prairie remnants can contain more than 300 species of prairie plants. Reconstructed prairies, on the other hand, typically have 20—100 plant species. Remnants also provide critical habitat for a wide variety of threatened and endangered wildlife including large and small mammals, birds, pollinators, reptiles and insects. Other than cedar trees, the park has been continuing to remove dead ash trees. "Joe Berg has been mechanically removing those trees with a skid steer, and we've been piling them up," Hyde said. The Friends of Green Valley State Park at High Lakes Outdoor Alliance splits the wood from the ash trees, and it's sold at the campground as firewood. The money is then used for walleye and other park improvements. Meanwhile, the next phase is starting to help the native prairie flourish once again. The Iowa DNR Prairie Resource Center provides more that 65 species of Iowa-origin prairie grasses and wildflowers to public land managers across the state. "They're literally sending us thousands and thousands of seeds," Hyde said. "We'll be able to introduce seeds in areas that need some help. In other areas we'll let it respond by itself and see how it does." Though the view and the areas of shade are different now than they were in previous years, park management is dedicated to helping the park be a bountiful habitat for plants and wildlife. "You can't have change without a little chaos," Hyde said. "It looks pretty extreme right now, but give it a few months and it will be a whole different ball game."
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Iowa DNR cancels Prairie Chicken Day due to decline in population
A greater prairie chicken during its courtship at the Kellerton lek. (Photo by Lowell Washburn/DNR) Since the early 2000s, Iowans have gathered at the Kellerton Grasslands Bird Conservation Area at sunrise to watch the unique courtship dance of the prairie chicken, whose population in Iowa has been closely monitored for decades. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday that Prairie Chicken Day, typically held the first week in April, was canceled due to the bird's decline in population that has resulted in only sporadic sightings at the typically popular site. The greater prairie chicken was once Iowa's most prominent game bird, and according to DNR might be the first game in the state to have a bag limit. Hunting of the bird officially ended in 1915 due to concerns of its declining population. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The number of prairie chickens continued to dip as agriculture and other development diminished grasslands in the state, which the prairie chicken needs to nest and brood. According to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, less than 0.01% of Iowa's landscape that was historically prairie remains. Stephanie Shepherd, a wildlife diversity biologist with DNR, said the prairie chicken is 'very picky' about its habitat and needs 'huge' areas of grass with very few trees to thrive. 'We see a lot about how much of the loss of habitat has already happened, and it has, but we are still also losing grassland,' Shepherd said. In the 1950s, Iowa recorded the last nesting prairie chickens in the state and it wasn't until the 1980s and 1990s that attempts were made to reintroduce the bird. Shepherd said because the prairie chicken has such high standards for its prairie, it acts as an 'umbrella species' for other grassland critters. She said the conservation efforts in southern Iowa by DNR, The Nature Conservancy, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and other groups have created 'one of the most wonderful grassland landscapes' and home to other prairie birds like short-eared owls, upland sandpipers and harriers. 'It's sad that it's not necessarily looking like it's going to support a sustainable prairie chicken population, but it is supporting lots of other wildlife, and is still an incredible place to visit,' Shepherd said. Shepherd said the birds are 'incredibly unique' from a conservationist standpoint, but also for their courtship dance, and the associated noises. Male prairie chickens have orange air sacs on the sides of their necks which they will inflate and 'boom' during mating. The birds begin their courtship dance and booming at dawn in the communal areas called leks during the spring. The observation deck at the Kellerton site looked out at a lek, which made it perfect for the festival. Shepherd said this year, only two males have been observed at the lek, which bodes poorly for a prairie chicken day, but not necessarily for the birds themselves. 'That doesn't necessarily mean that the population has crashed and is gone,' Shepherd said. 'They do sometimes decide that they don't like one lek and move to another one for a couple years and shift around.' This is also why the department is expanding its search for the greater prairie chicken beyond the leks it already monitors. 'We've been doing surveys all along, and the numbers keep steadily going down, but the missing piece is: Are there leks that we just don't know about?' Shepherd said. The department estimates there are 40-70 prairie chickens in Iowa, primarily in Adair, Madison, Adams, Union, Clarke, Taylor, Ringgold, Decatur and Wayne counties, though the territory also stretches into northern Missouri. Iowans who have prairie chickens on their property, or find them in the state, are encouraged to report their findings through an online form to the department. The department is also deploying several automated recording units that can detect the prairie chickens' unique call, which could help identify additional leks. 'You can never say never with wildlife, it will always surprise you,' Shepherd said. 'So who knows there could be, like, 17 leks out there that we have no idea about.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Outdoor recreation in Iowa has an $8 billion annual economic output
Iowans gathered for Celebrate Iowa's Outdoors Day to champion outdoor recreation in Iowa. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Iowans gathered at the Iowa Capitol Thursday to celebrate the parks, trails and outdoor spaces across the state. The gathering was also intended to serve as a reminder to lawmakers that Iowans care about the outdoors and about preserving access to trails and public lands. Joe McGovern, president of Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, encouraged attendees to think of the creek, park trail or family farm that was special to them and to bring those feelings into the crowded rotunda. 'Today, we want to choose joy,' McGovern said. 'We want to celebrate Iowa's outdoors and for all the great things that it brings to us.' Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, said the outdoors gives Iowans a sense of commonality, which he said is 'sometimes sorely missing' at the State Capitol. 'Because we're Iowans, and we step out and look at the great sky above us, smell the air, feel the breeze, look at the trees, and that is where we feel at peace,' Baeth said. Baeth said the outdoors can't be taken for granted, and pointed at urban sprawl as a major contributor to Iowa's loss of prairie, wetland and forest habitats. 'If we don't do something and put our foot down, we're going to pave over this entire planet,' Baeth said. He encouraged attendees to remind legislators that the outdoors are a 'top priority' for Iowans. 'It's a top priority for our health, it's a top priority for our quality of life, it's a top priority for our economic development, and it's a top priority for investing in Iowa's future,' Baeth said. Adam Shirley, CEO of Iowa's County Conservation System, said outdoor recreation is Iowa's top source of tourism and accounts for $8 billion annually in economic output, according to a recent study. Shirley said state, county and city parks alone account for $3 billion of that, which is a big increase since the last time his organization did a study in 2012 and found parks had an economic output of less than $1 billion. 'Things have really amped up in Iowa,' Shirley said. Shirley said the study, which is not yet published, also found the trails, lakes and conservation sites create positive environmental impacts and health outcomes for Iowans. 'Our outdoor recreation and conservation efforts are not just about preserving Iowa's natural beauty, but are integral to its economic vitality and health,' Shirley said. Luke Hoffman, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, said cycling and trails in Iowa have an economic impact that is on par with that of the top 50 industries for the state. This comes from a study published in January that found biking and trails have a $1.4 billion impact in the state. The figure accounts for tourism, trail maintenance, jobs and Iowa's more than 80 brick and mortar bike shops. 'It's in our life blood, it's part of who we are, it's part of what makes us great as a state,' Hoffman said. Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, said at every town hall, or community event he has done in the 10 years as a lawmaker, someone brings up the need to fund the natural resources and outdoor recreation trust fund. The trust was established in 2010 via a constitutional amendment that had more than 60% approval at the ballot box, to fund parks, trails, water resources, conservation efforts and natural areas in the state. The trust, however, has not had any allocations or withdrawals to date. 'The people spoke overwhelmingly, and we need to get this done,' Kaufmann said. Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, said he tries to think of tax policy, as chair of the Ways and Means Committee, not just in terms of dollars and cents, but also to make a better state. 'If we're going to have a state that's going to grow … and keep people in here and have generational families continue to be here in Iowa, we have to find some of those place making opportunities as well,' Dawson said. The senator said he and his colleagues need to find a 'tax pathway' to do what Iowans have asked them to do. The state would have to raise its sales tax rate by three-eighths of a cent to fund the trust, but Iowa has not increased sales tax rates since 2008. Earlier this session, senators introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to repeal the natural resources trust fund and replace it with one that would provide property tax relief. Senate Joint Resolution 6 did not advance beyond its subcommittee hearing ahead of the legislative funnel deadline. Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, said Iowans consistently show up to make their voices heard when legislation threatens the trust fund, or the acquisition of public lands. 'You have the last word on all matters that happen in this building, and the power of your voice is significant,' Trone Garriott said. Senators advanced Senate File 553 to would restrict the Department of Natural Resources' ability to purchase land and grow the amount of public land in Iowa. Trone Garriott opposed the bill in committee, because she said constituents had flooded her inbox with messages on the importance of public lands. Trone Garriott said Iowa policy and budgets need to reflect the values and priorities of Iowans. 'We need to put our money where our hearts are,' Trone Garriott said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
