Eastern Iowa
Prairie Rescue Locations

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Raymond Outcrop Prairie
Saturday, April 12, 2003
Begins at 1:30 p.m.
Black Hawk County

Location: Located east of Waterloo. Take Raymond exit from new US Hwy 20 then go 1 mile north to old US20 (Dubuque Road), then 1 mile east.

Site Information: This prairie is located on limestone in the right-of-way between Old U.S. 20 (Dubuque Road) and the raildroad. Last psring, brush and trees were cleared and the prairie was burned. In the fall, volunteers collected seed from the remant. Volunteers burning the site and then replanting that seed in the ashes on April 12. The Cedar Prairie Sierra club is coordinating this activity, as restoring this prairie is a long-term project for the group. But this event is open to the public

Volunteer Information: Volunteers who plan to be near the fire should wear natural-fiber clothing (nothing highly flamable like rayon) and gloves. If possible, bring rakes to help rake the seed into the ashes.

Contact: Daryl Smith at 319-266-5424 or Bruce Stiles, Cedar Prairie Sierra president, at 319-235-9907.
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Clear Creek Fish and Wildlife Management Area
Saturday, April 26, 2003
Begins at 9 a.m.
Northwest Allamakee County

Location: From Dorchester drive east on County Road A16 to State Highway 76. Turn left (north) onto State Highway 76 and travel about 2 miles to County Road X6A. Turn right (east) and follow this gravel road (it becomes Church Road) about 3 miles to a small blue address sign (Number 2629) on the left (north) side of the road. Turn left onto a farm lane and follow it back (east and north, crossing a small bridge) until you dead end at a parking lot (the lot is not big-some of you may want to meet in Dorchester or Waukon and car pool to this site). This site is in Union Township T100N R5W Section 27 NW4.

Site Information: Clear Creek Fish and Wildlife Management Area is owned and managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The tract we will work on was purchased as an addition to the existing WMA by the DNR's Fisheries Bureau in early 2002. It is a diverse site with a trout stream, deciduous forest, a complex of fens and seeps, and hill prairies. We will be hand-cutting red cedars and other woody invaders on a hill prairie above Clear Creek, a trout stream.

Volunteer Information: Volunteers will meet in the parking lot and then walk to the prairie. They should bring handsaws, loppers and gloves to cut trees and shrubs. Volunteers should bring a lunch, something to drink and sunscreen. They should arrive dressed for the weather.

Contact: Mark J. Leoschke, Iowa DNR, (515) 281-5951; mark.leoschke@dnr.state.ia.us A local map can be provided on request.
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Volga River State Recreation Area
Saturday, April 26, 2003
Central Fayette County

Location: The area lies just east of State Highway 150 and about five miles south of U.S. Highway 18. The Volga River Recreation Area is in Fayette County. Cedar Rapids is 70 miles south, Dubuque is 55 miles southeast, and Waterloo is 40 miles southwest of the area.

Site Information: Cutting cedar trees and brush out of the prairie area

Volunteer Information: Volunteers will be meeting in the Recreation area's parking lot. Bring handsaws, loppers, and gloves to cut trees and shrubs. Sunscreen is recommended. Come dressed for the weather.

Contact: Tom Halverson, Iowa DNR Park Manager, (563) 425-4161; Tom.Halverson@dnr.state.ia.us.
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Mines of Spain State Park
Saturday, April 26, 2003
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
East Dubuque County

Location: Take Hwy 52 south 2 miles from Hwy 151/61. Turn left on Olde Massey Road and go 1 mile. Turn left on Mines of Spain Road and go approximately 2 miles to the first asphalt parking lot on the left. The prairie is to the east in front of the parking lot (steep hillside)

Site Information: Horseshoe Bluff is a 15-acre site of hilltop and savanna prairie that is being threatened with tree growth.

Volunteer Information: Volunteers will be meeting on the hill. Bring handsaws, loppers, and gloves to cut trees and shrubs. Sunscreen is recommended. Come dressed for the weather.

Contact: Wayne Buccholtz, Iowa DNR Park Supervisor, (563) 556-0620; more info on web site at www.minesofspain.org; Wayne.Buchholtz@dnr.state.ia.us
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Eddyville Dunes
Saturday, April 26, 2003
Northwest Wapello County

Location: To get to the site, take Hwy 63 into Eddyville turn East at the elementary school (G-77). Go up the hill and take the first road to the left. The entrance is just north of the cemetery fence.

Site Information: Brush-cutting

Volunteer Information: Participants should wear work clothes, bring work gloves and a sack lunch. Tools such as bow saws, loppers, etc. are welcome. Time: 9:30am to 3:00pm.

Contact: Mahaska County Conservation Center, (641) 673-9327
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Breen Prairie Farm
Saturday, April 26, 2003
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
North Jones County

Location: 3 miles north of Monticello on Highway 38, just south of the Delaware County line. Look for event signs and cars on the west side of the road.

Site Information: Breen Prairie Farm contains dry limestone prairie. Helen Reichardt donated the land to INHF in 1989. Volunteers will be removing mainly small trees and shrubs (Sumac, Honeysuckle, ash, cherry) and a few larger trees( elm and ash) from a dry prairie--using mostly hand-pruning tools (bow saws, loppers, etc.).

Volunteer Information: INHF will provide some water, equipment and snacks, but please bring your own water, gloves and pruning tools, if possible, so that we have enough for everyone. INHF staff and interns will be on site to provide work supervision and prairie education.

Contact: Cathy Engstrom or Joe McGovern, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, (515) 288-1846
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 Greiner Family Nature Preserve
Sunday, April 27, 2003
Muscatine County

Location: South Access: If approaching from Muscatine (from the south), go north on Highway 38 about 3.8 miles from its intersection with Highway 61 to County F70. If approaching from I-80 (from the north), go south on Highway 38 about 8.8 from its intersection with I-80 (4 miles south of its intersection with Highway 6) to County F70. Then turn west onto F-70 and travel 2 miles to an access lane on the north side of the road. Do not block the gate. (Please park along Tipton Road, near County F70, which is the first gravel road west of this access lane. We will carpool into the preserve from this point.)

Site Information: Greiner Family Nature Preserve, owned by The Nature Conservancy of Iowa, is located east of the Cedar River in Muscatine county. The preserve features sand prairie, black oak sand savanna, and a sand basin pond. Prescribe fire is playing a key role in the restoration of this natural area. Greiner preserve has a stabilized sand dune topography that supports many rare plants and animals.

Volunteer Information: The primary activity for the Earth Day Workday 2002 will be clearing brush and small trees that have encroached on the remnant sand prairies and black oak savanna. Please bring gloves, water bottle, sack lunch or snacks and hand tools, lopping shears and bow saws, if you have them. Hand tools, gloves, a limited supply of drinking water and safety equipment will be provided.

Contact: Neal Humke, Land Steward, 563-263-1847
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Hayden Prairie State Preserve
Saturday, May 3, 2003
North-central Howard County

Location: From the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S. Highway 63 drive about 5 miles north on U.S. Highway 63 to County Road A23. Turn left (west) onto County Road A23 and drive about 4.5 miles (the road becomes gravel at the 4th mile. Hayden Prairie is southwest of the intersection here) to Ivy Avenue. Turn left (south) and go about 0.5 mile to the 40-acre unit of the prairie on the west side of the road and park along the road.

Site Information: Hayden Prairie State Preserve is 240 acres of tallgrass prairie, the largest in eastern Iowa and managed by the DNR's Wildlife Bureau. It is shown as a blue dot with "Hayden Prairie" in blue letters on state highway maps. Hayden Prairie is named after Dr. Ada Hayden, a former professor of botany at Iowa State University and a strong advocate of prairie preservation in Iowa. It is located near the towns of Lime Springs and Chester in northwest Howard County, about 5 miles south of the Minnesota border. Hand-cutting of aspen and other woody invaders.

Volunteer Information: Volunteers should bring handsaws, loppers and gloves to cut trees and shrubs. Bring a lunch, something to drink and sunscreen. Come dressed for the weather, including boots, as the prairie can be wet in places at this time of year.

Contact: Bob Kurtt, DNR Upper Iowa Unit wildlife biologist, (563) 382-4895; robert.kurtt@dnr.state.ia.us
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Rochester Cemetery
Saturday, April 26, 2003
Cedar County

Location: From I-80, take the Tipton exit (Highway 38) and go north toward Tipton. Take the first gravel road to the left, Cemetery Road. The cemetery is about 1/2 mile down on both sides of the road.

Site Information: Rochester Cemetery is one of the finest examples of Oak Savanna in the midwest. It is currently being invaded from the surrounding woodland by garlic mustard.

Volunteer Information: Volunteers will meet on the south side at 9 a.m., and will work on pulling garlic mustard along the fence-row. Bring gloves and some trash bags.

Contact: Casey Kohrt, (319) 530-0585.

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For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, or call (515) 288-1846.