Country Homestead Bed and Breakfast
Saturday, March 22, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Monona County

Location: Onawa is just off Interstate 29, 35 miles south of Sioux City and 65 miles north of Council Bluffs. Exit at 112. Take Highway 175 east through Onawa to Turin. In Turin, take Larpenteur Memorial Road (the only concrete crossroads in town) north one mile. The Country Homestead Bed and Breakfast is on the right (east side). There is a big sign in the front yard.

Site Information: Volunteers will celebrate the coming of spring by reclaiming native oak savanna from encroaching eastern red cedar, dogwood, sumac, gooseberry and raspberry. The savanna is on the west slope and borders Larpenteur Memorial Road. The site consists of 160 acres of Loess Hills splendor.

Volunteer Information: Volunteers should bring a tool they are comfortable with (snippers, bow saw, brush cutter or chain saw) and one to share if they have extra. They are advised to watch the weather forecast and come dressed for the weather. The workday will be punctuated by a potluck chili feed (both meat and vegetarian chili) with both chili and drink provided, and some conversation reflecting over the way we respond to, and are shaped by, the seasons. If volunteers have a musical instrument and/or a favorite song to sing, bring it along.

Contact Information: David and Lin Zahrt, Country Homestead Bed and Breakfast, 22133 Larpenteur Road, Turin, IA 51040; (712) 353-6772; chbnb@netins.net

Volga River Recreation Area
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
10:00 a.m. - ?
Fayette County

Location: From Fayette, Iowa, go three miles north on State Highway 150, then turn right on Ivy Road, which will take you to the park office.

Site Information: The Volga River Recreation Area has 5,700 acres of timber, crop fields and prairie. Volga River is a recreation area that is open 24 hours a day for hunting, camping and fishing. We have many small prairies that are being invaded by box elder trees that need to be controlled.

Volunteer Information: Volunteers should bring handsaws, loppers and gloves to cut trees and shrubs.

Contact Information: Tom Halverson, Park Manager, Volga River Recreation Area; (563) 425-4161; volga_river@dnr.state.ia.us

Stone State Park
Saturday, April 12, 2008
9:00 a.m. - Noon
Woodbury County

Location: Mt. Lucia area of Stone State Park. Participants are asked to meet at 9 a.m. at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, 4500 Sioux River Road, Sioux City, Iowa. To get to the nature center, take Exit 151 off Interstate 29.  Follow Highway 12 north for approximately three miles from Interstate 29. Watch for signs for the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center.

Site Information: Stone State Park has approximately 300 acres of native prairie on the dry southwest-facing slopes. The encroachment of woody vegetation is threatening the health and diversity of the prairie. The prairie serves as habitat for a variety of wildlife species, including butterflies and grassland-nesting birds. The Mt. Lucia area is a high scenic spot and must be cleared of woody vegetation. Volunteers will be using hand tools to cut shrubs and small trees.

Volunteer Information: Volunteers should be prepared for a 10-to-15-minute uphill hike to the work site. They are encouraged to wear boots, long-sleeved shirts and long pants. All participants should bring work gloves and drinking water. Some work tools will be available, but volunteers may bring their own bow saws or lopping shears. Most of the woody vegetation will be 1-2” in diameter.

Contact Information: Kevin Pape, Park Ranger, Iowa DNR; (712) 255-4698; stone@dnr.iowa.gov or Chris Anderson, Naturalist, Woodbury County Conservation Board; (712) 258-0838; chanderson@sioux-city.org

The Bear Creek National Restoration and Demonstration Watershed
Saturday, April 19, 2008
9:00 a.m. - Noon or 1 p.m.
Story County

Location: Volunteers will meet in front of Casey’s General Store (at the corner of Main Street and County Road E18) in downtown Roland, Iowa, at 9 a.m. Please park along Main Street and look for the Iowa State University vehicles. As parking is very limited at the sites, volunteers will carpool to the sites approximately two miles north and east of Roland.

Site Information: The Bear Creek National Restoration and Demonstration Watershed is a series of riparian zone plantings containing trees, shrubs and native grasses ranging from 7 to 18 years in age along Bear Creek in northern Story County and southern Hamilton County. If conditions permit, we will hold a prescribed burn on one of the native grass plantings. If not, volunteers will be removing woody invasive species in the native grass plantings and/or building firebreaks for future prescribed burns. In addition, we will give a brief presentation about how riparian buffer systems work.

Volunteer Information: Please wear natural fiber long sleeves, long pants, leather boots and leatherwork gloves (particularly important if we will be burning). Bring drinking water and snacks or lunch, if desired. We will have some limited tools to borrow for woody plant removal, but bring loppers or bow saws if you have them. Restrooms are not available on the sites.

Contact Information: Leigh Ann Long – Research Associate, Iowa State University Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management; (515) 294-5708; lalong@iastate.edu; or Dick Schultz - Professor, Iowa State University Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management; (515) 294-7602; rschultz@iastate.edu

Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Noon - 6:00 p.m.
Kossuth County

Location:  Union Slough NWR headquarters is located in north-central Kossuth County. From Algona, take Highway 169 north to Bancroft, turn right (east) on county road A-42, and proceed six miles to the office at 1710 360th Street. From Interstate 90, take the Blue Earth, MN exit and follow Highway 169 south into Iowa. At Lakota, follow P60 south to A-42, then west 0.25 miles on A-42 to the refuge office. Participants should meet in the WEST parking lot at noon.  Shortly after, we will caravan to the site.

Site Information: Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was established in 1938 as a refuge and breeding ground for waterfowl and other migratory birds. Union Slough refuge lies on the eastern edge of the northern tallgrass prairie and encompasses just over 3,300 acres of open water, marsh and uplands. Upland acres consist of restored and remnant tallgrass prairie, many of which are presently inundated with woody vegetation. We will be hand-cutting woody invaders from Deer Meadow, a remnant prairie on the south end of the refuge.

Volunteer Information: Volunteers should bring loppers or pruners, and leather gloves to cut small trees and shrubs. A limited number of loppers will be available at the refuge. Please wear sun or safety glasses, long sleeves and pants, and boots for protection against branches, bugs, thorns and wet areas of the prairie. Don’t forget to wear/bring sunscreen! Bottled water will be available. As a token of our appreciation, the Friends of Union Slough will be serving a meal upon return to the headquarters. For those who are interested after the meal, we’ll travel the auto tour route and search the prairie remnant for pasque flowers and other early bloomers. For those who plan to attend, please contact Rebecca Esser by phone or email no later than April 16.

Contact Information: Rebecca Esser, Private Lands Biologist; (515) 928-2523; rebecca_esser@fws.gov

Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge
Saturday, April 19, 2008
8:30 a.m. – Noon
Jasper County

Location: From Des Moines, take Highway 163 east to Prairie City (Exit 18). From Interstate 80, exit at Colfax (Exit 155) and follow Highway 117 south to Prairie City. Follow the signs to the Prairie Learning Center.

Site information: The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge will host its annual Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 19, 2008, by inviting volunteers to join us in reconstructing native tallgrass prairie. Earth Day is a wonderful opportunity for you and your group to perform worthwhile service and help us achieve our goals of reestablishing tallgrass prairie and oak savanna. You have an opportunity to be involved with tree and brush removal, fence removal and litter removal.

Volunteer Information: Please fill out the registration form by April 9. We look forward to having you and your group join us for this important event! Please arrive at the Prairie Learning Center by 8:30 a.m. There will be a briefing for assignments, and we will depart to job sites at 8:45 a.m.  Stewardship activities will go from 9 a.m. to noon. A lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers will be available at a small cost. Participants will be awarded a newly designed participation badge for the event. Our goal is to have at least 250 volunteers involved.  If you are interested in being part of Earth Day, please fill out the registration form and return it to Ranger Allan Murray at the refuge by April 9.

Contact Information: Ranger Allan Murray, the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge; (515) 994-3400.

Buck Grove Cemetery Prairie
Saturday, April 19, 2008
9:00 a.m. - Noon
Crawford County

Location:  From Denison, take Highway 59 south 6 miles, then turn west on E59 2 miles to the town of Buck Grove.  Turn south on the first gravel road, which is 5th Street.  Go past the ball field and continue on gravel east 3/4 mile to 250th Street.  Turn south on 250th Street and go 1/2 mile to the cemetery.  There is a pond on the left and a lane on the right that goes up a steep hill to the cemetery.

Site Information:  Buck Grove Cemetery Prairie is 2 acres located at the top of a hill.  There are lots of invading oaks and white poplar suckers which we will prune out. 

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

Contact Information:  Lance Nelson, Crawford County Conservation Board Director; 712-263-2748;  crawfco@frontiernet.net

Breen Prairie
Saturday, April 19, 2008
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Jones County

Location: Three 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 water, snacks and some gloves/tools, but please bring your own 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. If you’re planning to bring a large group, we’d appreciate a call ahead so we can make sure we have enough supplies.

Contact Information: Cathy Engstrom or Joe McGovern, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation; 515-288-1846 or 800-475-1846; See related news release

Kuehn Conservation Area
Saturday, April 19, 2008
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Dallas County

Location: From Interstate 80, take the Earlham exit (Exit 104) and proceed north to I Avenue. Stay northbound for just over a mile to a four-way stop intersection. Turn west (left) onto Bear Creek Road. Follow Bear Creek Road for one-half mile. The road will turn north and become Houston Trail. Houston Trail dead-ends at the park. Coming from County Road F-60, between Adel and Redfield, turn south on H Avenue, about five and one-half miles west of Adel (or two miles east of Redfield). Proceed on H Avenue for about four miles to the junction with Bear Creek Road. Turn east (left) onto Bear Creek Road and proceed one-half mile to the junction with Houston Trail. This is a “T” intersection. Turn north (left) at the “T” and go about one and three-fourths miles to the park.

Site Information: Kuehn Conservation Area is a 1,000-plus acre area managed by the Dallas County Conservation Department, DCCD. The management goals of the area are to reconstruct prairie in the upland and river bottom areas, formerly in row crops and pasture, and to restore the existing prairie relics. Many of the wooded ridges house prairie remnants overgrown with woody species due to fire suppression. The volunteers in this rescue will have an opportunity to visit our reconstructed prairies, view past restoration efforts on remnants and participate in the removal of woody invasive from a recently acquired ridge top relic.

Volunteer Information: Volunteers should dress for the weather and the rescue. Include boots, gloves, long sleeves and pants in your attire. DCCD will provide the necessary tools to cut and remove shrubs and small trees from our ridge top prairie relic. Please call DCCD at 515- 465-3577 to register for this event.

Contact Information: Chris Adkins, Naturalist/Environmental Education Coordinator, Dallas County Conservation Department; (515)-202-2552; koyannisgasti@iowatelecom.net

Yellow Banks Park
Sunday, April 20, 2008
1:30 p.m. - ?
Polk County

Location: From Des Moines, take Highway 163 (also know as University Avenue) east. After you go under the Highway 65 bypass, look for a county park sign on the right side of the road. Follow the county park signs to the park. Meet in the parking lot near the ranger’s office/workshop, just inside the park, at 1:30 p.m.

Site Information: Yellow Banks Park is a 517-acre park located on the north bank of the Des Moines River. It includes upland woodland covering the 150-foot high bluffs, which it is named for. The park is well known for its historical significance having been used extensively by aboriginal peoples, and there are numerous sites in the park. We have been working on two projects in the park. One has been savanna restoration and the other removal of invasive species in the woodland. We will be hand cutting and spraying these invasive species.

Volunteer Information: Wear long pants and shirts, heavy work shoes or boots, and work gloves. It is good to have water with you, but we will also have a supply in the parking lot. Some tools will be provided, but please bring loppers and hand saws if you have them. Difficulty level: Moderate.

Contact Information:  Contact Penny Thomsen at pennyt@dwx.com or (515)-262-1224 to sign up.

Location: From Waterloo, take highway 218 to La Porte City. Follow 218 right at Commercial St and then turn left going south on Main Street. Follow Main Street out of town for about two miles. The road will go from pavement to gravel and the street will turn into 50^th Street.  Cedar Island Wildlife Area has a small parking lot on the left.

Site Information: Cedar Island Wildlife Area is 514 acres of mainly floodplain oak savanna and wetlands. It is named after a grouping of Red Cedars in relatively the center of the area; an “Island of Red Cedars.” The area was formed because the Cedar River changed over time, forming oxbow lakes and sandy deposits. It floods seasonally and is located two miles southeast of La Porte City on the Cedar River. We will mainly be clearing brush from a prairie upland. However, the area may be wet enough that we may have to go through water to get to the prairie.

Volunteer Information: Volunteers should bring work gloves, hand saws, and loppers. If anyone feels they can safely operate a chainsaw, feel free to bring chainsaws. Come dressed for the weather, and expect to possibly get a little wet. As mentioned above, this area floods seasonally. Mud boots or hip-waders would be good items to bring. Insect repellent might also be a good idea. We will provide snacks and drinks.

Contact Information: Please contact Rebecca before the event to see if the area is flooded/event cancelled. Rebecca Groshens, University of Northern Iowa Graduate Assistant; (641) 512-4700; groshens@uni.edu  

Whiterock Conservancy
Saturday, April 26, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Guthrie County

Location: From Perry, drive 30 miles west on Highway 141. Four miles west of Bayard, turn south (left) onto Fig Avenue (there is a “Garst Farm Resort” sign on the south side of the highway). Drive 2.2 miles south on Fig Avenue, and just before crossing over the Middle Raccoon River, turn left into the Whiterock campground.

Site Information: Whiterock Conservancy is dedicated to protecting Iowa’s natural resources, demonstrating sustainable rural land management, and providing outdoor recreation and education opportunities to engage people with their environment. Whiterock Conservancy, a 501c3 nonprofit, owns a 6.6 square-mile contiguous multiuse property along the Middle Raccoon River in Guthrie County, Iowa. Ongoing conservation projects within the Whiterock land base include prairie and savanna restoration and reconstruction, wetland restoration and Osprey reintroduction.

Volunteer Information: Volunteers should bring handsaws, loppers and gloves to cut trees and shrubs. Bring a lunch, something to drink and sunscreen. Wear sturdy boots and a smile!

Contact Information: Elizabeth Hill, Ecologist, Whiterock Conservancy; (712) 684-2697, ext. 114; Elizabeth@whiterockconservancy.org

Hartley Heritage Fen
Saturday, April 26, 2008
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Jasper County

 Location: Take Interstate 80 to exit 149 (the Mitchellville exit). Go north on S-27 for 5.5 miles to NE 110th Ave. Turn east (right) onto NE 110th Ave. Go 1 mile east to the next stop sign (NE 120th St) and stop. Hartley Heritage Fen will be directly to the northeast. Turn left (north) and go up the hill, parking on the right (east) side of the road.

Site Information: Hartley Heritage Fen is a 31.5-acre site with a 6-acre fen and upland areas that are being restored. Hartley Heritage Fen is named after the previous landowners who lived in Mingo. The father, Les Hartley, was a railroad agent in Mingo for many years, and his son was a WWII veteran with two Purple Hearts. As the restoration continues, we expect the wet areas to expand. The upland areas will be planted using seed from local high-quality prairies. Some seeding has already begun. Please help us locate and identify these little prairie seedlings as well!

Volunteer Information: Volunteers should bring handsaws, loppers and gloves to cut trees and shrubs. Please dress for the weather, long pants and long sleeves, sturdy waterproof boots, work gloves, and pack a sack lunch. We may be rewarded with a showing of the marsh marigolds and spring cress in bloom!

Contact Information: Keri Van Zante, Jasper County Conservation Director; 641-792-9780; Dan or Laurie Fenimore at fenimore1956@msn.com

Big Creek State Park
Saturday, May 3, 2008
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Polk County

Location: Big Creek State Park is approximately two miles north on Broad Street (NW Madrid Drive) from the Polk City square. From there, you will take a right turn into the park and travel three miles until you come to the beach. Park your vehicle and meet at beach shelter No. 1 for job assignments.

Site Information: We’ll do a variety of jobs: cut brush and treat stumps in the prairie, plant and mulch trees, pick up trash, and paint picnic tables.

Volunteer Information: Volunteers will meet at the beach at 9 a.m. for information and assignments. Please wear work clothes (have long pants and shirts) and bring leather gloves. If you have a rake, shovel, wheelbarrow or chainsaw that you can bring, please do so.

Contact Information: Kim Olofson, Iowa DNR Park Manager, (515)-984-6473 (office), (515)-250-4308(cell); Kim.Olofson@dnr.state.ia.us, Bob Schaut, Iowa DNR Park Ranger, (515)-984-6473, (515)-250-5966(cell); Bob.Schaut@dnr.state.ia.us

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