A Relict Reclaimed

The Gray family started its ties with a diverse property — a 72-acre Loess Hills parcel with west-facing slopes overlooking the broad Little Sioux River basin in Ida County — outside of Washta in the early 1950s. Russell Gray rented the land for agriculture, raising corn and soybeans while their cattle grazed the oak savanna and grassland. Jim, Russell’s son, recalls those early days exploring the timber, cutting firewood and wandering savanna draws lined with large boulders and rocks the glaciers deposited many centuries ago. 

The area held cultural resources as well, evidenced by the discovery of a tomahawk and smaller tools, left by previous stewards of the land like the Yankton, Wahpeton, and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ. In 1991, at the age of 80, Russell finally had the chance to purchase the land he’d rented for so long. Now, the property the family cherished and stewarded for many years, including through their annual visits to celebrate New Year’s Eve, was their own. 

When Russell left the land to them in 2011, it was Jim and his wife Marcy’s turn to assume responsibility. And while the land had been cared for, Jim and Marcy saw some changes they wanted to make to their piece of the Loess Hills. 

“The cedars were so tall and thick you couldn’t even see the river,” Marcy stated.  

The eastern red cedar invasion had overtaken most of the grassland and was encroaching into the wooded areas as well. The Grays sought advice from the local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Iowa Department of Natural Resources staff, and when those staff performed a site visit, Jim and Marcy noticed their attention was not on the cedar trees, but on the ground and vegetation.  

“They said we had native prairie here!” Jim recalls. 

For the next decade, thousands of eastern red cedar were sawed, sheared, mowed and piled to again open the grassland areas. Several contractors were hired to help with the heavy lifting. Jim and Marcy would spend weekends with saws in hand, and once the batteries were used up, they enjoyed the remainder of the time exploring their property. Slowly, the land was returning to its historic state. 

Life eventually took Jim and Marcy out of Iowa, and they began to wonder what would happen to the land where they’d invested so much time. They wanted to protect it from development and find an entity that could continue the restoration they’d started. One of their tree contractors was familiar with INHF and referred the Grays to investigate potential avenues.

While conversations of protection were underway, INHF staff and local conservation partners assisted in implementing a prescribed burn in the spring of 2023 to aid in the reduction of the hundreds of tree piles scattered throughout the property. The well-timed burn, which Jim and Marcy participated in excitedly, produced a staggering ecological — and emotional — response. They could see all their hard work and sweat equity come full circle as the property was cleaned of their piles, and thousands of baby cedars were eradicated.

“It was a great day for the prairie and the future preservation of the timber,” Jim remembers. “After all our hours of work on the cedars we are moving forward!”  

With confidence in INHF’s stewardship practices and peace of mind the land would forever remain natural, Jim and Marcy Gray donated their 72-acre oak savanna and remnant prairie to Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation in 2024.  

“Jim and Marcy Gray’s Prairie Preserve” is unique and special to protect for a number of reasons. The open ridges and slopes hold valuable and rare remnant prairie, with an alluring promise of hidden gems. The pockets of mature oak savanna, woodland draws, two active springs and a beautiful view of the Little Sioux River Valley provide the perfect backdrop for future volunteer events and other community engagement opportunities. INHF is so grateful to work with wonderful landowners like the Gray’s to protect these special lands and carry their legacy forward. 

INHF will continue to steward the land for biodiversity to improve water quality, wildlife habitat, and encourage the remnant species that are present. 

“It has been so great working with INHF. We are excited they will continue to take care of the land,” says Jim.        

Subsequent prescribed burns have further reinvigorated plants that were waiting for a chance to flourish, yielding pale purple coneflower, hoary puccoon, silver-leafed scurf pea, leadplant, and purple and white prairie clover. More surprises are sure to come.