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Restoring Our Rich Natural Heritage Using Native Plantings
These courses are the first in a series of Restoring Our Natural Heritage Using Native Plantings. Later classes will deal with more specific topics regarding techniques to establish successful native plantings in rural, agricultural, urban, corporate, and public settings. Attention will be given to ways to create a positive public perception of these plantings as they are being established. With over 99% of Iowa’s native habitat gone, restoring native plants to our landscape is vital to maintaining an ecosystem that can support pollinators, insects, songbirds, and other animals. This includes tallgrass prairie, wetlands, woodlands, oak savannas, and other native habitats. Instructor Jim Kessler has over 30 years experience restoring native plants on his own land and at Newton High School where he worked as a science teacher. He focuses on well planned restoration based on careful historical research and thorough preparation of the site. Learn the basis for successful restorations.Why Native Plants Matter
Explore important reasons to add native plantings to landscapes on personal, rural, corporate, and public properties. The workshop will start with a field exploration of native plantings . During this field experience, we will explore the variety of habitats at the Conard Environmental Research Area (CERA) in Kellogg. Special emphasis will be given to how to recognize habitats types: prairies, wet prairies, wetlands, savannas, and woodlands. Recognizing the habitat type(s) on your property is the first step before successful native plantings can be started. During the field trip we will discuss a variety of ongoing restoration and reconstruction projects at CERA. After the field trip, we will use the Environmental Education Center on-site for a presentation entitled “Why Native Plants Matter”. This presentation will explain (1) the importance of restoring oak savannas, (2) how we can restore our declining songbird populations, (3) why adding native plantings must occur if we are to save our native wildlife, (4) how native plantings can restore our declining honey bee and native pollinator populations, and (5) how native plantings and rain gardens reduce soil erosion and flooding. Time for questions will be provided. Workshop participants will receive handouts and information about future workshops about how to establish natives in specific habitats. Meet in the parking lot behind Grinnell College’s John Crystal Center, 1103 Park St., Grinnell, at 8:30 am. Transportation will be provided to and from CERA. Participants will arrive back in Grinnell by 12:30 pm. Coffee and refreshments will be provided during the presentation. Register by Friday, May 31.
Course # ENV 1002 001 $86/8 Sat. 9 am - Noon
Grinnell, Grinnell College, John Crystal Center, 1103 Park St.
Instr: James Kessler
Introduction to Native Plantings
This is the second introductory workshop in the Restoring Our Rich Natural Heritage with Native Plants series. The workshop will begin with a field experience on the Kessler's 30 acres of native plantings and restorations of natural areas. Special attention during the field trip will be given to basic questions that need to be answered when planning a native planting: how much moisture is present, how much of the area is in direct sun or shade, what direction does a slope face, what type of vegetation was present before 1850, soil type, and what plants are native to your county? Next we will return to Iowa Valley Grinnell for a presentation entitled “A Tallgrass Prairie Journey” which describes the exciting adventure as we transformed a crop field and a pasture into beautiful native habitat. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session. Handouts about getting started with native plantings will be provided. Future workshops in the series will be designed to explain the techniques to establish native plantings in specific habitats and locations. Meet in the parking lot at Iowa Valley Grinnell at 8:40 am. The class will drive as a group to the Kessler's property south of Grinnell. Coffee and refreshments will be provided during the presentation. Please register by Sept. 6.
Course # ENV 1002 002 $89/14 Sat. 9 am - noon
Grinnell, Iowa Valley Grinnell
Instr: James Kessler
Spring Wild Edible Plant Walk
Ever wondered how to identify and use edible plants? Learn about some of the more common edible and useful plants of spring during this guided tour of Arbor Lake Park in Grinnell. In addition to learning about their edible qualities, many plants have fascinating natural and human histories. Copies of Wild Edible Plants in the Grinnell Area, published by Grinnell College’s Center for Prairie Studies and written by instructor Jordan Scheibel, will be available to each participant. The tour will follow the walking paths along the edge of the lake while Jordan points out and samples plants along the way. Meet at the parking lot on the north end of Arbor Lake, at the west end of Washington Ave.
Course # ENV 2220 101 $124/6 Sat. 4 - 5:30 pm Course # ENV 2220 102 $12
5/4 Sat. 4 - 5:30 pm
Grinnell, Arbor Lake Park
Instr: Jordan Scheibel