Establishing Prairie

Establishing Prairie: Selecting Seeds to Restore and Optimize Native Habitat

Saturday, Oct. 26 | 1-4 p.m.

Location

Willow Lake Recreation Area
2725 Easton Trail | Woodbine, IA 51579

*Registration for this event is full.

Cait Caughey
Lance Brisbois | Golden Hills Resource Conservation & Development

Cait Caughey is owner and operator of Mullein Hill Farm, a diversified operation focused on herbs, vegetables, flowers and native plant greenhouse production. She has been working to restore portions of the farm back to native upland prairie through careful selection of eco-typical seeds. Lance Brisbois, the deputy director of Golden Hills RC&D, specializes in habitat restoration and outdoor recreation. Come prepared to work as Cait and Lance lead guests on a prairie seed harvest at Willow Lake Recreation Area. You’ll have the opportunity to pick, clean and sort your own prairie seed to take home.

Sturdy closed-toe shoes, long pants, water, a hat and work gloves are recommended attire. Be prepared to walk up to a half-mile through tall grass and uneven terrain.

Meal

Refreshments will follow the field day.

See & Discuss

Identifying late-season grass and forb species
Assessing which individual prairie plant specimens are mature for seed harvest
What to consider in choosing and maintaining a site for restoring your own acreage
Selecting geographically relevant prairie species based on regional ecotypes
Cleaning and processing harvested seed
Post-cleaning seed identification

Establishing Prairie