TH E WINNEBAGO C OUNTY C ONSERVATION BOARD
The Prairie Country Quarterly
A quarterly newsletter made possible by REAP funding
Su mm er, 2 0 1 6
Take a Look Around!
Sometimes, as the dog days of summer set in, we can get so accustomed to the vibrant
greens of the Iowa landscape that we don’t take the time to notice the rainbow of other colors that can be found throughout our state. These colors are often provided by our native
wildflowers and can be found throughout our prairies, fields, and roadsides. Yes, despite all
the changes in our rural landscape over the years, we can still enjoy many of the same colorful wildflowers that our ancestors did when they first arrived in Iowa.
I N S I D E T HI S IS S UE :
Summer Programs
2
Goldenrods
3
Kids’ Backpacks
3
When those first settlers arrived, they often wrote in their journals about the abundance of
prairie wildflowers they encountered and the tapestry of color those flowers wove across the
Foundation Meeting
land. Soon, though, farming took over, and many of those wildflowers disappeared. But,
today, thanks to efforts by the Iowa Department of Transportation, the Iowa DNR, the Interior Department, and County Conservation Boards across the state, Iowa’s native wildflowers Iowa City Bus Trip
are once again blooming across our landscape, commanding the respect and appreciation
earned by growing in Iowa soil for over 10,000 years.
A thought...
So, as you’re driving around Iowa this summer, be
sure to notice the yellows of the goldenrod, blackeyed Susan, sunflower, compass plant, and greyheaded coneflower. But, don’t ignore the subtle
purples of the bee balm, purple coneflower, ironweed, spiderwort, phlox, common milkweed, vervain, blazing star, and aster. Of course, the whites
of the daisies always stand out, as do the bright
oranges of the butterfly milkweed. And, we can’t
forget about the delicate pink-purple color of our
state flower—the wild rose.
The colors and beauty that these flowers add to our state are surpassed only by the benefits
they offer. Their long, prairie-adapted roots help to hold soil in place. Their leaves provide
shelter and habitat for countless insects, birds, and mammals. And, their seeds are consumed
by birds well into the fall and even winter.
But, perhaps their most important benefit is the sweet juice found within the flowers—their
nectar. Their nectar provides food for important pollinators such as bees and butterflies,
many of which (including the Monarch butterfly) are declining in numbers. In addition to
their beauty, these pollinators are also economically important to us because they pollinate many commercially-grown plants. In
fact, much of our agricultural economy depends upon them. And they, in turn, depend
upon our native wildflowers.
So, be sure to notice all the colors of summer!
And take a few moments to appreciate not
only the way our summer wildflowers beautify our Iowa landscape, but also the many
ways they contribute to our lives.
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5
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Did You Know?

Over 250 species of
wildflowers grow
on Iowa prairies.

Milkweeds are the
only plants that
Monarch butterflies
will lay their eggs
on and the only
plants that Monarch
caterpillars will
feed on.

Bee balm, also
known as bergamot
or horsemint, is a
member of the
square-stemmed
mint family

Asters will bloom
until the first frost.

The word “phlox”
is Greek for
“flame,” because of
the brightly colored
flowers .

Compounds in
bushclover are used
to make medicines.
P age 2
Mark Your Calendar for These Upcoming Programs!
Discovering Nature Day Camp—Friday, July 8th
Kids from 4-6 years old (and their adult) will enjoy a variety of activities from
10:00 AM until 2:00 PM at Thorpe Park! Activities will include a scavenger hunt, exploring the lake, studying insects, making animal tracks, and making s’mores, among
other things. Participants will need to bring along a picnic lunch (drinks will be provided). The cost for the day camp will be $5 for the general public and free for Foundation
members. Pre-registration is required by calling the WCCB at 641-565-3390.
Summer Canoe Float—Wednesday, August 10th
Back by popular demand! Just stop by the Thorpe Park
boat ramp anytime between 6:00 and 8:00 PM for a leisurely
canoe float on Lake Catherine. During that time, canoes (along
with life jackets and paddles) will be available to borrow for
anyone wanting to relax on the lake for a while.
Summer Stargazing—Sunday, August 21st
Meet at the Pilot Knob State Park tower at 9:00 PM for a fascinating talk about the summer nighttime sky! Participants will learn
how to find many of the brighter stars and constellations, including
(among others) the Big and Little Dippers, Cygnus the Swan, Sagittarius, and Scorpius. Star charts will be handed out afterwards for people to take home. The talk will last 45-60 minutes.
Monarch Tagging—Friday, September
2nd
This is another program that has become an annual favorite! Come to the
Thorpe Park shelter house at 6:00 PM to hear about the Monarch butterfly’s amazing
migration to Mexico. Then, from 6:30-7:30, we’ll tag Monarchs for research. Some
Monarchs will probably be available, but you can also bring your own Monarchs to
tag. You can also catch some at the park if you’d like (nets provided)!
Prairies and Petroglyphs Bus Trip—Saturday,
September 10th
Join us and the Hancock County Conservation Board as we
travel to southwest Minnesota to visit prairies, the Pipestone National
Monument, and the Jeffers Petroglyphs. More details will be available soon!
Operation ReLeaf—Wednesday, September 21st
We will be sponsoring another Operation ReLeaf tree sale where, thanks to
Alliant Energy and the Iowa DNR, we’ll be selling trees for discounted prices. Distribution will be at the Winnebago County Fairgrounds, beginning at 4:00 PM. More
details, including tree varieties and prices, will be available later this summer.
If any of the above programs needs to be postponed or canceled, that announcement will run on
KIOW Radio (FM 107.3), on our web site, on our Facebook page, and on our Twitter feed.
The P rairie C o un try Q uar terl y
P age 3
Wildflower Spotlight—The Goldenrod
As summer progresses, we will soon see patches of goldenrods blooming in our prairies, fields, and roadsides. These flowers are beautiful
and beneficial but, unfortunately, have an undeserved reputation because many people wrongly associate them with hay fever.
But, goldenrods do not release their pollen into the air where we can
easily breathe it in because they are not wind-pollinated. Instead, the
bright yellow color of goldenrods attracts insect pollinators, as do most
brightly-colored flowers. Unfortunately, though, ragweed is windpollinated and, since it doesn't need to attract insects, does not have
bright, showy flowers. So, most people rarely notice the true cause of
their hay fever despite it often growing near goldenrods.
Actually, goldenrods are quite beneficial, providing nectar for a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies (including Monarchs). So, this summer, if your hay fever kicks in, please don’t blame the beautiful
goldenrod. Just enjoy the color it adds to our summer landscape and appreciate the important role it plays in
our ecosystem!
Young Naturalist Backpacks Available
Would you like to get your child or grandchild outdoors to explore the amazing natural world? Well, we’ve got
something just for you! We have backpacks available for borrowing that help kids explore the world around
them. Each backpack contains things like magnifying glasses, nets, tweezers, books, coloring sheets, and journals, all designed to help kids do what
they do best—explore!
The backpacks are available thanks to a generous grant from 3M. Backpack topics include Nature Discovery, Insects, Ponds and Streams, Birding, Nature Art, and Young Explorer (especially designed for younger,
preschool kids). If you would like to borrow one or more backpacks, they
are available free of charge for a two-week period. They are wonderful
additions to a camping trip, a vacation, or just evenings around the yard!
Contact WCCB Naturalist Lisa Ralls at 641-565-3390 for more information or to borrow one.
Friends of Winnebago County Conservation Foundation, Inc.
Membership Form—Please fill out and return with payment to: WCCB, 34496 110th Avenue, Forest City, IA, 50436
Checks should be made payable to the “Friends of Winnebago County Conservation Foundation, Inc.”
Name
Address
City
Phone Number
State
E-mail Address (optional)
Donor Level—Please Check One
Student ($5)
Small Business ($100)
Individual ($10)
Corporate Business ($250)
Family ($25)
Thank you and welcome to the Foundation!
Zip
P age 4
Friends Foundation
Holds Annual Meeting,
Plans Future Endeavors
On June 12th, the Friends of Winnebago County Conservation Foundation held its
Annual Members’ Meeting at Thorpe Park. In conjunction with the meeting, the Foundation also sponsored an
outdoor concert by Iowa’s very own Will Schmitt. It was an evening of productive discussion and wonderful
music!
During the meeting, the Foundation Board discussed
the past year’s activities, as well as future plans.
Among those plans is the possible construction of a
nature center here in Winnebago County. Citing the
fact that over 2/3 of Iowa’s counties now have such a
facility, one of the goals that the Foundation has
adopted is to help the WCCB with the possible development of an environmental learning center for use by
local schools and community organizations, as well as
the county’s citizens and tourists visiting our county.
As a result, over the past year, the Foundation and the
WCCB have discussed what they would like to see in
a possible nature center and hired Sand Creek Post
and Beam to draw up plans for such a center. Over the course of the next year, the two organizations plan to
solicit more Foundation memberships, begin promoting the
idea of a possible nature center in the county, meet with the
public about the idea, and organize fundraisers and other projects that will benefit the WCCB. And, since the Friends of
Winnebago County Conservation Foundation is a non-profit
organization, they are well-positioned to accept taxdeductible donations from the public!
Front View of a Proposed Nature Center
After the meeting, Foundation board members and the general public enjoyed the music of Will Schmitt. Will is traveling across Iowa this summer, bringing his folk music to
Rear View of a Proposed Nature Center
country parks throughout the state. For ten years, Will led a
Midwestern rock band. But, after receiving a marketing degree from the University of Iowa, he decided to switch gears and work at a wilderness therapy school in Vermont. He has also hiked over 4,000 miles up and down the east and west coasts of the United States. His music
made for a wonderful evening at the park!
People wishing to support the Friends of Winnebago
County Conservation Foundation can join using the
membership form found on the previous page or by
contacting any of the Foundation board members:
Colleen Hovinga (Forest City), Chair
Brad Huntington (Thompson), Vice Chair
Tim Missal (Forest City), Secretary/Treasurer
Robert Schwartz (Forest City)
Lisa Ralls (Buffalo Center)
Nancy Helm (Forest City)
Tim Ranes (Forest City)
Larry Vold (Lake Mills/Joice)
Doug Ostermann (Buffalo Center).
Will Schmitt Performing at Thorpe Park
The P rairie C o un try Q uar terl y
P age 5
WCCB, HCCB Lead Iowa City Bus Trip
On June 11th, the Winnebago and Hancock County Conservation Boards led a motor coach excursion
to the Iowa City area to lean about “Iowa’s Natural Heritage!” First on the itinerary was a wonderful, informative, live bird presentation at the MacBride Raptor Center. We then enjoyed a relaxing picnic lunch at the Coralville Reservoir before visiting the Coralville Visitors’ Center. There, we viewed a short film about the historic flooding of 1993 and 2008 that uncovered countless Devonian-era fossils beneath a Coralville campground.
We also got to browse around the Visitors’ Center before heading to the Devonian Fossil Gorge where we
were able to see first-hand the fossils that were unearthed during those previous floods.
Our last sight-seeing stop was at the Iowa Natural History Museum on the University of Iowa campus.
There, we were able to view displays chronicling the history of life in Iowa all the way from prehistoric times
to today. And, we ended the trip with a relaxing meal at Perkins on the way home! Despite the heat, the trip
gave everyone a wonderful opportunity to learn about the fascinating natural history of the state we all call
home!
MacBride Raptor Center Presentation
Harris’ Hawk at Raptor Program
Devonian Fossil Gorge Plaza
Viewing the Fossil Gorge
Iowa Natural
History
Museum
Giant Ground
Sloth
Exhibit
MacBride
Screech Owl
Coralville Visitors’
Center Raccoon
Coralville Visitors’ Center
Fossil Coral at the Fossil Gorge
Iowa Natural History Museum Diorama
The Florence Trap Shooting Range is open for public shooting
again this year. Check out our web site for public shooting dates
and times. The cost to shoot at the range is $3 for a round of 25
targets and 10-round punch cards are also available. We hope to
see you there!
Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage
PAID
Forest City, IA 50436
PERMIT #50
Winnebago County Conservation Board
Thorpe Park
34496 110th Avenue
Forest City, IA 50436
Phone: (641) 565-3390
Web Site: www.winnebagoccb.com
Your Winnebago
County Conservation Board
Director
Robert Schwartz
([email protected])
Naturalist
Lisa Ralls
([email protected])
Natural Resource Manager
Rick Lillie
([email protected])
Board Members
John Carlson, Lake Mills
Rick Hofbauer, Buffalo Center
Mike Korth, Forest City
Dave Thorland, Thompson
Nancy Helm, Forest City
Address Service Requested
Be sure to visit our booth at the Winnebago County Fair,
July 21st-24th!
Give me a cabin in the woods,
Where not a human soul intrudes,
Where I can sit beside a stream,
Beneath a balsam bough and dream.
—Robert Service
Enjoy a relaxing stay at the
Lake Catherine Cabin!
“The Prairie Country Quarterly” is published,
free of charge, four times a year. Anyone wishing
to be on our mailing list need only send their
name and address to our office listed below. The
public is also invited to attend our board meetings which are held at our Thorpe Park office the
second Monday of each month,
beginning at 8:00 A.M.
$65/night on Fri. and Sat.
and
$50/night during the week
The Winnebago County Conservation Board
Thorpe Park
34496 110th Avenue
Forest City, IA 50436
Phone: (641)565-3390
Web Site: www.winnebagoccb.com
The WCCB, in the provision of services and
facilities to the public, does not discriminate
against anyone on the basis of race, color, sex,
creed, national origin, or handicap. If anyone
believes that he or she has been subjected to such
discrimination, he or she may file a complaint
with the WCCB at the address above, or with the
Office of Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of
the Interior, Washington, D.C., 20240.
Don’t Forget to Check Out Our Website!
We want to remind everyone of our web site! It contains
WCCB news, a listing of all of our parks and wildlife areas,
a listing of upcoming programs, and a lot of other
information. You can even read this newsletter there or
download a cabin reservation form. So, check us out at
www.winnebagoccb.com!
You can also “like” us on our Facebook page, sign up
for our Twitter feed, or check us out on Pinterest!