Bur Oak Land Trust is announcing the acquisition of 26 acres of prairie, wetland, bur oak woodland, and oak savanna just south of Grinnell in Poweshiek County. In the early 1970s Jim and Kathy became aware of conservation issues and actively supported conservation efforts after seeing pristine native prairie plowed under and understanding the connection between habitat conservation and species diversity. Jim’s years teaching high school biology in Newton included managing a prairie and planting a prairie butterfly garden as a school project, and he continues to teach environmental science at Iowa Valley Community College–Grinnell.
Jim and Kathy spent many years working hard to restore their land that was originally pasture, timber, and farmland by burning, mowing, hand-weeding, and judiciously applying herbicides to transform the land into what it is today. It wasn’t as easy as it looks now—they battled reed canary grass, multiflora rose, wild parsnip, musk thistle, wild carrot, mulberry, hemp, and sour dock, but after twenty years the invasives are mostly a memory. They burn on a three- to four-year rotating schedule. After hand-seeding everything, they enjoy blueflag iris in the restored wetland seep, rattlesnake master, foxglove beardtongue, yarrow, meadow sweet, butterfly weed, Culver’s root, ox-eye, spreading dogbane, swamp and common milkweed, and what look like acres of Ohio spiderwort. The couple has identified at least 275 native species, including the early buttercup and marsh marigold.
Their acres also host five species of woodpecker, including large numbers of red-headed woodpeckers; one dead bur oak attracts numerous eagles, ospreys, and hawks. They’ve seen badgers, red foxes, mink, bobcats, deer, coyotes, wild turkeys, snapping turtles, and the northern green snake, a species of concern in Iowa. Most of the major types of habitat found in Poweshiek County are present on the property.
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After seeing how lack of management led to the deterioration of neighboring woodlands and prairies, Jim and Kathy decided to donate their acres to Bur Oak Land Trust. Called the Kessler Prairie, this is the trust’s eleventh property. The donation will bring the Kesslers permanent and more consistent management. Their hard work has been rewarded not just by the diverse landscapes they have restored but also by a strong sense of shared, life-giving gratitude that, in their words, “buoys them up in so many ways emotionally and spiritually.”
Communities benefit from "green space" and unspoiled natural areas. Bur Oak Land Trust’s properties are open to the public for recreation and education, such as birding, hiking, nature study, and picnicking. We encourage the public to enjoy the Trust’s savanna remnants, reconstructed prairie, limestone bluffs, riparian community, and mature stands of oak, hickory, maple, and basswood trees. The Trust addresses the need to protect and conserve the natural areas of Johnson and surrounding counties for future generations.
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At the beginning of 2017, the Trust completed a $700,000 capital campaign that acquired a 40-acre parcel adjacent to their Big Grove Preserve in Johnson County. Acquiring Muddy Creek Preserve and Kessler Prairie in 2017 brings the total acres conserved by the trust to 710 acres.
“We can’t thank Jim and Kathy enough for their generosity and dedication to our organization and our environment,” said Tammy Wright, who has served as the Trust’s executive director for 12 years. “Their contribution is truly a gift that will keep on giving for future generations. What a legacy they’ve created and shared. What could be a better gift to the birds, animals, insects, and all creatures?”
Accredited nationally by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission and one of six land trusts in Iowa, Bur Oak Land Trust has been protecting natural land in and around Johnson County since 1978. The activities of Bur Oak Land Trust impact environmental conditions through the area by improving water quality; removing invasive plant species; bringing back native plants and animals; and creating habitat to enhance species diversity. The land acquisition, restoration, and stewardship activities of Bur Oak Land Trust are done also for the benefit of the physical and mental health and well-being of Iowans.
For more information on the work and nature preserves of Bur Oak Land Trust, visit www.buroaklandtrust.org or call 319-338-7030