Resources
I hope the following resources inspiring people to rediscover, reclaim, re-cognize, respect, revitalize, and relish the Tallgrass Prairie ecosystem.
Many preservationists believe that less than 0.1% of Iowa's original prairie remains. However, prairie "remnants" are hard to find in the vast sea of row crops and non-native species that make up the majority of Iowa today. Work is ongoing to identify, and hopefully protect, those few remaining remnants.
Visit and learn from a prairie as soon as you are able. Remember to ask permission if a remnant is on private land. Removing native plants from their habitat robs all of us (and future generations) of their beauty and our natural heritage. Plus, wild plants are hard to transplant, and most often die during transplantation. Leave natives in their native state for all to enjoy!
Do you own or have you located a prairie remnant? Contact us and we will put you in touch with other prairie enthusiasts.
Iowa Prairie Restoration Groups- Iowa Prairie Network (IPN)
- Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
- Environmental Advocates
- Indiangrass Hills
- Iowa Native Plant Society
- Living Roadway Trust Fund (LRTF)
- Johnson County Heritage Trust (JCHT)
- Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter
- Friends of Hickory Hill Park (FHHP)
- The Prairie Enthusiasts (TPE)
Botanical Links
- USDA PLANTS Database
- UIowa Fragile Flora Database
- Grasses of Iowa
- Ada Hayden (Iowa State) Herbarium
- Wisflora/Wisconsin Vascular Plant Species
- Living Roadways: Native Plant Database
Visit Iowa Prairies
- Iowa Prairie Network: What is Left of the Prairie?
- State Association for the Preservation of Iowa Cemeteries (SAPIC)
- Iowa State Preserves
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Midwestern Region
- The Nature Conservancy - Iowa Chapter
- Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation: Explore Iowa
- Loess Hills
Invasive Species
- Iowa DNR: Invasive Species
- Minnesota DNR: Invasive Species
- Wisconsin DNR: Invasive Species
- The Nature Conservancy: Invasive Species Initiative
- Invasive Plants Association of Wisconsin
