Over 25 attendees joined the INPS board to celebrate 30 years of native plant advocacy and appreciation. The event lasted two days and offered multiple field trips, dinner, and a presentation. Backbone State Park was where the idea of the INPS was born and it was fitting to return to […]
Long-time INPS member, Dr. Tom Rosburg, led two different field trips in northeast Iowa on May 3, 2025. The original intent was to explore Hayden Prairie State Preserve, but Mother nature had other plans. The timing of the field trip was not on schedule ecologically. We were a week too […]
The focus of the September 14, 2024 annual meeting was to highlight the often overlooked fauna of Iowa, aquatic insects. Professor Dr. Greg Courtney of Iowa State University gave an hour long presentation titled Aquatic Insects of a Midwestern Prairie Pothole: Biodiversity of a “well known” fauna? Dr. Courtney discussed […]
On June 15, 2024 Bur Oak Land Trust welcomed INPS members and others for a private tour of the Corriell Nature Preserve in Muscatine County. Over 20 attendees explored the area observing many different functional plant groups, insects, and more. The tour was led by Dr. Tom Rosburg.
A brisk and chilly northwest wind did not deter about 20 nature enthusiasts from exploring the prairie in the Loess Hills State Forest on Saturday, March 16. It was perfect timing to see hundreds of pasque flowers in bloom. The pasque flowers definitely stole the show, but they were not the […]
Brush Creek Canyon is a 217-acre preserve containing a rugged forested gorge along the Silurian Escarpment. Located two miles north of Arlington in Fayette County, it was dedicated as a biological and geological state preserve in 1968. Located on the western edge of the Paleozoic Plateau landform region, Brush Creek […]
In mid-July a small group of prairie enthusiasts joined long time prairie steward, Carl Kurtz, to tour Kurtz Prairie. This privately owned prairie offers a diverse array of wildflowers decades in the making. Carl’s knowledge and passion of prairies runs deep. Participants enjoyed learning about prairie reconstruction and management, as […]
Wolter’s Prairie Preserve is a wet-mesic remnant located in Butler County Iowa. Inclement weather prevented the original scheduled date for the field trip. Thankfully we were able to reschedule a few weeks later on May 27, 2023. Attendees were not disappointed by the array of flora in bloom. Iconic prairie […]
On May 20, 2023 attendees enjoyed a guided hike through Yellow River State Forest. A species plant list of herbaceous and shrub vegetation was recorded. Thank you to Dr. Mary Damm for sharing the list!
On January 14, 2023, INPS hosted a tour of the Ada Hayden Herbarium at Iowa State University. The tour was led by the herbarium’s curator and INPS board member, Deb Lewis. We welcomed a dozen attendees. Attendees were able to learn about the process of creating specimen vouchers, the history […]
On September 25, 2022 plant, fungi, insect, bird, and photography enthusiasts all gathered to hike and explore Mossy Glen State Preserve. The hike was led by Dr. Tom Rosburg. Over 60 plant species were documented (trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and wildflowers), as well as multiple fungi. Fellow INPS member and […]
The 2022 annual meeting was hosted by Polk County Conservation Board (CCB) at Chichaqua Bottoms Green Belt. It was a cool, wet, insightful time with native plant enthusiasts. Participants toured reconstructed prairies and the Polk CCB native seed lab.
A field trip to Tipton Prairie was held July 2, 2022 and was led by Dr. Tom Rosburg with 12 participants, including Vice President Tom Scherer and President, Sarah Nizzi. Over sixty native species were observed during the field trip. This 3-acre remnant has amazing diversity and is a sight to […]
April 30, 2022 Our Field Trip leader was John Pearson, DNR Ecologist. We were also escorted by Steve Pearson Madison County Conservation Director. Steve gave us an overview of Pammel State Park and the ongoing effort by the entire community to recover and heal from the tragic tornado that struck […]
Over 25 attendees joined the INPS board to celebrate 30 years of native plant advocacy and appreciation. The event lasted two days and offered multiple field trips, dinner, and a presentation. Backbone State Park was where the idea of the INPS was born and it was fitting to return to […]
Long-time INPS member, Dr. Tom Rosburg, led two different field trips in northeast Iowa on May 3, 2025. The original intent was to explore Hayden Prairie State Preserve, but Mother nature had other plans. The timing of the field trip was not on schedule ecologically. We were a week too […]
The focus of the September 14, 2024 annual meeting was to highlight the often overlooked fauna of Iowa, aquatic insects. Professor Dr. Greg Courtney of Iowa State University gave an hour long presentation titled Aquatic Insects of a Midwestern Prairie Pothole: Biodiversity of a “well known” fauna? Dr. Courtney discussed […]
On June 15, 2024 Bur Oak Land Trust welcomed INPS members and others for a private tour of the Corriell Nature Preserve in Muscatine County. Over 20 attendees explored the area observing many different functional plant groups, insects, and more. The tour was led by Dr. Tom Rosburg.
A brisk and chilly northwest wind did not deter about 20 nature enthusiasts from exploring the prairie in the Loess Hills State Forest on Saturday, March 16. It was perfect timing to see hundreds of pasque flowers in bloom. The pasque flowers definitely stole the show, but they were not the […]
Pottawattamie County September 30, 2023
Brush Creek Canyon is a 217-acre preserve containing a rugged forested gorge along the Silurian Escarpment. Located two miles north of Arlington in Fayette County, it was dedicated as a biological and geological state preserve in 1968. Located on the western edge of the Paleozoic Plateau landform region, Brush Creek […]
In mid-July a small group of prairie enthusiasts joined long time prairie steward, Carl Kurtz, to tour Kurtz Prairie. This privately owned prairie offers a diverse array of wildflowers decades in the making. Carl’s knowledge and passion of prairies runs deep. Participants enjoyed learning about prairie reconstruction and management, as […]
Wolter’s Prairie Preserve is a wet-mesic remnant located in Butler County Iowa. Inclement weather prevented the original scheduled date for the field trip. Thankfully we were able to reschedule a few weeks later on May 27, 2023. Attendees were not disappointed by the array of flora in bloom. Iconic prairie […]
On May 20, 2023 attendees enjoyed a guided hike through Yellow River State Forest. A species plant list of herbaceous and shrub vegetation was recorded. Thank you to Dr. Mary Damm for sharing the list!
On January 14, 2023, INPS hosted a tour of the Ada Hayden Herbarium at Iowa State University. The tour was led by the herbarium’s curator and INPS board member, Deb Lewis. We welcomed a dozen attendees. Attendees were able to learn about the process of creating specimen vouchers, the history […]
On September 25, 2022 plant, fungi, insect, bird, and photography enthusiasts all gathered to hike and explore Mossy Glen State Preserve. The hike was led by Dr. Tom Rosburg. Over 60 plant species were documented (trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and wildflowers), as well as multiple fungi. Fellow INPS member and […]
The 2022 annual meeting was hosted by Polk County Conservation Board (CCB) at Chichaqua Bottoms Green Belt. It was a cool, wet, insightful time with native plant enthusiasts. Participants toured reconstructed prairies and the Polk CCB native seed lab.
A field trip to Tipton Prairie was held July 2, 2022 and was led by Dr. Tom Rosburg with 12 participants, including Vice President Tom Scherer and President, Sarah Nizzi. Over sixty native species were observed during the field trip. This 3-acre remnant has amazing diversity and is a sight to […]
Led by Bill Blankenship and Tom Scherer on June 25, 2022.
April 30, 2022 Our Field Trip leader was John Pearson, DNR Ecologist. We were also escorted by Steve Pearson Madison County Conservation Director. Steve gave us an overview of Pammel State Park and the ongoing effort by the entire community to recover and heal from the tragic tornado that struck […]
Dinesen Prairie Preserve INPS Field Trip led by Glenn Pollock
Hosted by Ron Eckhoff and led by Tom Rosburg