FIELD TRIPS & BBQ
Field trips
Enjoy a day on the land! Choose among remarkable remnant native prairies, oak-hickory savannas, research sites and expansive reconstructed prairies. Botanists, entomologists and other specialists will help guide your experience. Some trips feature private, protected lands and their landowners. Conference registration on the field trip day covers all trip costs (motorcoach and boxed lunch and/or snacks)
Full-day and half-day options are available. View the full descriptions of the field trip options.
FULL Field trips (These options are full and no longer available to choose):
#1 Sand Dunes and Bison Pasture
#4 Gems of Madison County
#5 Remnants and Reconstruction in Marshall County
#8 Prairie Pioneer Cemetery
#10 Timberhill: Savanna & Woodland
If you have time before or after the conference, we’ve also organized and identified several pre- and post-conference field trips where you can enjoy the magnificent diversity of Iowa’s prairies and savannas.
View guided field trip options planned for Sunday, June 25
View self-guided field trip ideas that are available before or after the conference
Tuesday Night (6/27) BBQ
Join us after the field trips for an evening with entertainment from musical act Brad and Kate, art, BBQ and conversation with great people. Family and friends are welcome.
You can purchase additional tickets through the registration process; anyone attending who is 10 years or older will need a ticket. Children younger than 10 can attend for free. Add-on tickets are $38.
Full-day field trips:
View the full field trip descriptions here. Each field trip option may take up to eight hours.
FULL
Sand Dunes and Bison Prairie Pasture
This field trip will visit two sites in southern Iowa including the Eddyville Sand Dunes Prairie – with interesting sand dunes, prairie and wetlands – and a private, family-owned bison farm which is managed with a heavy conservation focus.
Physical challenge: low to moderate
Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt
Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt (CBG), just north of the Des Moines metro, is an expanse of 11,500 acres of natural land and reconstructions stretching nearly ten miles along the South Skunk River. Participants will visit some of CBG’s most interesting sites including marshes, prairie, and wetlands.
Physical challenge: low to moderate
From sand prairie to sedge meadow
Participants on this tour will visit two of central Iowa’s hidden gems, Marietta Sand Prairie and Doolittle Prairie. Each boasts unique plants, landscapes and high species diversity.
Physical challenge: low to moderate
FULL
Gems of Madison County
This trip will visit a combination of public and privately owned land in search of Madison Counties idyllic rolling hills, prairie and other hidden gems. First you’ll stop at an old quarry site that has been painstakingly brought back to life, followed by a visit to Criss Cove Park to see remnant prairie and ending at a privately owned preserve that includes one of the finest examples of a sedge meadow in the state.
Physical challenge: moderate
FULL
Remnants and Reconstruction in Marshall County
On this tour, you’ll visit two high quality reconstructed and remnant prairie owned by Carl and Linda Kurtz as well as Marietta Sand Prairie, a favorite of Iowa prairie lovers and botanists.
Physical challenge: low to moderate
Middle Raccoon River Valley Revivals
Participants will travel west of Des Moines to visit private land and White Rock Conservancy, a 5500-acre non-profit land trust that balances sustainable agriculture, conservation and public recreation on the landscape. Other stops include an oak savanna and reconstructed prairie.
Physical challenge: low to moderate
Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge
Just east of Des Moines sits Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, a 6,000 acre reconstructed prairie with bison, elk, rare plant species and other interesting wildlife. While at Neal Smith you’ll learn about their tallgrass prairie and bur oak savanna restoration, prairie strips conservation practices research, and other interesting indoor and outdoor stops. The Visitor Center and Nature Store will be open for guests to visit.
Physical challenge: low
FULL
Prairie Pioneer Cemeteries
This tour will feature three cemeteries west of Des Moines, plus a visit to the high-quality remnant Tipton Prairie. At cemeteries you’ll see a glimpse into Iowa’s prairie and pioneer past. You’ll also meet professionals who help to protect and promote these sites and their unique take on the importance of them.
Physical challenge: low to moderate
Remnants and research in Jasper County
On this trip you’ll visit the Conard Environmental Research Area and Rock Creek State Park. You’ll enjoy a hike through oak woodlands, savanna and see one the best prairie remnants in the area.
Physical challenge: moderate
FULL
Timberhill: Savanna & Woodland
Participants on this trip will travel to the Southern Iowa Drift Plain to see Timberhill Savanna, one of the best examples of high-quality savanna and woodland in the Midwest. Here you’ll hike portions of the property and meet Sibylla Brown, the landowner who’s been restoring the site for over 20 years.
Physical challenge: moderate
A Walkabout on the Southern Iowa Drift Plain
Take a tour of three different prairies that fall in the Southern Iowa Drift Plain, a mosaic landscape of tallgrass prairie, savanna and woodland amongst streams. Some areas of these prairies have never been plowed and contain high quality prairie.
Physical challenge: moderate
Half-day field trips:
View the full field trip descriptions here.
You will choose one field trip, either in the morning or afternoon. Snacks and water provided, no lunch
12. Prairie tours and native landscaping I (MORNING)
On this half-day walking tour you’ll visit two different sites. The first is a subdivision with a collection of reconstructed prairie sites ranging from 3 to 30 years in age and covering about 20 acres. The second visit will show native landscaping in a more corporate setting.
Physical challenge: none
13. Prairie tours and native landscaping II (AFTERNOON)
The Des Moines Beaverdale Neighborhood is recognized locally for the distinctive appearance of its brick homes, tree-lined streets, and its closeness to shopping, work, and parks. This tour will cover two adjacent private residences with yards that have over 20 flowerbeds ranging from 3 to 8 years since establishment.
Physical challenge: none
14. Urban sustainable landscapes (MORNING)
On this tour, you’ll get to see some of central Iowa’s most innovative urban sustainable landscapes. You’ll learn about bioswales and urban prairies at Workiva offices in Ames, and at the Krause Gateway Center–designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano – you’ll see the “Prairie in the Sky”, a six-story high rooftop prairie.
Physical challenge: none
15. Allendan Seed Company (AFTERNOON)
Founded in the 1980’s, Allendan Seed Company is one of the largest producers of native prairie grass and wildflower seed in the U.S. On this guided tour, you’ll see every stage of the native seed and plug production process including a stroll through some of the production fields.
Physical challenge: none
16. Des Moines Parks and Recreation (MORNING)
Des Moines Parks and Recreation is responsible for the management of over 4,000 acres of land and 76 parks across Des Moines, including prairie, savanna forest and wetland as well as sports and other recreational opportunities. On this tour you’ll visit three different parks with prairie, savanna and woodland to see this land management work in practice.
Physical challenge: none
17. Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (AFTERNOON)
Spend your afternoon at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, a 6,000 acre reconstructed prairie with bison, elk, rare plant species and other interesting wildlife. This tour will be centered around the Visitor Center, viewing the exhibits and optional hiking on the nearby trails.
Physical challenge: none
HOW TO PREPARE
Clothes and shoes appropriate for your trip activities (noted in the full field trip description document)
Sunscreen and/or bug spray
Water bottle
Field trips will run rain or shine
Cell phone service may be limited at some sites included in the field trips