Pottawattamie County Conservation recently hosted its third annual Save the Prairie workday at Crescent Hill at Hitchcock Nature Center, bringing together 50 volunteers and staff from conservation organizations across the region. The event focused on removing invasive eastern red cedar and Siberian elm to protect and restore the rare Loess Hills prairie ecosystem.
Working in five squads on a cool, cloudy summer day, participants spent the morning and early afternoon cutting, hauling, and pile burning invasive trees. Together, they restored 4.2 acres of prairie in a single day. Over the past three years, Save the Prairie volunteers have restored more than 13 acres of rare Loess Hills prairie habitat.
Partner organizations included Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Turkey Creek Preserve, Fontenelle Forest, The Nature Conservancy Iowa, Harrison County Conservation, Woodbury County Conservation, and Iowa DNR, with representation from across the Loess Hills. The event was supported by the Iowa Prairie Network and the Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation, which provided lunch for volunteers, as well as funding for chainsaw fuel, skid loader fuel, and invasive plant treatment.
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Prairie restoration is critical in Iowa, where less than one-tenth of one percent of the state’s original prairie remains due to settlement and agricultural development. These remnants, often found in small, scattered pockets, are essential for biodiversity, soil health, and erosion control. The Loess Hills, including sites like Crescent Hill, are home to some of the last intact prairie in the state.
While much of the removed wood was pile-burned, a significant portion found a second life through creative reuse. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium collected Siberian elm branches to feed several animal species, including giraffes and elephants. Wood from eastern red cedar, ash, mulberry, elm, and cottonwood trees will become natural play features in a new playground in Minden, while other logs will be split for firewood at county park campgrounds. Select pieces were also harvested for use in Hitchcock Nature Center's Loess Hills Lodge gallery renovation and future building projects at Crescent Hill, allowing the trees to continue serving the area in new ways.
“Seeing so many organizations come together for a shared purpose shows the power of partnerships in conservation,” said Jeff Franco, Pottawattamie Conservation Executive Director. “Events like this truly live up to their name by helping save prairie, but they also strengthen the connections that make large-scale habitat restoration possible.”
Planning is already underway for Save the Prairie 2027, as Pottawattamie County Conservation and its partners continue working to protect and restore one of Iowa’s rarest natural landscapes.
