Working with Partners Strengthens Conservation Efforts

I’m looking forward to the work that our AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and Conservation Corps Iowa (CCI) teams will be able to accomplish coming up this year. One of the things that I need to do to prepare for these teams is accommodations when they are here, which I’ve been working on recently. Once they are here, they really make a dent in invasive species removal on all of our properties! I also coordinated with CCI about our 2017 contract and worked on our Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contracts. I reviewed and updated management plans for O’Mara Newport, Turkey Creek, Shimek, and Pappy Dickens while in the office. I also worked on fencing and invasive species removal at Big Grove Addition with Ken Lowder and Don Bolin (Big Grove’s volunteer property stewards), and worked with a veteran-owned tree service to remove a damaged hackberry hanging over a neighbor’s house at Pappy Dickens. Now that we have a trailer, I’ve been working on installing storage inside the trailer for our tools and ATV. We are seeking proposals from Wheeler bridge manufacturers to solve some of our access issues, specifically at O’Mara Newport Woods. I’m communicating about these contact issues with the neighbors to the west, Mark Vitosh (O’Mara Newport Woods volunteer property steward), and Wayne Petersen, (Belgum Grove volunteer property steward).

I’ve also attended a number of conservation meetings: Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) with Chris Henze to create a field day to address invasive species threatening our area and Johnson County Conservation Partners meeting to hear presentations and meet with other conservation organizations in Johnson County. I’m looking forward to leading a talk about recruiting and utilizing volunteers at the upcoming CWMA field day. I contacted the Marine Corps Officers group at the University of Iowa to plan a March or April workday. Although I attended the U of I Volunteer fair, it was sparsely attended. What’s encouraging is that students have increasingly been participating in our volunteer workday events without this volunteer fair information. I’ve been in contact Judy Joyce at Earthview Environmental to plan for a Clear Creek cleanup project that will be announced soon.

We’ve had a couple of great workdays at Pappy Dickens, Turkey Creek, and Big Grove so far this spring – removing invasive honeysuckle and autumn olive, creating new trails, and setting a prescribed burn. I also ordered trees for our April tree planting project at O’Mara Newport Woods. Spring is just around the corner and we continue to gear up for a busy season. Stay tuned for more progress in next month’s report – and don’t forget to check out our many workday events to support local conservation!