native pollinators - Prairie Rivers of Iowa

How to Plant a Prairie Strip: One Landowner’s Journey

by Jessica Butters | Dec 29, 2022

Just a few weeks ago, the hope of tomorrow was seeded in the middle of an empty field.

I turned my dusty Ford Ranger off a quiet two-lane highway in Marshall County into a dead grass waterway, soon to be planted with native prairie seed. I pulled up next to Chuck’s vehicle.

“Well, today’s the day, isn’t it,” he said, smiling despite the icy November wind. We were finally putting seed in the ground.

A Rough Start

It can take more effort than you think to plant a prairie in a grass waterway. Firstly, Chuck Stewart, of Ankeny, doesn’t live in Marshall County; he rents his field to a farmer, who plants traditional crops like corn and soybean. Secondly, the grass waterway was planted with smooth brome (a tough European grass), making it difficult to plant anything else in it. Lastly, the previous landowner had created the grass waterway without using any government programs. This last fact made it difficult to qualify for USDA programs to help fund the cost of planting a prairie strip in the waterway. Many NRCS and FSA (Farm Service Agency) programs stipulate the ground must be currently in production to receive funding. Landowners who don’t qualify for NRCS and FSA programs, like Chuck, can have a difficult time finding programs to fund prairie projects on their land.

“The reason I started this prairie project was to establish a site that will draw not only pollinators but all kinds of wildlife,” said Chuck. In order to do this, he needed expertise from environmental-based organizations, such as Prairie Rivers of Iowa.

Finding a Way

Although he could not receive funding from traditional USDA programs, Chuck did, however, have a few things going for him. He initially had David Stein, a former watershed coordinator at Prairie Rivers, conduct a site visit and create a restoration plan.

“Prairie strips [are] one of the best ways farmers can get into conservation practices and habitat building,” David Stein said when asked about this project, “You’re taking unproductive land out of intensive use and replacing it with a small area that provides amazing benefits for the farm and surrounding environment.” For Chuck, some of those benefits include a reduction in runoff and erosion, increased water infiltration, and of course the perennial beauty of native prairie, pollinators, and other wildlife.

Additionally, Chuck was able to secure a 50% cost share from the Prairie Partners Program to reduce the expense of native seed. Chuck also had a neighbor, Henry, who had some prairie-planting experience and owned a native seed box for his tractor. Having a willing, experienced neighbor to help plant and manage the future prairie made this project much more cost-effective than hiring someone out of town.

Lastly, Chuck and I met with Dan Allen, the owner of Allendan Seed Company, to see the operation that supplied his native prairie seed. After viewing giant warehouses of seed, expansive fields of prairie plants, and a large greenhouse, we discussed how to help the prairie outcompete the smooth brome currently in the grass waterway. Knowing it may take a few years to truly defeat it, we decided to mow the smooth brome and hit it with two rounds of glyphosate, at about a month apart, before planting the prairie seed in the fall. We also added another seed mix in addition to the one cost shared with the Prairie Partners Program. While this was an out-of-pocket expense, planting higher than the minimum of 40 seeds per acre, as well as increasing plant species richness, will hopefully provide faster and stronger establishment, giving the prairie a greater chance at success in the long run.

Seeds of Hope

As Chuck stepped down from the tractor at the end of planting, it was hard to imagine that the dull-gray strip of land would one day be full of color and life.

“We did it!” He said with a grin, “I hope the neighboring farms will see the results and consider planting prairie themselves.” It is our hope that more farmers will see the value of turning silent areas into vibrant habitat, with bird calls, bees, and dancing flowers breaking the monotony of row crops.

If you are interested in implementing prairie on your property, and are unsure of where to start, contact Jessica Butters, Pollinator Conservation Specialist, at Prairie Rivers of Iowa, HERE.

Many Thanks:

“In summary, I want to thank Prairie Rivers of Iowa staff David Stein and Jessica Butters. David developed a detailed plan outlining the process, and Jessica prepared an outline for the timing of each step, from preparing the seedbed to the ongoing steps of maintaining the prairie.” – Chuck Stewart

We would also like to thank Henry Rolston, Allendan Seed Company, Jon Judson, and Ty Mason.

Which Insects are “Home for Christmas”?

by Jessica Butters | Nov 22, 2022

Insects are conspicuous by their absence during Iowa’s winter months. Absent are the beauty of butterflies, and we would be shocked to hear a bee buzzing around our snowy apartment balcony on Christmas Eve. So where did they all go? Did they perish from freezing temperatures? Have they all migrated south with the eastern monarch butterflies?

Here in Iowa, we have many insects that use truly astonishing techniques to stay here throughout the winter, braving the cold with the rest of us. From smart hiding places and suspended animation to making their own antifreeze, Iowa’s insects have developed some pretty wild adaptations to weather the winter!

Note: Iowa has many insects that undergo “suspended animation”, technically called diapause, to survive winter. Diapause is an insect form of hibernation where the insect pauses development; it stops maturing and halts all activity. It remains in its’ current life stage (which could be egg, larva, nymph, pupa, or adult) until conditions become favorable again and they can continue growing or start mating/laying eggs.

Wooly bear caterpillars: These fuzzy little guys will mature to become the Isabella tiger moth. They stare winter down by allowing themselves to freeze, but on their own terms! They seek shelter under logs and leaf layers. Once safe, they go into diapause and slow down the freezing process by creating glycerol, a natural alcohol and one of the many insect forms of “antifreeze”. They slowly allow their entire bodies to freeze except the insides of their cells.

Black swallowtail butterflies: These beauties stay cozy in their chrysalis while the snowflakes fall, entering diapause at the pupal stage. Their chrysalis mimics a dead leaf to keep them safe from predators, so be careful when cleaning up your lawn – especially if you grew dill, parsley, or other plants related to carrots in your garden! If you must move leaves, try not to chop/mow them to ensure you can enjoy the swallowtails next summer!

Dragonflies: Dragonflies brave the winter in a few different ways depending on the species. Some overwinter as eggs laid in logs near ponds, and others actually migrate. But one of the coolest ways some overwinter is as underwater nymphs (an immature stage of a dragonfly)! The dragonfly nymphs stay underwater beneath insulating ice layers, where they are voracious predators true to their namesake (even eating small fish!). They eat and grow throughout the winter until they can emerge as adults in the summer.

Flower flies: Also known as syrphid flies or hover flies, flower flies are a family of flies (called “Syrphidae”) that are fantastic garden helpers: when young they eat aphids, and as adults they pollinate. Here in Iowa, they’re commonly referred to as “sweat bees” due to their black and yellow stripes and the fact that they sometimes land on sweaty humans (sweat contains good nutrients for them). However, these flies only mimic bees, and cannot sting or bite (their mouth basically consists of a tiny mop). They survive the cold much like other insects; they find shelter in leaf layers and other plant material, enter diapause and overwinter as a larva, pupa, or adult depending on the species. Flower flies are no pansies!

Bumble bee queens: Bumble bee hives only live for one year, unlike honey bees. Near the end of the hive’s life, new queens and male bees (“drones”) hatch and leave the hive to mate. When hive activity finally ends, the drones die while the newly-mated queens search for a warm winter home alone. Their new homes could be in leaf layers, warm compost piles, or just a few inches underground in a sheltered place! While winter winds howl, the entire fate of next year’s bumble bee hives rests on these young queens surviving the winter all alone. When it warms again, if all goes well, they will wake from diapause and emerge to start their very own hives to begin the cycle again.

How Can You Help?

As you can see from these few examples, surviving winter is key to us enjoying pollinators and other insects next year. So many insects rely on the shelter of leaves, logs, and other materials to block the cold wind and insulate them from freezing temperatures. Therefore, one of the best ways to help pollinators this winter, and to ensure there are pollinators this summer, is to find a place in your yard or balcony where you can let leaf litter and plant material accumulate. Think of it as a Cozy Corner that may harbor young bumble bee queens, sleeping swallowtails, and fuzzy wooly bear caterpillars. Give insects the gift of cozy this holiday season!

See below for more information on how to build your very own Cozy Corner:

Create a “Cozy Corner”
You can create a “cozy corner”, or brush pile, for pollinators throughout the fall and winter by choosing a location to leave leaf litter undisturbed. You can add twigs, branches, and other brush to the pile as you clean up the other areas you want clear of brush. You can also leave potted plants on your balcony or patio and push them together to create a small shelter; I’ve found moths sheltering in my flowerpots in mid-fall, and I’ve noticed more bird visitors! Add layers of brush to your cozy corner to provide the best shelter possible. Click here to read the full article from which this paragraph was based on.

How-To Guides to Create Your Very Own Cozy Corner:

Bird Brush piles: The Audubon Society’s Website

General Wildlife Brush pile: Article by the Wisconsin DNR