GOLDEN HILLS RC&D
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Conference Presentations & Resources

On July 13, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Pottawattamie County Conservation Board, and several other partners had a "Partners on the Prairie" work day at Vincent Bluff State Preserve in Council Bluffs. Watch this video by Thad Pothast to learn more.
Click on a presenter's name below to email them. 

Saturday Keynote -  Prairie Conservation in Minnesota

Presenter: John T. Price, writer and English Professor at University of Nebraska at Omaha
  • Personal website 

Can Prairies and Agriculture Coexist? A Tale of Two Projects
Presenters:
  • Dr. Lisa Schulte Moore, Iowa State University's Natural Resource Ecology and Management Prairie STRIPs program
    • Presentation Link
  • Dr. Russ Benedict, Central College Prairies for Agriculture Project
    • ​​Presentation Link
 
Land Protection Options
Presenters:  
  • Erin Van Waus, Conservation Easement Director at Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
  • Patrick Swanson, Loess Hills landowner
  • Presentation link
Resources:
  • Iowa Landowner Options
 
America’s Great Outdoors (AGO)
Presenters:
  • Tim Sproul, Loess Hills Land Conservation Consultant with Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
  • Doug Helmers  Private Lands State Coordinator for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program 

Cooperative Burn Programs
​Presenters:
  • Kody Wohlers, Conservation Technician with Pottawattamie County Conservation Board
  • Scott Moats, Director of Land Stewardship with The Nature Conservancy in Iowa
  • Doug Chafa, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
 
Partnering for Stewardship in the Loess Hills
Presenter: 
Mark Wilson, Iowa Program Manager, Conservation Corps Iowa & Minnesota
 
A History of Protecting the Loess Hills through Collaboration
Presenter:
 Michelle Wodtke Franks, Executive Director, Golden Hills RC&D
  • Presentation
  • Hungry Canyons Alliance
  • Loess Hills Alliance
  • Loess Hills National Scenic Byway
 
Northern Loess Hills Tour
Sites: 
  • Old Town Conservation Area, owned and managed by Harrison County Conservation Board
  • Hitchcock Nature Center, owned and managed by Pottawattamie County Conservation Board
Guides:
  • Tim Sproul, Loess Hills Land Conservation Consultant with Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
  • Chad Graeve, Natural Resource Specialist with Pottawattamie County Conservation Board
 
Southern Loess Hills Tour
  • Presentation slides
Sites: 
  • Folsom Point Preserve (south of Council Bluffs, owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy)
  • Baylor Family Farm (privately owned land in Fremont County)
  • Biscuitroot Bluff Wildlife Management Area (new WMA in Fremont County)
  • Militia Hollow Wildlife Management Area (new WMA adjacent to Waubonsie State Park in Fremont County)
Guides:
  • Matt Dollison, Wildlife Biologist with Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Susanne Hickey, Director of Conservation Programs at The Nature Conservancy in Iowa
  • Kate Little, landowner, Baylor Family Farm
 
Urban Loess Hills Tour 
Sites: 
  • Vincent Bluff State Preserve
  • Fairmount Park
  • Lewis & Clark Monument Park
Guides:
  • Glenn Pollock, Board Member, Loess Hills Preservation Society
  • Jack Phillips, Director and Principal of The Naturalist School
  • John Batt, consultant, John D. Batt Consulting, LLC and former Assistant Parks Director for Council Bluffs

Saturday Keynote -  Prairie Conservation in Minnesota
Presenter: Steve Chaplin, Senior Conservation Scientist with The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota
  • Presentation link  

​Plants, Pollinators, and People: What pollinators do for us & what we can do for pollinators
Presenter: 
Jennifer Hopwood, Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist with The Xerces Society
  • Presentation link 
 
More than a Pretty Place: Conservation Initiatives at Lauritzen Gardens
Presenter:
 Jim Locklear, Director of Conservation at Lauritzen Gardens

Urban Prairies
Presenters: 
  • Kevin Pape, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • John Batt, consultant, John D. Batt Consulting, LLC and former Assistant Parks Director for Council Bluffs
  • Brian Hazlett, Director at Briar Cliff University's Center for Prairie Studies

Landowner Panel Discussion
Presenters: 
  • Bill & Dotty Zales, landowners
  • Patrick Swanson, landowner
  • ​Teresa Troxel landowner

Renewing the Minnesota Prairie Plan: Process, Challenges, Etc.
Presenter:
Steve Chaplin, Senior Conservation Scientist with The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota

Invasive Species
Presenter:
 Allison Zach 
  • presentation link
  • Nebraska Invasive Species Program
Click here or see below to view a Facebook album of photos from the conference.

Address

712 South Highway Street 
P.O. Box 189
​Oakland, IA 51560

Contact

Phone: 712-482-3029
General inquiries: info@goldenhillsrcd.org
Visit our Staff Page for email addresses and office hours.
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Job Openings
    • Who We Are
    • What We Do >
      • Community Partnerships
      • Arts and Culture
      • Water Resources
      • Local Foods
      • Outdoor Recreation & Tourism
      • Land Stewardship
    • Where We Work
  • Events
    • Grant Writing 101
  • News
  • Donate