This page is under construction-check back soon for more resources.
  • Loess Hills Plant List - Golden Hills has worked with several partners in the Loess Hills counties to develop this list of plants in the region. This document includes information about native and non-native species, to help understand when plants bloom, when seed is ready to harvest, what insect and animal species depend on plant species for food and shelter, and much more.
  • Loess Hills Prairie Seed Harvest - Golden Hills coordinates numerous volunteer opportunities throughout the Loess Hills each year to harvest local ecotype seeds from remnant prairies. 
  • Native Plant Uses - In addition to many edible & medicinal uses, native prairie plants have provided many benefits to humans for as long as they have coexisted. Our list features some of these uses for plants that can be found in the Loess Hills region. 
  • ​Iowa Prairie Network - The Iowa Prairie Network is a grass roots, volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Iowa's prairie heritage. Their website has many resources about prairies, their management, places to visit prairies in Iowa, & much more.  
  • Seed Germination Instructions - Prairie Moon Nursery developed this seed germination code listing to help you successfully grow the native plant seeds sold in their catalog. These seed treatment suggestions have been compiled from available literature, their own experience, and feedback from other growers and customers.
  • Resource for Seed and Seedling Identification Guides - This spreadsheet summarizes several seed & plant ID resources.
  • Native Oak Resources - Several resources about native oak trees in Iowa compiled by Golden Hills RC&D.
  • Glossary of Plant Terms - From Minnesota Wildflowers. 
  • The Field Museum Field Guides - Free, accessible resources filled with beautiful images and scientific information to help people engage with the diversity of nature and culture on our planet. Several guides feature native prairie and woodland plant & seed ID.
  • Growing Native Plants - Video of virtual class recorded on November 16, 2020 with Cait Caughey of Mullein Hill Farm.
  • Growing Prairies - Video of virtual class recorded May 18, 2020 with Cait Caughey of Mullein Hill Farm and Jason Andersen with Pheasants Forever.
  • Testing Wild Seeds (TWS) - This website has been primarily developed to help seed analysts worldwide for testing wild species seeds. TWS is designed to help seed analysts find protocols for testing a wild species and thereby improve uniformity in testing between seed laboratories. 
  • Tallgrass Prairie Center Resources -  This page is a jumping-off point to find educator resources, technical prairie restoration information, botanical guides, and much more.
  • Grow Native - Plant Database - This searchable database of 300+ plants native to the lower Midwest includes trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, sedges, rushes, and wildflowers suitable for landscaping as well as species for creating wildlife habitat, stabilizing streams, and for other ecological purposes.
  • WWETAC Seed Zones Map - An alternative to local ecotype seed maps. This site allows end-users to view and acquire data on seed zones for use in plant material development, gene conservation and native plant restoration activities. Users can also evaluate seed zones in relation to other map services and wildland threats published by WWETAC such as climate change projections or wildfire risk. Bower et al (2014) have developed generalized provisional seed zones that can be applied to any plant species to help guide seed movement. These seed zones are based on the intersection of high resolution climatic data.
  • Native Seeds: Supplying Restoration is a nine-part video series that explores the native seed supply chain in the western United States. Filmed over four seasons, this series weaves together footage of seed collectors, farmers, researchers, and land managers working to scale up the supply of native seeds to meet the growing restoration demand.