Prairie Seed Harvest

About this Project

We are working with many local partners and volunteers to harvest local ecotype prairie seed. Volunteers will visit local prairie remnants and learn how to identify which plants are available for seed collection. The hand-collected seed will then be used for local prairie restoration and reconstruction projects.

Project goals:
We have several goals for harvesting prairie seed*:

Provide local conservation agencies (county conservation boards, Iowa DNR, land trusts) with local ecotype prairie seed for their larger-scale prairie restoration and reconstruction projects.
Make native seed mixes to package and distribute locally.
Propagate native plants to sell for local gardens, yards and smaller-scale landscape projects.
Establish seed plots to increase efficiency of seed production and harvest in future years.
Create a seed bank to ensure long-term storage and viability of many diverse native species.

*please note that any seed picked on Iowa DNR (state) lands cannot be taken off-site and must be donated to DNR. All of our seed harvesting will be done with permission from landowners/managers and only used as permitted.

Download a printable brochure about the project.

Upcoming Events

Events will be added below and on our Events Calendar.
Sign up to get email updates.
Volunteers can come to as many or as few as they can. If you are unable to attend the entire time, that is fine too. All are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome and no experience is necessary. Events usually include rugged terrain, so be prepared to hike on steep ground.

Prairie Seed Harvest
Hitchcock Nature Center
27792 Ski Hill Loop
Honey Creek, IA 51542
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
6:30-8:00pm

Prairie Seed Harvest
Hitchcock Nature Center
The August 29 seed harvest at Hitchcock has been canceled due to the forecasted thunderstorms.

Green Hill Wildlife Area
50501 221st St.
Council Bluffs, IA 51503
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
6:00-7:30pm

Hitchcock Nature Center
27792 Ski Hill Loop
Honey Creek, IA 51542
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
5:30-7:00pm

Willow Lake Nature Center
2725 Easton Trail
Woodbine, IA 51579
Thursday, September 26, 2024
5:30-7:30pm

Prairie Seed Harvest
Five Ridge Prairie State Preserve
Monday, September 30, 2024
5:30-7:00pm
Meet at the west entrance along Highway 12, north of Sioux City.

Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center
4500 Sioux River Rd.
Sioux City, IA 51109
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
5:30-7:00pm

Prairie Seed Harvest
Hitchcock Nature Center
27792 Ski Hill Loop
Honey Creek, IA 51542
Sunday, October 13, 2024
3:00-5:00pm

Prairie Seed Harvest
Smokey Hill - Meet 0.25 miles north of 29156 Oak Ave. Moorhead, IA 51558
Monday, October 14
5:00-7:00pm
Register here.

Seed Harvest Summary for Volunteers

The list below includes a summary of some of the targeted species we are seeking in 2022. Pottawattamie Conservation staff helped make this list, which includes species with a Coefficient of Conservatism score of 4 or higher, and those documented at Hitchcock Nature Center. Click the image for the interactive spreadsheet, or download a pdf of it here.