Passing on the prairie

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This article first appeared in INHF's Summer 2006 magazine.

by Linda Yang

Inger Lamb

Because of the land's dramatic changes in relief, Kothenbeutel Heritage Prairie harbors a variety of native species, such as Nodding Ladies' Tresses, Stiff Gentians and Birdsfoot Violets. Here Daryl Kothenbeutel (center) conducts a prairie hike for members of the Iowa Prairie Network.

A Franklin County prairie enthusiast has entrusted his passion to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.

In November 2005, Daryl Kothenbeutel sold 40 acres—including 32 acres of remnant prairie—to INHF at a discounted price. The newly christened Kothenbeutel Heritage Prairie harbors more than 250 native prairie species, adapted to both wet and dry environments.

“What’s amazing about this site is the size and quality of the remnant prairie,” said Brain Fankhauser, INHF’s Land Stewardship Specialist. “To have such a large prairie in north central Iowa is rare, and its high level of plant diversity is rarer still.”

This land also offers glimpses of history: The tracks of a historical stagecoach route are still visible after prairie burns. It’s also home to a variety of fossils, similar to those at the Rockford Fossil and Prairie Site in Floyd County.

Kothenbeutel has been interested in conservation since his college days at Iowa State University. After graduating in 1974, he worked for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources on the Saylorville Wildlife Unit and later became the director of the Muscatine County Conservation Board. He now owns and operates the Iowa Prairie Seed Company, which carries over 100 varieties of prairie wildflower and grass seeds.

Slowed by a recent heart attack, Kothenbeutel decided to sell this remnant to someone who would continue his work. He chose INHF because he knew we would permanently protect the prairie that means so much to him.

“I probably know every inch of that land, more than I know any other land in Iowa,” said Kothenbeutel, who hand-harvested seeds for his company on this site. “I’ve spent hours and hours out there, and I could probably tell you every plant on it. I have a very close attachment to it.”

Other prairie lovers also love this project. The Iowa Prairie Network-Central Region devoted proceeds from their annual silent auction, raising over $3,400 to help us buy the land. Their parent organization, the Iowa Prairie Network, pitched in additional funds—as did many individual donors.

INHF’s land stewardship program will care for the site’s natural resources. This summer, our eight land stewardship interns plus staff removed invasive species and otherwise controlled tree and brush growth. INHF will continue these efforts, along with conducting prescribed fires.

 “Daryl worked hard to manage this prairie, to keep it healthy,” said Fankhauser. “We plan to continue that wise management.”

Linda Yang is a Drake University student and Robert R. Buckmaster intern at INHF.

For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, or call (515) 288-1846.