Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation: Blackmun Prairie

Joe McGovern couldn’t believe his senses. As Iowa’s hot August sun beat down upon his back and the dry hillside prairie remnant, ice cold water flowed across the spongy ground under his aching bare feet. That was when McGovern really appreciated Blackmun Prairie’s diversity

“Having so many different microhabitats in one parcel is what makes this place special,” says McGovern, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation’s Land Stewardship Program Director. “This is the kind of place INHF was created to help protect.”

Blackmun Prairie, in western Butler County, is a 175-acre tract of land with 115 acres of pasture and prairie, including some exceptional remnant prairies. Its lower elevations contain a mile of North Beaver Creek, which meanders among oxbow wetlands and wet, fen-like areas.

INHF purchased the land in 2005 and transferred it to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) earlier this year. It will be open for public uses, such as hunting, birding and prairie walks.

“Blackmun Prairie has been on the wish-list for Iowa naturalists for over 25 years,” says John Pearson, from IDNR’s Conservation and Recreation Coordination and Policy Department. “It’s nice to see it finally get protected status.”

Among other treasures, the site contains two state special concern species: Richardson’s Sedge and Grass of Parnassus. Other notable species include the Wood Lily, Downy Painted Cup and Turtlehead.

In 1979, state ecologists discovered the state and federally threatened Prairie Bush Clover on Blackmun Prairie. Though the land has been grazed for decades, this hardy species has been known to reemerge after long periods of heavy grazing. Indeed, the plant’s slim stature and unshowy appearance mean it could already be in Blackmun Prairie, but currently unnoticed.

During INHF ownership, staff and land management interns conducted prescribed burns on portions of the prairie remnant, killed trees and removed invasive species.

“As is typical with native prairie pastures, some parts are better than others,” says McGovern. “There are some great remnants and with time, patience and hard work, the entire property should recover.”

INHF used its own funds to purchase the property initially and then worked with the IDNR to secure acquisition dollars from the Federal Endangered Species Recovery Fund and the Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund.