I signed up for Daryl Smith’s tallgrass prairie seminar in the fall semester of 1988. Prior to that I had no concept of prairie. Daryl got me hooked, and prairie felt good, especially as I met more and more of the people. They all cared so deeply. And I was fortunate to step into a situation right away, working with native vegetation along Iowa’s county roadsides.
Tell us about your specific role at UNI’s Tallgrass Prairie Center.
At the TPC I’m program manager for UNI’s Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management program. That means working with all the counties in the state, promoting prairie for roadside vegetation. In Iowa, roadsides have been a bridge between conservation and transportation. Since there is generally better funding in transportation, working in roadside prairie restoration has been especially gratifying.
Beyond the tallgrass species, what other plants and animals are you especially interested in?
Other plants and animals? Not too many. I was an English major before I was a biology major. Beyond tallgrass prairie, my interests don’t run toward a bunch of plants and animals. I escape into Black Hawk Creek with my kayak now and then. But overall I’m more of a bureaucrat than a botanist. I enjoy organizing and coordinating and trying to communicate and working within the system for something I believe in.
What has changed in the outdoor world since your first days of trying to learn about it and protect it? What’s better, what’s worse?
I think the boomer generation came along when things were about at their worst environmentally. The need for protection and restoration of natural resources was great. It has been a struggle, but aside from a few political ups and downs, things have mostly improved since I’ve been aware. There is so much more public awareness, I think. So much land has been protected. And funding for such things has improved. We will still destroy a prairie occasionally, though. It’s not sacred to everyone.
What advice would you give to beginning conservationists?
When looking for a career in conservation, get the training and then be flexible. You don’t have to be hired by The Nature Conservancy to make a contribution. There are lots of agencies involved, ones you might not think of right away: departments of transportation, the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey. Large-habitat organizations such as Pheasants Forever and Ducks Unlimited hire people. And more and more private companies offer opportunities.
What are the particular challenges of being a conservationist in the Midwest?
If you need large or pristine habitats, the Midwest is not a great place. But our need is great. Our land use issues are immense, the economic forces are daunting, and maybe most challenging of all is our culture. We have such a strong farming tradition that many people can’t imagine anything else. Sometimes I suspect that most of the people still living in Iowa are the ones who do live by bread alone. There is no shortage of work for a conservationist in this state.
What’s the main thing that you hope to accomplish with the publication of The Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Prairie Restoration in the Upper Midwest?
We really tried to put everything you might need to know about prairie restoration into one book. There is no such thing as a manual to end all manuals. But we tried to be complete to a depth the average person could access. And then we had fun here and there inflicting our biases so everyone will think like us.
What are your favorite natural areas in Iowa and the Midwest?
Iowa has some amazing habitats. I like to go into the Loess Hills, and I love northeast Iowa. But I really appreciate the places closest to home. We are fortunate to have George Wythe State Park, Black Hawk Park, Hartman Reserve, and Cedar Hills Sand Prairie. The greenbelt along Black Hawk Creek, inside the Waterloo city limits, is the best to me because it’s the easiest to get to. I’m still discovering there.
Kirk Henderson, The Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Prairie Restoration in the Upper Midwest
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