Bur Oak Notes Spring/Summer 2023

OUR MISSION

Advancing biodiversity in eastern Iowa by protecting resilient landscapes and connecting people to nature.

WHO WE ARE BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Larry Weber Past President Ben Dillon Secretary Kate Jamison A 58-year old aerial map from the Nov. 1995 issue of the Johnson County Heritage Trust newsletter showing the land trust’s first protected land, Turkey Creek Preserve.

Treasurer Lain Adkins BOARD MEMBERS Valerie Decker Rev. Don Hodson Chris Jensen Ken Lowder Liz Maas Kate Reilly

Letter from the director

STAFF Executive Director Jason Taylor Development Director Ashlee Hopkins Conservation Director Carter Johnson Land Steward Sarah Lawinger Communications + Program Director Meredith Roemerman

2022-2023 Stewardship Crew Leader Erin Hosto Crew Members Ethan Balvanz William Blair Amanda Caraballo Mitchell Griffin Gemma Tursi Summer Crew Members Esther Buergo Chelsea Cozad Adam McFee

5 Sturgis Corner Drive, Suite 1250 Iowa City, Iowa 52246 buroaklandtrust.org | 319-330-7030

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Anniversaries often lead to reflection and looking back at the past, which we have been doing a lot over the last couple of months in the Bur Oak office.

Digging through old newsletters, photos, and articles has provided us with a glimpse of the early days of the organization. Many of those stories cover topics that are as relevant today as back then.

Iowa’s declining water quality and the increasing destruction of habitat were pressing topics when our organization was founded in 1978, and those issues have only compounded in the last 45 years. However Jason Taylor there also have been major wins.

Executive Director When I was young, seeing one or two bald eagles flying over the Des Moines River on the way to school was exciting, as their numbers were precariously low. Now, driving to work in the winter takes me over the Iowa River where I see numerous eagles daily. Acid rain and the dwindling ozone layer were major threats in the early 1980s, but less so today. In fact, the ozone layer is on pace to be fully recovered within the next 20 years, mainly due to massive restrictions on airborne pollutants.

These problems were solved because passionate conservationists like yourself came together to tackle major issues time and time again. As we look forward to the next 45 years of the Trust, the challenges are massive, but big wins for the environment are possible. Continue pushing for cleaner water, more sustainable farming, protection of habitat, and the restoration of Iowa’s prairies. If enough people care, and enough pressure is applied, we will be able to talk to the next generation about the rebound of native bees like we do the rebound of bald eagles.

We’re celebrating 45 years of land conservation by collecting and sharing your stories and memories of land trust events, programs and preserves.

Share your story at buroaklandtrust.org

The power of community conservation In 2022, Bur Oak Land Trust continued to grow the organization’s mission through habitat enhancement, conservation education, and native planting projects.

Donor support made it possible for our community to make memories in nature, learn new skills, and experience what conservation is all about.

Thank you for attending our Chainsaw Academy courses, milkweed harvests and pawpaw plantings. We hope you continue to enjoy the protected preserves that are at the heart of our community connection. Here’s to more fun in nature in

Things to do Belgum Groove | June 10 Crayfish Crawl | July 22 Family day at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve.

Explore the creek, kids activities, ice cream truck and more! Free admission.

Milkweed Harvest | Sept. 10

2023! To view our Community Report, scan the QR Code or visit buroaklandtrust.org.

Native seed collection at Corriell Nature Preserve.

Gather seeds to be planted at other Bur Oak preserves and take some home! Free admission.

Golden Hour | Oct. 19 Art for Conservation fundraiser. View and bid on nature art from local artists to support Bur Oak’s mission and programs. Ticketed event.

Formerly “Music on the Prairie.” Live music from Brian Johannesen and Dave Helmer, local food truck, a special treat to celebrate our 45th birthday, and a family-friendly guided hike. Free if you ride your bike to Belgum Grove or $20 per vehicle. At-will donation accepted at entry.

Getting things done with Erin Hosto

Erin Hosto has served two AmeriCorps terms with Bur Oak Land Trust, this year serving as the team lead. Before coming to Bur Oak, she interned with Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) and completed her undergraduate major in Environmental Studies & Biology at Cornell College. Erin shared with us why she came to Bur Oak and stayed

for a second term: “I enjoyed my time working with INHF and knew I could learn much more given the chance to do a full year of stewardship service. I also wanted to try my hand at prescribed fires and hone in on the chainsaw skills I’d learned with INHF. During my first term I realized land stewardship/prairie restoration was what I wanted to continue doing as an occupation. Doing another term would be a great opportunity to gain leadership skills, gain more experience, and continue to learn about land management and native

prairie ecosystems. I’ve been so fortunate to serve with some great people, which is another reason I enjoy being a part of Bur Oak’s AmeriCorps team as much as I do.”

Erin plans to continue working in ecology. She said, “It would be fun to get back into ecology research, specifically on prairies. In the meantime, I would love to find a full-time position in ecological restoration or natural resources.

After my year-and-a-half service with Bur Oak, I have seen just how much help Iowa needs restoring its natural spaces.”

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Author Connie Mutel spoke to a full house at Preview Preview iin March about her hope for Iowa’s environmental future.

Prairie Preview Returns

By Ashlee Hopkins, Development Director After a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, Bur Oak Land Trust was happy to bring Prairie Preview back March 23 for its 38th year. The event was held for the first time at the Senior Center in downtown Iowa City, allowing for easy access by students and other community members. More than 33 organizations were represented including municipalities, local nonprofits, and local printing presses.

Connie Mutel returned as the keynote speaker for the third time after the release of her most recent book “Tending Iowa’s Land: Pathways to a Sustainable Future.” The book has 28 chapters each with a different author, divided into four sections: Soil, Water, Air and Life. As the editor of the book, Connie asked contributors to write

science-based chapters with a personal touch to connect readers to the work being done to sustain Iowa land. She writes in her introduction, “the book’s many chapters became a connected circle of ideal nature, degraded by a problem for which realistic solutions were suggested.” This book is one of hope for Iowa’s future.

Two of the book’s contributors shared the stage with Connie, Larry Weber and Dr. Tom Rosberg. Larry is the current Bur Oak Land Trust Board President and Director of the Center for Hydrologic Development. He shared his vision for water-centered land management. Tom Rosberg of Drake University shared the 30x30 conservation initiative and his vision for a more biodiverse Iowa.

History of Prairie Preview Prairie Preview started as an environmental forum with about 20 people in a room sharing their knowledge of prairie reconstruction and a specific focus on roadside vegetation. As more like-minded individuals got involved and committees were formed for conservation, Prairie Preview became a hub for the greater community of scientists, ecologists, botanists, and concerned residents.

Because of its grassroots beginning, this event has been called a family reunion by many. “In 1983 when the event was started, we didn’t have the means to connect with people like we do now,” Mutel said, referring to no social media or online technology to use. “This event was a way for us to see each other after being cooped up in our homes through the winter,” she said.

Over the last 40 years, as the conservation world evolved, so did Prairie Preview. Every year expert speakers in their fields presented about wetlands, prairies, invasive species, savannas, and private landowner efforts.

From Lon Drake's written history of the event, “Prairie Preview acquired a life of its own, having evolved into a networking system for local folks who attended the annual meeting as much to renew ties with similar minds as to listen to the speaker. It became a place to drum up volunteers for prairie burns, organize private field trips, find a book reviewer, or nab someone to help teach a class.” This year was no different with more than 200 people in attendance from all age ranges.

To commemorate Prairie Preview and its nearly 40 year history, we created a special video featuring three longtime members of Bur Oak Land Trust and experts in their respective fields to share what the environmental forum has meant to them and the community.

Dick Baker, Lon Drake, and Connie Mutel shared their memories of Prairie Preview with moderator Brenda Nations. An excerpt of the video was presented at this year’s Prairie Preview in March and the full video is available on the Bur Oak Land Trust YouTube page.

A special thank you to Ben Curtis with Impact7G for donating his time and talent to make the video possible. Thank you also to Amy Foster with the city of Coralville for helping us coordinate this project and letting us film the video at her home!

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y r g n u H y r e The V s r a l l i p r e t a C Words and photos by Darren McNabb

Goldenrod hooded owlet moth caterpillar Cucullia asteroides

Once leafy vegetation begins to show up in Iowa in the spring, so too do thousands of varieties of caterpillars to eat it!

Caterpillars are the larval stage of insects in the order Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies and moths. They undergo complete metamorphosis, including four stages of growth: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

The butterfly or moth caterpillar spends the majority of its lifespan in the larval stage, during which they are eating machines, capable of increasing their mass by

10,000 times in just a few weeks!

After shedding their skin several times in a process called molting, the caterpillar goes into a resting state called a pupa and undergoes a remarkable transformation at the molecular level into an adult some days later.

Caterpillars are critical contributors to the ecosystems that they inhabit, providing energy to a wide variety of birds, mammals, and other insects.

Because they are soft-bodied and relatively unprotected, caterpillars defend themselves with stinging hairs and camouflage. Some caterpillars even absorb toxins from their host plants and advertise their nasty taste with bold colors! Watch out!

Grapeleaf skeletonizer caterpillar Harrisina americana

Mourning cloak caterpillar Nymphalis antiopa

About the author: Darren McNabb is a lifelong Iowa resident and amateur entomologist. He runs his own insect photography website, “Darren’s Bugs” (darrensbugs.com), where he shares work that has been featured by “American Entomologist” and the Entomological Society of America. When he is not chasing bugs, Darren works at Pearson Inc. designing science assessments, and plays percussion for several local theater groups. He lives in Coralville with his wife Olivia, daughter, and five cats.

Get outside with us!

One of the most exciting highlights of 2022 was the generous donation of Corriell Nature Preserve. The 198-acre area with an oak savanna and sand prairie — two fragile ecosystems in Iowa — also boasts a wetland complex that includes a beaver dam and wetland system which feeds from the Cedar River. More information about this amazing space is available in the previous two issues of Notes and copies are still available.

Permanently protecting the land that makes up the preserve was the

first step in improving biodiversity and native habitat for birds, bats, and many other species. Work to restore Corriell is ongoing and research is in-process, making the preserve open to the public by invitation only.

We want to show your support in action, so here is your invition to join Bur Oak staff at Corriell for a guided tour! Simply scan the QR Code with your phone’s camera, then follow the link to sign up for a tour.

We hope to see you out at Corriell!

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A Force of Nature

Turkey Creek Nature Preserve was protected in 1980 as the first parcel of land acquired by Johnson County Heritage Trust, now Bur Oak Land Trust.

How one woman’s mission to save land led to 45 years of conservation

W

hen there was a chance to protect nature in Iowa City, Nancy Seiberling went for it. Because of her determination, Bur Oak Land Trust is celebrating 45 years of conservation this year and taking a look back at how it all began.

“Her impassioned pursuit of goals for herself and the community set an example of what an older woman can accomplish,” said Nancy’s daughter Grace Seiberling.

In 1978, Nancy and a small group of ardent supporters formed Johnson County Heritage Trust, JCHT, because they saw a need to “protect land of significant environmental value from development, and to encourage responsible land management.”

As a self-described professional “civic volunteer,” Nancy was a fierce advocate for the environment. She was a transplant to the Iowa City-area in 1959, when her husband Franklin Seiberling Jr. became head of the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Iowa. The way Nancy’s friends and family tell it, she was energetic and influential when it came to her interests.

“I went on the JCHT Board initially because Nancy insisted that as a founder I must do so,” said Bill Hines, chair of the steering committee and former land trust board member, “One did not say no to Nancy. She was a force of nature.”

Grace said her mother’s love of nature started early as one of Nancy’s first memories was making a pretend garden. As a

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By Meredith Roemerman, Communications Director child, Nancy explored the outdoors and learned wilderness skills in Maine, Grace said, where she spent time with her grandparents at Philips Lake and along the shore in Searsport.

When Grace was growing up, she said her mother shared that love of nature with her three children.

“She encouraged us to look,” she said, “frequently exclaiming at the beauty of something in nature.”

Nancy believed that places where wildflowers grew were magical and when those places lost their natural features, they also lost their essence. Her advocacy work began in a very different landscape after the Seiberling family moved to Iowa from Ohio. Nancy focused her attention on the urban environment, Grace said, starting the nonprofit Project GREEN (Grow to Reach Environmental Excellence Now), that enhanced public greenspaces and parks, and getting others involved in local zoning issues.

Nancy’s influence and connection to people was farreaching. When they would go shopping around town, Grace said Nancy was “always greeted warmly by the business owners whom she’d persuaded to participate financially and had enlisted as supporters. She also had a group of admirers who had participated in various projects as teenagers, preparing bikeways, digging, or clearing brush, both engaging with the environment and having a sense of contributing to a larger good.”

One particular municipal issue that caught Nancy’s

attention involved a piece of land near Hickory Hill Park.

A 40-acre tract of open land that shared a boundary with the park was up for sale. Nancy saw an opportunity to add the area to expand the park and provide greater outdoor access to the public. She contacted Hines, whom she knew previously, to ask him how money could be raised to buy the land and donate it to the city. Hines suggested she approach larger conservation organizations in the state. Those organizations weren’t interested in the small parcel of land in Johnson County so they needed a new plan.

“I then suggested that we create our own land trust as a nonprofit and see if we could raise enough funds locally to make sure the land then at issue became part of Hickory Hill Park,” Hines said. “Nancy liked this idea and this agreement was the start of the Johnson County Heritage Trust. I drafted the legal papers, and filed them with the state, then Nancy and I invited some other folks active in the cause of environmental and historic preservation to join us on the JCHT Board and we were off and running.”

Articles of incorporation were filed May 3, 1978, and JCHT was officially founded. Unfortunately, the new land trust was too late. The land it was formed to preserve was sold the year prior.

“We were very disappointed in not being able to protect this valuable land, and we resolved to have a standby organization in place ready to tackle the next such opportunity to protect land that had high potential for public use,” Hines said. “That was the original purpose of JCHT, but it evolved over the years and when it became Bur Oak Land Trust, it was much more aggressive in identifying and protecting environmentally sensitive and historically significant tracts of land.”

The land trust was renamed in 2015, but still upholds its founding mission of protecting land of significance in addition to expanding biological diversity and helping more of the community get connected to the outdoors. The growth of the land trust is apparent by the number of acres it protects.

Through ownership and conservation easements, Bur Oak now protects more than 1,000 acres of land in eastern Iowa.

Although a thousand acres is a small fraction of the number of acres that exist in Iowa, the state is one of the most altered landscapes in the country. Through land protection, plants and wildlife have suitable habitats to thrive. The land trust allows public access to most of the preserves for people to experience a more native environment.

Hines served as the first board president for several terms and continued to serve on the board as a director until 1996.

Like Seiberling, Hines was not originally from Iowa, but brought an interest in nature with him when he moved to Iowa.

“I grew up on a Kansas farm and have always been an outdoors person,” he said, “fishing and hiking in natural environments.”

Before forming the land trust in 1978, Hines was teaching

land use control and environmental law at the University of Iowa College of Law where he served as dean. Given his upbringing, Bill said it was predictable that his law career and scholarship focused on environmental issues. He is still at the college as the Joseph F. Rosenfield Professor and Dean Emeritus. Given his professional background, Hines’ role at the land trust was a natural fit.

“My favorite JCHT project was the acquisition of the Turkey Creek property, which was the first to be donated to JCHT in about 1980,” said Hines. “Iowa City families, who were active in Project GREEN, owned this land that they had purchased as an investment.”

As the families spent time on the land they discovered the features that made the area special and wanted to protect it from future development. Hines said that’s when the JCHT board expressed an interest in taking ownership of the 107 acres of grassland and timber of what is now Turkey Creek Nature Preserve. The families involved in the donation were Webster and Gloria Gelman, Gerald Howe, Charles and Barbara Buckley, the printmaker Mauricio Lasansky and his wife Emilia Lasansky.

Top: One of the first prescribed burns at the newly acquired Turkey Creek property.

Bottom: Nancy and others visiting TC.

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Summer views from Turkey Creek Nature Preserve.

Photos by Valerie Decker.

“Turkey Creek remains one of the jewels in the [Bur Oak] Crown.”

As the first, largest, and relatively untouched property under land trust control, Turkey Creek Nature Preserve required a lot of hands willing to pull up and cut down invasive plants like thistles, black locust, and buckthorn to return the land to a more native state and to make safer walking trails for the public.

“We also planted a prairie on about 20 acres of the upland area and tended it carefully with annual burnings,” Hines said.

“Turkey Creek remains one of the jewels in the [Bur Oak] crown.”

After the land trust received the large land donation, the effort was declared “a major victory” in the local newspaper.

“Indeed, the Turkey Creek Wilderness Area is not only an investment in an environmentally sound future, but it also represents the start of what could be a fruitful partnership of public agencies and private interests working together toward environmental goals,” the editorial board of the Iowa City Press-Citizen wrote Nov. 19, 1980, “We hope that partnership succeeds.”

The land trust has expanded its list of partnerships, preserves and projects since then. Bur Oak owns 12 preserves, most of them in Johnson County and most of them open to the public year-round. The land trust also protects about 400 acres of land through conservation easements, or agreements with landowners to care for the land’s natural attributes. Of the total preserves, five of them include prairies.

The prairies at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve remain some of the most restored and well-loved prairies in land trust care, making them ideal locations to watch a mix of pollinators in their natural habitat including the endangered rusty patched bumble bee. “[Nancy] was intrigued by the prairie, and took us places, like old Rochester Cemetery, where native plants survived,” Grace said. “She was delighted to discover native wildflowers growing on the hillside below the house on Black Springs Circle and said she wouldn’t have planted daffodils had she known, even though she enjoyed the daffodils.”

The trail to what Bur Oak Land Trust is today was not traveled alone. Along with Seiberling and Hines were seven additional founding board members: David A. Ferree,

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Betsy Hillman, Fremont Isaacs, Jean Lloyd-Jones, Louis Loria, Harold Stager and James B. Lindberg. This group firmly established the land trust. Since the first steering committee meeting, the land trust has had more than 80 additional members serve on the board, and countless volunteers and donors who have supported its conservation mission.

Nancy was once asked if she had to do it all over again, would she study landscape architecture instead.

“She said ‘no’, her real passion was working with people and getting them mobilized to take action,” Grace said.

She continued to say Nancy would be thrilled to know that the land trust she started has a greater mission, has protected more lands, and has gotten more young people involved in conservation through the AmeriCorps program.

The challenges the land trust faced at the start — habitat loss, the threat of development, climate change — still exist, but by looking back, the progress made against those obstacles over the years is clear. Esteemed biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson once wrote, “In nature nothing exists alone.” Nancy understood the power of getting people to work together to generate change. Bur Oak Land Trust has only grown in the last four decades because so many others believe as she did.

Nancy Seiberling once said that the places where wildflowers grew were magical and she made sure those places were protected by creating the land trust.

Thank you to all of the land trust board members both past and present The last 45 years of conservation has been possible through your leadership and commitment to building a strong and enduring land trust.

Lain Adkins | Dick Baker | Aaron Basten | Barbara Beaumont | Dan Black | Don Bolin | Amy Bouska | Mary Sue Bowers | David Bright Carolyn Buckingham | Barbara Buss | Robin Butler | Pat Cancilla | Holly Carver | Dave Collins | David Curry | Terry Dahms | Rose Danaher Valerie Decker | Jerry Denehy | David Dierks | Ben Dillon | Jeff Dorale | Sarah Else | Donna Epley | Sam Fahr | Michelle Falkoff | David A. Ferree Edie Fawcett Weaver | Judy Felder | Mary Ferentz | James Fluck | Jeffery Ford | Karole Fuller | Adam Galluzzo | Tom Gelman | Harry Graves Mark Gromko | Ellen Hartz | Steve Hendrix | Betsy Hillman | N. William (Bill) Hines | Josh Hoard | Don Hodson | Dick Hoppin | Tom Hosmanek Sharyn Huriaux Reitz | Freemont Isaacs | Kate Jamison | Chris Jensen | Carter Johnson | Neil Joss | Dan Kinsinger | Judith Klink | Casey Kohrt Kendra Lawler | James B. Lindberg | E.F. Lindquist | Jean Lloyd-Jones | Louis Loria | Ken Lowder | Liz Maas | Mark Madsen | Jane McCune William (Bill) Meardon | Glen Meisner | Chris Mottinger | Judy Musser | Connie Mutel | Alan Nagel | Brenda Nations | Judy Nauseef Mary Neuhauser | Jack Neuzil | Jamie Newton | Linda Petersen | Wayne Petersen | Deborah Pullin-Van Auken | Kate Reilly | Lorie Reins-Schweer Robert Sayre | Russell Schmeiser | Steve Schomberg | George Schrimper | Dick Schwab | Nancy Seiberling | Steve Semken | Pat Sippy Dick Sjolund | Mary Somerville | Carol Spaziani | Harold Stager | Sandy Steil | Gene Szymkowiak | Jim Throgmorton | John Van Rybroek Shaun Vecera | Mark Vitosh | Larry Weber | Paul Weller | Mary Woolsey | Seth Zimmermann

Celebrating 45 years of Conservation in Eastern Iowa Current Bur Oak board members share their memories of the Trust and hopes for the future.

Ken Lowder What is your favorite memory from your time with the Trust?

My first involvement with the Trust was as a volunteer property steward at Shimek Ravine. My fellow property steward at the time, Don Bolin, invited me to join him to work at Big Grove Preserve where I continue to volunteer my time. My time working with Don will forever remain my favorite memory. Don was and is a “plant guy” and he taught me so much about the native plants on the site. We worked very hard together to restore the “pasture” at Big

Grove which remains one of my lasting contributions to the preserve.

flames, but also the miracle of growth that happens after the fire week after week.

Why do you support the Trust and why should others?

The challenge of the future is to lower mankind’s carbon imprint and to protect and restore as much native habitat as possible. The Trust will have a direct role in this effort for many years to come.

Why do you support the Trust and why should others?

Human life depends on biodiversity of ecosystems and ever increasingly the sequestration of carbon.

Together we need to protect and restore land in our own local communities; if we hope of protecting Earth for human life.

What is your hope for the future of the Trust?

I hope that the Trust will be able to secure sufficient financial backing to be able to grow our effort across our service area (eastern Iowa).

I would hope that the Trust would become a national model for our efforts.

Liz Maas What is your favorite memory from your time with the Trust?

I grew up in Iowa City and attended Shimek Elementary.

I have a very clear memory of school staff burning the prairie behind the elementary school. I know this planted one of the many seeds that influenced my desire to become an ecologist and practice the use of prescribed fire. Later, being part of the Trust Stewardship Team that got to burn the Shimek woods and the school’s prairie was like being nine years old all over again, watching the

What is your hope for the future of the Trust?

To be seen as a leader in responsible land management and restoration, to sustainably grow and continue to protect and enjoy more properties.

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Growing through conservation

By Sarah Lawinger, Land Steward

Catching up with two former Bur Oak AmeriCorps members who are now in conservation careers.

Elena Wolff Elena Wolff of East Peoria, Illinois, joined the Bur Oak Land Trust AmeriCorps stewardship crew in February 2020. She came to us following a position with the Wisconsin Conservation Corps, a position which first sparked her interest in continuing fieldwork and led her to apply to serve with Bur Oak. “It felt like a real position,” she said, describing how the Bur Oak program considers its members as young career professionals and maintains an open and collaborative atmosphere.

During her time in the program, Wolff developed new technical skills, most notably in prescribed fire activities and chainsaw use.

One of her fondest memories with the Trust is painting the large-scale mural on the barn at Belgum Grove. “During a very labor-intensive position, it was an opportunity to be creative,” she said. The mural was completed in August 2020 and is well-loved by the preserve’s visitors.

During the AmeriCorps members’ terms, Bur Oak staff often organize “career talks,” during which we have local conservation professionals

come speak to the crew about their career path and position. These are designed in hopes that it will give members some ideas about what options are out there when they complete their term. Wolff cited one of these talks with the Johnson County Conservation Naturalists as sparking her interest in outdoor education. It inspired her to return to school and study environmental education at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point During her undergraduate career, she has taken many excellent courses and secured a teaching assistant position in which she gets to guide students through plant identification exercises. Wolff will graduate in May 2023 and hopes to continue working as a naturalist in the Midwest.

She looked back at her time with Bur Oak, citing again how much she enjoyed the intensive work and the camaraderie of the team. Wolff recognized the value of a good working atmosphere and continues to remember the time spent here while she searches for her next position: “[Bur Oak Land Trust] set the bar for me.”

Ian Mancini Perhaps Bur Oak’s first internationally-reaching AmeriCorps Alum, Ian Mancini of Barneveld, New York, spoke fondly of his time with Bur Oak Land Trust. His interview was conducted from a remote basecamp in Africa, the call plagued by spotty internet connectivity and an evening chorus of crickets.

Back in March 2022, Mancini joined the AmeriCorps program as the Mapping and Monitoring Coordinator.

As a professional with many years of experience as a landscape architect, he found the more niche field of land management difficult to break into, despite his background.

His impetus for applying for the AmeriCorps position in Iowa was to learn more about geographic information systems (GIS), drone use, and applied land management techniques and decision making. “[This position] directly benefited me in a number of ways,” he said, going on to state that the experience gave him the opportunity to see and participate in professional land management at a high level. He was able to complete mapping and media projects, utilize a drone for surveillance during prescribed burns, and participate in many stewardship projects in the field.

Today, Mancini works as a land management assistant in Zambia’s capital province, Lusaka, on approximately

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90,000 acres of remote protected land bordering the Lower Zambezi National Park. He’s tasked with not just making land management decisions, but with creating a conservation plan which marries the land’s stewardship needs with the region’s need for ecotourism, activities whose funding helps ensure long term sustainability of the program. This plan involves restricting logging and mining practices, as well as the deployment of anti-poaching units to protect game species from being illegally harvested.

Now a land manager at the international level, Mancini cited what he learned as a Bur Oak AmeriCorps member as having informed the decisions he’s making today: “[The experience] changed how I think about land management…and directly affected my current and future career path.”

Event Sponsors A special thanks to our event sponsors who make our community programming possible.

Through your support, we are able to engage the community in conservation projects that strengthen Iowa’s ecosystems while connecting people to nature.

38th Annual Prairie Preview

Thank you to our 2023 Sponsors

Belgum Groove: Coming June 2023

Project Sponsors A big hand and thank you to our Project Sponsors for helping to make 15,000 hours of field work possible. With your help, our properties, wildlife and guests benefit from active land management and access.

To learn more about sponsorship, visit buroaklandtrust.org

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Doing more for the outdoors

PO Box 2523 Iowa City, IA 52244-2523

buroaklandtrust.org

Swallowtail Sustaining Member Become a sustaining member and support pollinators!

Every donation to support Bur Oak Land Trust’s mission makes a huge impact on habitat for zebra swallowtails, monarchs, and many other butterflies and pollinators.

To protect pollinators every day of the year, consider making a recurring donation of $30 a month. That’s only a dollar a day to protect Iowa’s vulnerable pollinators!

As a recurring donor, you will get special perks like our bi-annual magazine, invitations to special field trips, and more.

Sign up today by scanning the QR Code: Or visit buroaklandtrust.org/donate