LRTF projects on display at Prairie Conference

	North American Prairie Conference participants saw a number of LRTF-funded projects during conference field trips in the Cedar Falls area in early August. Left: Sarah Benedict shows the infiltrometer used in research comparing water interception and infiltration between various grass communities. Below: Roots of plants growing in 10 ft. deep pots will eventually be extracted and preserved for an interpretive display explaining the deep root systems of prairie perennials.

Professional development grant funds Wetland Delineation Workshop

	Roadside managers, county engineers, and others from Iowa county engineer offices attended a wetland delineation workshop near Ames in late June. A professional development LRTF grant, coordinated by the state IRVM Program Office, paid for the event. Above left: Soil Scientist Mark Minger points out soil features while looking for wetland indicators. Above right: Neal Jonson of Army Corps of Engineers looks on as Mark consults his Munsell soil color chart. Left: Workshop group heads into floodplain woods along the South Skunk River.

New 'Tallgrass Prairie' exhibit on tour

	A new Iowa Association of Naturalist (IAN) traveling exhibit is on tour. The educational exhibit, funded in part by the LRTF, explains the value of prairies and native plant species. One panel of the exhibit is devoted to integrated roadside vegetation management in Iowa. Information about the exhibit -- and the tour schedule -- can be found at the IAN website.

GIS Roadside Management database workshop

A new GIS database has been created to help county and state roadside personnel track integrated roadside vegetation management activities in their jurisdictions. The Des Moines County GIS Commission received LRTF funding to create the database. Pictured is Des Moines County GIS Coordinator Matt Warner (left), working with state and county representatives at a recent workshop. The new database complements an existing roadside inventory database.

Transportation Enhancement seed pick-up

	County Roadside Managers gathered at UNI on April 14 and 15 to pick up their county's share of Transportation Enhancement (TE) seed. 2010 marks the 13th year the IRVM Program Office has received a federal TE grant to purchase seed for county roadside plantings in Iowa. Approximately 20,000 PLS lbs. of seed was distributed among 45 counties this year. More information is available here.

Prescribed fire workshop development

The Living Roadway Trust Fund, Iowa Native Lands, and UNI's Tallgrass Prairie Center have teamed up to develop prescribed fire workshops specific to Iowa. The workshops will focus on prairie and roadsides. In November, representatives from various conservation organizations, county IRVM programs, and Farm Bureau Insurance met with workshop developers at Camp Dodge to give feedback on a demonstration burn (pictured above), and to provide input for course curriculum. One-day workshops for landowners and two-day workshops for professionals are tentatively planned for Fall 2010. The ultimate goal of the effort is to get more acres safely and effectively burned in Iowa.