The tallgrass prairie is located near the gravesite of Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover on the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. The field is home to various life forms, ranging from beautiful flowers to frogs and squirrels. The Biological Science Technician at the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, Sydney Foster, oversees maintenance and restoration of the tallgrass prairie on Hoover Campus.

The reconstructed 80-acre tallgrass prairie, over 50 years old, hosts more than two hundred plant species. Sydney notes that counting the various life forms is challenging due to their ever-changing nature with seasons and years. This prairie is one of Iowa’s oldest, and the restoration operations involve intensive research on invasive species, field data collection, and management strategies like herbicide spraying or controlled burns to foster new growth.

Day-to-day operations for restoration of the prairie can range from doing intensive research about invasive species, going into the field to collect data and making note of invasive areas, or a day-to-day operation could look like working to get rid of species by either spraying herbicide or planning a controlled burn to clear parts of the field to allow for new growth opportunities. Most of the research and planning that goes into prairie restoration is focusing on how to best prepare the field to eliminate the species or how to best mitigate the spreading of invasive species. Many of the day-to-day tasks often change according to the season, if there is an opportunity for growth, or a chance to eliminate or minimize the spreading of an invasive species.

Interestingly enough, Sydney highlights that tangible results in prairie restoration can take years, given the need for soil recovery after years of tillage. The project operates on a 5-10-year scale, aiming to enhance biodiversity and control invasive species at Hoover Campus. Efforts also focus on attracting new species by creating suitable habitats, such as maintaining ponds for frogs and small fish.

In addition, Sydney and the Parks Service are always taking additional steps to attract new and distinct species, whether that be uprooting plants to allow for new growth. This could also include maintaining ponds and pools of water buildup to increase hospitality for life forms such as frogs or even small fish. Sydney mentioned that one of her favorite aspects of her job is finding new species that are adapting to new areas or finding species that have a unique mutation and trying to foster their well-being by supporting their habitat with what the species needs to adapt to the unfamiliar environment.

The tallgrass prairie is an 80-acre unfragmented field; typically, in Iowa, most prairie fields are fragmented or broken up by man-made objects such as an interstate or farm fields, where species cannot grow organically. Furthermore, the tallgrass prairie does not link or intertwine with other large natural areas, which can also prevent growth and diversification within the field. This makes for a special prairie field, given that it is 80-acres of uninterrupted land for various life forms to adapt to the habitat without constraints such as farmland or roads interrupting the field. The land is not only historically significant but also holds value in being a home to so many amazing life forms that are worth exploring and taking the time to learn.

The tallgrass prairie is open year-round and available to the public, offering over two miles of trails. Right now is a great time to explore, as the flowers are in bloom and the wildlife is very active.

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