Prairie STRIPS & Conservation Easements Field Day
Join us for a field day to learn about two great conservation methods to protect your soil and land value – Prairie STRIPS and Conservation Easements. These practices are ideal for cropland as well as other types of properties that are at risk of soil erosion and native habitat loss.
We’ll tour a recently installed prairie strip on a property just outside of Viroqua, Wisconsin. The landowner, Dr. John Van Dyke, and John Delaney, agroecologist at Valley Stewardship Network, will share information and show the new conservation practice called Prairie STRIPS. Planting strips of tallgrass prairie as a buffer at the edge of crop fields can provide multiple services from improving water quality and soil health to providing resources for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. Research from Iowa State University’s prairie STRIPS research project has demonstrated that prairie buffers can significantly reduce sediment and nutrient export as well as improving water infiltration. This event provides an excellent opportunity to see a prairie STRIPS project in its first year.
The second conservation practice to be presented will be conservation easements. Megen D. Kabele, conservation specialist at Mississippi Valley Conservancy, will provide information about creating a conservation easement to conserve your land in perpetuity, as well as ensuring long-term maintenance of conservation practices like prairie STRIPS.
Don’t miss this opportunity to witness a cutting edge conservation practice and learn about ways to protect your investment in our rural landscape. The event is free and lunch will be provided. Please contact John Delaney with any questions or to register 608-637-3615, [email protected]. Registration deadline: August 10th.