Save the Date!

 

2025 IPN Winter Seminar

February 15th, 2025

Ames High School, Ames, IA

 

Register here!​

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The Winter Seminar will be held Saturday February 15, 2025, at Ames High School. Doors open for registration at 8:30 am, and morning sessions begin at 9:30 am. Lunches are free for preregistered attendees thanks to a grant from the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, and catering is arranged by the Outdoor Alliance of Story County.

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Register by February 8th to reserve a sack lunch. Late registrations will need to make separate arrangements for lunch.

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Attendees are encouraged to bring items for the silent auction. Please let Carman Rosburg, crosburg@prrcd.org, know if you have silent auction items to donate.

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The 2025 Silent Auction recipient will be the Richard W. Pohl Memorial Preserve, popularly known as “Ames High Prairie.” The 22-acre preserve is located on the west side of Ames High School, close to Ioway Creek, and contains 7-8 acres of tallgrass prairie remnant, with the rest woodlands.  In 1997, it became part of the Iowa State Preserve System, because of its high biological value, which gives it protected status.  It is owned by the Ames Community School District, and currently managed under agreement by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. 

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Parts of it are a high-quality remnant prairie and frequently used by Ames High School science and biology teachers and students, The Ames Community Academy, and Iowa State University Natural Resources and Ecological Management students.  Work, mostly by volunteers, has significantly reduced woody encroachment since then, but more work and maintenance are needed. ​ At least 147 species of plants, and over 100 species of birds are found and seen at the preserve.  Regal fritillary and indigo duskywing butterflies have also been observed. 

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View the full agenda here or download a pdf here.