Sand Prairie

 

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting two beautiful sand prairies in Iowa over the past year: Corriell Nature Preserve, a Bur Oak Land Trust property near Atalissa, and Big Sand Mound Nature Preserve, near Muscatine. Both preserves have restricted access to the public; the visit to Corriell was part of an Iowa Master Naturalists outing, and Big Sand Mound has a field day every few years where the public is welcomed to visit and learn about the unique ecosystem and its inhabitants (IMN was also treated to a “herp field trip” at Big Sand Mound this summer).

Sand prairies can be formed when sand is carried out of nearby river valleys by winds and deposited, often forming hills (known as aeolian sand hills, “aeolian” pertaining to the actions of winds), the sand having been initially left in the wake of melting glaciers. The dry substrate can allow unique plants to flourish, and both Corriell and Big Sand Mound had an abundance of attractive and charismatic flowering plants including Whorled Milkweed, Spotted Bee Balm, and Opuntia Cactus. They can also serve as a safe haven for threatened animals; Big Sand Mound monitors populations of mud turtles and wildlife surveys at Corriell have revealed it is inhabited by endangered bats.

Having learned about these uncommon types of prairie, I was intrigued to learn more about Iowa City’s own Sand Prairie, less than a mile away from the Sycamore Greenway.  

Iowa’s City’s Sand Prairie, acquired by the city in 2005, is a 38-acre remnant that was protected from development by local activists (development of a nearby subdivision proceeded, displacing a population of around 50 Ornate Box Turtles, which were moved by the Iowa DNR to make way for the houses). It is believed to be a prairie remnant, one of those rare scraps of land in our state that managed to escape the plow (though it likely was grazed and mined for sand).

"Not your neighborhood Honey Locust"

Sloping from just west of Wetherby Park down to S. Gilbert near Napoleon Park, the park is edged with woods along its perimeter and pocked with a variety of shrubs—including numerous stumpy Honey Locusts. Not your familiar, neutered neighborhood Honey Locusts standing tall and tidy in front of a house, oh no. These are your wild, feisty locusts sporting hundreds of menacing pointy red thorns as long as your finger. These and other scrubby woody plants could be controlled with burns (Sand Prairie was burned in 2015 in fact, though it seems overdue for another!).

Tall spikes of yellow-flowered Common Mullein abound; this velvet-leaved non-native has made itself at home here. There is also copious poison ivy blanketing the grass in many areas, with no mowed paths or trails; not a place for a casual jaunt but suitably pantsed and bootsed one can wander to the heart’s content.

Tall spikes of Common Mullein abound

Despite these challenges, Sand Prairie is enchanting. Once you venture over the hill and out of sight of Gilbert St., it feels secluded and quiet. Although overcome by invading grasses and scrub, there are pockets of small flowers that have maintained a foothold. Humongous bumble bees make the rounds of the Bee Balm, and to my delight grasshoppers and katydids abound. During my visit a pair of American Kestrels passed overhead and a tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird perched on a tree branch as an unseen Field Sparrow sang in the distance.

Tune in to the Sycamore Greenway Friends Facebook or Instagram pages this week to see some of the floral and faunal neighbors making their home in this Iowa City gem.

 

Sources/Additional Reading:

• Iowa City South District Plan (2015)
• Iowa City Natural Areas Inventory and Management Plan (2018)
• Iowa City Natural Areas: Inventory, Management Needs and Assessment (February, 2016)