Students in the Prairie Restoration course at the University of Iowa have planted new gardens for years throughout the Iowa City area. 

Michael Fallon, adjunct instructor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the UI, has been teaching the course for the past seven years. 

Fallon previously owned a landscaping company for 15 years, which gave him knowledge and skills in restoring prairie, savanna, and woodland areas. 

Fallon first began prairie restoration projects at the UI when his former student, Megan Lenss, questioned why there was a lack of prairies on and around campus. The pair then worked together to connect with different departments at the UI, such as the Office of Sustainability and Environment, the Athletics Department, and the Biology Department, to begin restoration. 

According to the Story County Conservation Center, more than 80 percent of Iowa used to be covered in tallgrass prairie. But over time, the land has changed as cities, roads, and agriculture fields have been built. 

Today, less than a tenth of a percent of the original prairie remains, which is why prairie restoration among the state of Iowa is essential. 

The Ashton Cross Country Course became the perfect location to begin prairie restoration at the UI. The cross-country course contains a sprawling 80 acres, with 50 acres unused. The different departments collaborated to create the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory, where UI students, researchers, and the local community can visit and learn more about prairies. 

“We built a successful prairie restoration about one acre in size, and that has now grown to about eight acres in total,” Fallon said.

Fallon knew he wanted to continue educating others about the importance of prairies and restoring them. Thus, the Prairie Restoration course was created, along with the expansion of living labs and continuous collaborations with various departments and community partners.

The course continues to be taught, which provides students with practical knowledge and skills in prairie restoration and sustainable landscape design. Students receive hands-on experience, such as preparing the site, distributing seeds, and maintaining the prairie. The course also fosters interdisciplinary learning opportunities across the university. 

“The class is evolving, but its primary focus is to get students outside and to identify plants, identify insects, and learn the basics of restoring prairie and other native landscapes,” Fallon said. 

Fallon and his students recently worked with the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities in West Burlington to create a pollinator garden. 

The project took place in Pat Klein Park, which was chosen for its visibility and proximity to local schools. It also aided in providing ecological, social, cultural, and economic benefits. 

Director Travis Kraus and Community Engagement Specialist Jennifer New from the Iowa Initiative For Sustainable Communities both spoke about the program’s work since the beginning of 2009. 

“We help connect faculty and students to community projects all over the state of Iowa,” Kraus said. “Our partnerships kind of begin with the communities telling us what their needs and opportunities look like.” 

Kraus shared the Iowa Initiative For Sustainable Communities aims to help communities advance local projects and provide students with unique learning opportunities, such as murals, engineering projects, and more. The program is also multidisciplinary and has various projects happening around the UI, Burlington, West Burlington, and other rural communities in Iowa.

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New said the collaboration with Fallon and the Prairie Restoration course began last summer when she accompanied the class on a tour of the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory.

“I think one of the things that was really cool about this project is that West Burlington is hoping that this pollinator garden will set an example and a teachable location so that residents and businesses in the area might come to replicate what Mike and his students did,” New said. 

Fourth-year student at the UI Mackenzie Bengen is currently enrolled in the course and believes it exposes students to essential experiences. 

“This is a unique experience, especially since I’m a biology student, and this is my first time being out in the field, so it’s been just very different and very unique,” Bengen said. 

Bengen said that prairie restoration is essential in fostering environmental stewardship. She also values the course for its practical skills and community impact. 

In addition, Bengen envisions incorporating prairies into her future home and promoting their benefits to others. She highlighted the mental health advantages of nature and the ecological benefits of prairies, such as improved soil health and increased wildlife. 

“I think it’s really important to get that hands-on experience, especially because if people care about the prairie, they have skin in the game, and then they can spread the word to other places,” Bengen said.

In the future, Fallon said he will continue to teach the Prairie Restoration course to educate students and others while benefiting the environment.