Our Work in Story CountY - SERVICE PROJECTS
Tedesco Environmental Learning Corridor Service Project
On a wonderful spring evening, 15 volunteers, Ames Rotarians, Kohl’s employees and members of the Outdoor Alliance of Story County planted more than 50 native trees and shrubs with five Story County Conservation staff. The trees and bushes included white and burr oaks, redbud, hazelnut, honey locust, sycamore, nine-bark, nanny-berry and viburnum. It will take a while for the prairie, bushes and trees to be established and thrive. Still, its already is a great place to get outside, get some exercise and explore. The park is named after former Ames mayor and businessman Ted Tedesco and is a joint effort by the City of Ames, Iowa State University and Story County Conservation. The 37-acre park is in the ISU Research Park. The park focuses on “conservation techniques, sustainable technologies, environmental education, water quality awareness and trail connectivity.” |
Prairie Seed Collecting at Hickory Park
It was a cold, windy, and damp fall day in late September. Steve Lekwa, former director of Story County Conservation, led a brief orientation on seed collecting. Eight volunteers, five from Kohl's and three from the Outdoor Alliance, spread out across the prairie at Hickory Grove Park. The prairie seed they collected included common milkweed, round-headed bush clover, yellow coneflower, rattlesnake master, mountain mint, and some compass plant.
Out of the wind and in a much appreciated heated garage, the volunteers’ made progress cleaning the seed they collected as well as other seed that needed to be cleaned.
It was a cold, windy, and damp fall day in late September. Steve Lekwa, former director of Story County Conservation, led a brief orientation on seed collecting. Eight volunteers, five from Kohl's and three from the Outdoor Alliance, spread out across the prairie at Hickory Grove Park. The prairie seed they collected included common milkweed, round-headed bush clover, yellow coneflower, rattlesnake master, mountain mint, and some compass plant.
Out of the wind and in a much appreciated heated garage, the volunteers’ made progress cleaning the seed they collected as well as other seed that needed to be cleaned.
Water Monitoring
Water Monitoring at the Tedesco Environmental Learning Corridors is part of the countywide assessment of water quality. Story County Conservation and its partners, including Prairie Rivers of Iowa and the Outdoor Alliance, are just getting this effort started. The goal is to set up volunteer training sessions and have the volunteers help create the data needed to preserve the water quality we depend on now and far into the future. |
Service Project at Carroll Prairie
In June 2018, Story County Conservation teamed up with a great group of volunteers from Kohl's and the Outdoor Alliance of Story County for an evening of removing fencing from interior sections of Carroll Prairie, a 49 acres of land which was recently acquired by Story County Conservation. West Indian Creek flows through Carroll Prairie.
Kohl's has been a great partner and this project is this is the fourth with the Outdoor Alliance. It was hot, humid evening. We ended the day with a pick-up truck loaded with barbed wire, a good size pile of fence posts and some well deserved cold ice-cream.
In June 2018, Story County Conservation teamed up with a great group of volunteers from Kohl's and the Outdoor Alliance of Story County for an evening of removing fencing from interior sections of Carroll Prairie, a 49 acres of land which was recently acquired by Story County Conservation. West Indian Creek flows through Carroll Prairie.
Kohl's has been a great partner and this project is this is the fourth with the Outdoor Alliance. It was hot, humid evening. We ended the day with a pick-up truck loaded with barbed wire, a good size pile of fence posts and some well deserved cold ice-cream.
Planting Shade Trees at Dakins Lake
Kohl's Cares Program has again joined Outdoor Alliance in volunteering with the Story County Conservation. As part of their volunteer program, the Outdoor Alliance received a $500 grant from Kohl’s in 2017. This grant was only available to non-governmental groups like the Outdoor Alliance of Story County.
Tree planting is the next step in the expansion of Dakins Lake. The campground now has modern hookups. The improvements also included new restrooms and picnic shelters with kitchenette. The lake was expanded in 2015 to include wetlands on the west side of the park.
Thank to the Story County Conservation staff and all 15 volunteers that made our work possible. We planted a variety of trees including Cherry, Dogwoods, Ginkgo, and Honey Locust trees along the lake and campground. Campers will enjoy the shade trees as they grow.
Hickory Grove Paths Receive Needed Gravel
The Outdoor Alliance received a $1,500 grant from Kohl’s in 2015. This grant was only available to non-governmental groups like the Outdoor Alliance of Story County.
As part of the grant, Kohl’s employees volunteer several hours. Working with the Outdoor Alliance volunteers and Story County Conservation staff, we resurfaced a section of a trail at Story County Conservation’s Hickory Park.
This was our first service project with Kohl’s employees and Story County Conservation. There have been many since then. We look forward to the next one.
The Outdoor Alliance received a $1,500 grant from Kohl’s in 2015. This grant was only available to non-governmental groups like the Outdoor Alliance of Story County.
As part of the grant, Kohl’s employees volunteer several hours. Working with the Outdoor Alliance volunteers and Story County Conservation staff, we resurfaced a section of a trail at Story County Conservation’s Hickory Park.
This was our first service project with Kohl’s employees and Story County Conservation. There have been many since then. We look forward to the next one.
Environmental Education:
School Children Service Learning Projects
The students learn about their service project and then roll-up their sleeves and work with Story County Conservation.
The Outdoor Alliance and its partners, first supported the service learning projects in 2013 and through the 2017-18 school. Since then, the students have provided hundreds of volunteer hours helping Story County Conservation remove honeysuckle, garlic mustard and other invasive plants, harvest prairie seed and with other projects. The Outdoor Alliance's role was simple: we along with our major funding partner, Pheasants Forever and Big Bluestem Audubon, helped schools pay for bus transportation.
Story County Conservation Wild Women of the Woods
The Outdoor Alliance has supported women in the outdoors coming together to explore the outdoors, learn or improve skills and network with other women. Since Covid pandemic has struck in 2020, this event has been scaled back from its weekend schedule to a one day event including workshops and presentations.
School Children Service Learning Projects
The students learn about their service project and then roll-up their sleeves and work with Story County Conservation.
The Outdoor Alliance and its partners, first supported the service learning projects in 2013 and through the 2017-18 school. Since then, the students have provided hundreds of volunteer hours helping Story County Conservation remove honeysuckle, garlic mustard and other invasive plants, harvest prairie seed and with other projects. The Outdoor Alliance's role was simple: we along with our major funding partner, Pheasants Forever and Big Bluestem Audubon, helped schools pay for bus transportation.
Story County Conservation Wild Women of the Woods
The Outdoor Alliance has supported women in the outdoors coming together to explore the outdoors, learn or improve skills and network with other women. Since Covid pandemic has struck in 2020, this event has been scaled back from its weekend schedule to a one day event including workshops and presentations.
