Explore the Map

Seeded in December 2021, the Central Prairie is the original core of the restoration effort. The upper, sunnier portion of the Prairie was seeded with Prairie Moon’s “Mixed-Height Prairie” mix, and the lower, shadier part was seeded with the “Tallgrass Woods Edge” mix. This divide is evident because the shade is absolutely dominated by three species of native rye which were mostly absent in the Mixed-Height mix.   Additional seed was added to these mixes to increase plant diversity, adding up to over 90 potential species. Some Ninebark, Serviceberry, and Gray Dogwood shrubs from the Iowa DNR have also been planted closer to the woods. 

The Open Woodland, seeded in January 2024, is the first expansion of the restoration beyond the Central Prairie. It took two years of site prep before seeding due to an abundance of invasive species and woody debris covering the site. The area used to be much shadier, but the death of multiple trees caused light to pour into the understory. While the site is ultimately dominated by Black Walnut trees, many small trees from the Iowa DNR have been planted throughout, particularly Oaks. The seed mix is a version of the “Tallgrass Woods Edge” mix from Prairie Moon modified to take walnut tolerance into account. 

The far woods comprise the area directly across Fortune Creek from the Open Woodland which I started making a trail through in spring of 2024. It is composed of mostly native species including a prominent Black Raspberry population spread throughout the understory. Aside from keeping invasives in check and occasionally planting plugs or trees to increase biodiversity, the area needs little work. 

In May 2024 after noticing my neighbors had stopped mowing part of their lawn, I approached them and offered to seed and maintain it for free, to which they agreed. Aside from turf grass and some common weeds like clover, the area has a notable population of native Viola sororia, violets, with the bicolor blue and white color variation. After taking the summer and fall of 2024 to complete site prep, I plan to seed this expansion with a combination of Prairie Moon’s “Shortgrass Echinacea Prairie” mix in the sun and their “Shortgrass Woods Edge” mix in the shade. I will also include some supplemental seed collected from the Central Prairie to ease the visual transition between the two sections. 

The Prairie Expansion in 2024 brought with it the opportunity to incorporate the adjacent woodland into Fortune Grove. Compared to the Far Woods, there are significantly more invasive species, especially grasses, throughout this area, and as a result, it will need more intensive maintenance and introduction of native species. The girdling of multiple invasive mulberry trees will help bring sunlight to the forest floor, allowing for a wider variety of native plants. 

The East Woods were acquired in 2024 shortly after the West Woods, although I had done some trail maintenance and debris clearing in previous years for our neighbors. The striking feature of this area is the massive Cottonwood tree looming over the creek, perhaps the only tree in the Grove which is anywhere near 100 years old. Along the edge of the woods, boxelder trees and invasives used to cast a deep shade on the ground, leaving it largely barren. With the removal of these species over the course of the year, the edge can be seeded.