Burials On The Prairie: Dickson Mounds
April 9, 2022
Many years ago, I think it was 1972, I visited a unique place in central Illinois called Dickson Mounds. The story... Read More →
Our Rare Butterfly Plantation, Part II: The Pipevine Swallowtail
November 25, 2021
The pipevine swallowtail is another quite rare butterfly in Iowa. Its caterpillars only eat the leaves of some of the... Read More →
Update on our Rare Butterfly Plantation, Part I: The Zebra Swallowtail
November 18, 2021
You perhaps already know that back in 2010, I began planting about four acres of uncommon native shrubs, vines and... Read More →
The Osage Orange
November 11, 2021
In early autumn, the Osage orange trees in our area become quite conspicuous, with their large and pale green fruits... Read More →
Bur Oak names 2021 Conservation Heroes
November 1, 2021
Each year, Bur Oak Land Trust recognizes an individual in the community who exemplifies our conservation mission. This year, we... Read More →
The English Oak
October 28, 2021
The English oak is native to Europe and formerly played an especially important role in the economy and livelihoods of... Read More →
Future-Proofing Conservation
October 21, 2021
In engineering circles, the concept of safety factors has been evolving for a couple millennia. A rock pyramid, whether in... Read More →
Tree of Disappointment: Colorado Blue Spruce
October 14, 2021
In pots or balled and burlapped in an Iowa nursery, Colorado blue spruce is an exquisite color. Depending upon the... Read More →
An Ocean Disaster and Recovery
June 11, 2021
Once upon a time, some 80 million years ago, the center of the continent we now call North America was... Read More →
Bladdernut: An Unfamiliar Native Shrub
June 4, 2021
The native shrub called bladdernut apparently used to be quite common around here based on reference to it in early... Read More →
