Trees Forever offering Stewards of the Beautiful Land Summer Courses

MARION — Trees Forever and the University of Northern Iowa's Tallgrass Prairie Center announce the revival of a popular workshop series, Stewards of the Beautiful Land, which focuses on caring, planting and managing native prairie and trees.

The first of four online classes will be held on Tuesday, with the following classes to be held monthly throughout the summer on July 13, Aug. 10 and Sept. 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. Monthly prairie walkabout sessions will be held in four Iowa counties as in-person supplements to the classes. Locations and dates for the walkabouts will be announced during the classes. Walkabout locations will include Benton, Cerro Gordo, Henry, and Montgomery/Page counties. Find registration and more details at www.TreesForever.org/Stewards. Please register by Monday.

"We love offering this unique learning hybrid of online webinars with the additional field days," said Emily Swihart, Trees Forever program manager. "People are excited to get back out into nature, and the subject matter of how to care for our land is more relevant than ever. We need native plants to create habitat, manage stormwater, protect our soil and create beautiful communities."

"A lot of people don't realize what Iowa's native landscape looks like. These workshops will give people an opportunity to see what each individual can personally do to revitalize what was here and be a voice for native plants in their communities," said Kristine Nemec, Iowa Roadside Management Coordinator at the Tallgrass Prairie Center.

Trees Forever experts and other invited partners will provide instruction on:

• Plant identification

• What, where and how to plant

• Establishment practices

• Pollinator habitat needs

• Threats to native habitat

• Advocacy opportunities

• Available resources

A $25 fee covers educational materials. The Stewards of the Beautiful Land course is made possible through support from the Living Roadway Trust Fund of the Iowa Department of Transportation, along with local partners and Trees Forever members.

Contact Emily Swihart by phone at (563) 260-1000 or via email at eswihart@treesforever.org with questions.