July 25th Jasper County (south-central Iowa)

Rock Creek State Park manages a site (the former Reichelt Unit of the Stephens State Forest) that has an approximately 20 acre good quality, hilly mesic prairie on its western end.  Mark J. Leoschke, botanist for the Wildlife Bureau of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in Des Moines, will lead us on an exploration of the summer prairie flora.

Directions:

From the intersection of U.S. Interstate 80 (east of Newton) and State Highway 224 go north on State Highway 224 (Kellogg exit).  Drive about 1.5 miles to U.S. Highway 6 (about 0.5 mile north of this intersection is the town of Kellogg and a convenience store if you need food, ice or gasoline).  Turn right (east) onto U.S. Highway 6 and travel about two miles (cross a river and railroad tracks) to a gravel lane on the south (right) side of the road.  Drive up the lane and turn east (left) into a gravel parking lot.  We will rendezvous in the parking lot and walk southwest to the prairie (west of the lane that leads to the parking lot).  The prairie is also west of a former farmstead that is now full of trees (you can see this from U.S. Highway 6).