Giada Explorada

Yesterday was a perfect float day, nothing better than that!

Raccoon River - Walnut Woods to Water Works
8.5 miles - 5 hours (including stops)
Higher flow than “normal” so we were able to explore up Walnut Creek!

recent adventures at Jester Park

you know the drill - pics from the prairie and beyond

From a recent day of play at Ledges State Park 🪨 🌈 💦 ⛺️

This week in the prairie and beyond 🌺

Pics from the prairie: seed harvesting nonstop! More and more plants are going to seed, and we typically have a short window in which we can harvest the seed before it falls off the plant.

Harvesting Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) in the prairie last week. The bright purple flowers only last one day before melting (a process called deliquesce), and the pigment stained my hands through my gloves! Only a temporary stain, but I wonder how it could be used for a pigment.

I made a video about harvesting this species in 2023, which I did as a volunteer for 💜

Work field trip to a beautiful property in Madison County with remnant and restored prairie, Iowa’s oldest oak tree at Pammel (former) State Park, and Allendan Seed Company.

Blooming of the Prickly Pear Cacti 🌼

Did you know that Iowa has 3 native cactus species? They are all in the prickly pear family, and have large paddle-like shaped pads and grow low to the ground in sandy prairie or rocky spots.

Within Iowa, these species can only be found in 7 locations. One of them is the Eddyville Sand Dunes Prairie, which I visited this past weekend! The flowers only bloom for one day, so I feel very fortunate to have been able to see so many!