MDC to offer free Loess Hills Timber and Prairie Field Day

Loess hills bordering the Missouri River valley in northwest Missouri have forest, woodland, and prairie habitats. The prairie’s have native plants normally found in grasslands in states further west, such as the pink blooming locoweed. Photo courtesy Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The loess hills of northwest Missouri offer unique topography and native plant communities.

Landowners can see examples of how to manage both timber and grasslands on the steep slopes or ridge tops when the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) hosts the free Loess Hill Timber and Prairie Field Day beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 12, at the Jamerson C. McCormack Conservation Area in Holt County.

According to a press release, loess hills in Holt and Atchison counties are a unique geographic landmark. Sometimes the slopes are covered in forest dominated by oak and hickory trees, or they may be more open woodlands. Also the west-facing slopes are hosts to Missouri’s only dry-land prairie remnants, natural areas that often have prairie species normally found farther west.

MDC foresters will begin the workshop by taking participants on a walk through forest. They will cover topics such as timber stand improvement, timber sales, and how to obtain a forest stewardship plan.

Photo courtesy Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation.

A free lunch will be provided by MDC. The McCormack Conservation Area is located off U.S. 159 highway south of Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge near Mound City.

The afternoon session will focus on loess hill prairie restoration. A walking tour will showcase what MDC has accomplished preserving and restoring prairie species. The benefits and challenges associated with prairie restoration will be covered. MDC staff will also discuss cost share opportunities for both forest and prairie improvements.

For more information and to RSVP, contact Jim Pierson, MDC private land conservationist, 660-442-3173, ext. 114, or [email protected].

MDC has several programs to assist private landowners with wildlife and habitat improvements on their property. For more information, visit mdc.mo.gov/property.