Urban Prairie Project 

Des Moines Parks and Recreation has integrated small of the Urban Prairie Project has create small pockets of native prairie plants throughout the City of Des Moines that serve as both educational resources and spaces for recreation. These spaces will be located in city parks, schools, and other institutions.  

 In schools, these pockets of prairie will serve as outdoor classrooms for children and allow for field trip opportunities right in the schoolyard. In parks, these plantings will reduce erosion, decrease the run-off of chemicals into our waters, and create habitats for animals. Throughout the city, these prairie plants will provide a picture of Iowa’s past, an opportunity to learn about a fascinating and rapidly disappearing ecosystem, and a uniquely beautiful landscape that will return a small measure of Iowa’s wildness to the city. For more about the goal of this project and more about prairies click here.  

Prairie areas can be found at various places throughout Des Moines.  See the list of parks and complexes with prairie areas below.

Ewing Park - southeast and southwest areas

Grandview Park

Gray's Lake Park

Greenwood Park

MacRae Park

Pioneer Park

Union Park

Glendale Cemetery - northwest corner

Grandview Golf Course

Greater Des Moines Softball Complex

Ecology

In urbanized settings, the lives of people are intertwined with natural environments and urban ecosystems.  Human behavior is an integral component of ecological science.  The 2009 Tree Report presented to the Park Board provides some insight into what can be accomplished in the way of civic ecology as well as some ways that Des Moines has involved with national and global initiatives. 

2009 Tree Planting Report Presented to Park Board

Tree City USA - Growth Award

The National Arbor Day Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources - Forestry Bureau has presented the City of Des Moines with the 2009 Tree City USA Growth Award.

Des Moines was one of 27 Iowa communities to qualify for Tree City USA Growth status. To receive the award a city must meet four minimum requirements in the following categories: 1) Education and Public Relations, 2) Partnerships, 3) Planning and Management, and 4) Tree Planting and Maintenance. 

The 2009 Tree City USA Growth Award was presented to Mayor Frank Cownie and Councilman Skip Moore at the 20th Annual Community Forestry Awards Luncheon, held at the Airport Holiday Inn in Des Moines on April 6, 2010. 

Prescribed Burn Program

In nature fire is essential to maintain the integrity of the native prairie and woodland plant species located in our parks.  Fire is a natural occurrence that helps the plant and animal communities in a park and controlled burning offers a safer way to use fire in a helpful manner.  The benefits of prescribed burns include:

Aid in reducing the undesirable plants from invading our prairie and woodlands

Help maintain a rich diversity of wildflowers and grasses

Encourage oak and other native trees to naturally regenerate in our woodlands

Decrease threat of a wildfire by decreasing the accumulation of combustibles

Benefit water quality by aiding in the establishment of deep-rooted natives

Improve the natural beauty and enjoyment of our parks

Experienced park staff conduct the prescribed burns.  The Parks Burn Crew has been certified in accordance with a nationally-standardized testing program for professionals participating in wild-land burns.  Park staff members have studied fire behavior and fire control techniques to ensure the safety of the burn crew, residents and private property. 

See the list of prescribed burn plans to learn more about the various burn plans in place for the park and trail systems.

Ewing Park                                       Grays Lake                       Pioneer Park                                 Union Park

Gay Lea Wilson Trail North               Greenwood Park                   Prospect Park                                    Waveland Golf Course

Gay Lea Wilson Trail South              MacRae Park                       Sargent Park                                    Witmer Park

Glendale Cemetery                           McHenry Park                       Des Moines Softball Complex               Woodlawn Park

Grandview Park                               Meredith Trail                     Tonawanda Drive

Invasive Plant Management

In November of 2007 the Des Moines Park and Recreation Department began measures to control garlic mustard, an aggressive biennial plant that is an increasing threat to the aesthetics and ecological integrity of the woodlands in the city’s Greenwood and Ashworth Parks, located from 45th to 49th Streets, between Grand Avenue and the Raccoon River.  Initial eradication efforts will involve herbicide application when the temperature is above freezing this fall through early spring; native plants will be dormant, but the garlic mustard plants will remain green and photosynthesizing.  Native plants, which emerge later in the spring, will not be affected by the herbicide because the glyphosate herbicide, known on the retail market by such brand names as Roundup, is not residual in the soil.  As is typically the case with herbicide applications, people are asked to stay off treated areas for 24 hours following treatment; dated signs along major entries to the park areas indicate when those portions will be again be available for use.

Intensive follow-up efforts using multiple control techniques over the course of the next four to five years are necessary in order to deplete the seed bank of the garlic mustard in the soil.  Measures will include spring prescribed burns, further herbicide applications and cutting of plants.  Thereafter, continued monitoring and routine maintenance as well as eradication by property owners adjacent to the parks will be necessary to prevent another outbreak of garlic mustard.

A native of Europe, the rapidly spreading plant was introduced in the United States in the mid-1800s for medicinal and herbal purposes and has no native predatory insects or other natural controls to curb its rapid spread in this country. Growing tall and dense within a few years, it crowds out woodland understory plants such as wildflowers, ferns and tree seedlings as well as wildlife habitat.  Garlic mustard prefers shaded and semi-shaded areas, and spreads most rapidly in highly-disturbed areas such as along trails, waterways and forest edges.  According to Cathy Mabry McMullen, Ph.D, adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University,
 

Natural Resource Inventory

The Snapshot is a periodic look into the natural resource inventory being conducted of the city's park and open space system in 2011.  Click here for the newsletter.