Cayler Prairie State Preserve
Cayler Prairie State Preserve is a 160-acre land parcel of tallgrass prairie located in the northwest region of the U.S. state of Iowa near Spirit Lake. It is a National Natural Landmark.
Description
Cayler Prairie is dominated by big bluestem grass. Prairie forbs include (in spring) golden alexander and Lambert's crazyweed, (in summer) sawtooth sunflower and prairie rose, and (in fall) Missouri goldenrod, New England aster and dotted gayfeather. The prairie rose that blooms here is the state flower of Iowa. Adjacent wetlands are managed in combination with the prairie, and historically much of the visitation to the prairie has been connected with wetland and upland wildfowl hunting.[1]
The prairie was uncovered by botanist Ada Hayden in 1944, who recommended that it be preserved as one of the last remaining patches of old-growth tallgrass prairie in Iowa. In 1958, the Cayler family underwrote the prairie's transfer to the Iowa Conservation Commission. The tallgrass parcel was named as a National Natural Landmark in 1966, and was dedicated as a state nature preserve in 1971.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Cayler Prairie State Preserve". America's State Parks. Retrieved 2015-04-23.