Jul 14, 2015

UNI's Tallgrass Prairie Center: Making Iowa Beautiful

Restoring native vegetation for the benefit of society and environment through research, education and technology is something the University of Northern Iowa's Tallgrass Prairie Center knows a lot about.

The center was established at UNI in 1999 as the Native Roadside Vegetation Center. It's located west of campus and utilizes 65 acres of campus and leased land for native seed production plots. Over the years, the center has gone through a number of name changes and has offered a variety of programs and projects.

In 2014, the center compiled a long list of accomplishments and milestones:

  • The Tallgrass Prairie Center distributed native prairie seeds to 35 counties as part of its roadside vegetation program, covering more than 1,100 acres with native vegetation.

  • The Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Program celebrated a 25-year milestone.

  • The Prairie Power Project trained students while advancing a renewable energy resource.

  • The Natural Selections Program brought Iowa native beauty to home and roadside habitat.

For more information about the center's accomplishments and milestones, check out the 2014 Tallgrass Prairie Center Year in Review.

And if you're still interested in learning more about UNI's Tallgrass Prairie Center and what they do for campus and Iowa, attend the Iowa Prairie Conference July 16 through 18.