Volunteers help restore savanna grasslands

Volunteers worked through muddy grounds and rainfall Saturday morning at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Prairie City to help the restoration process of the savanna.

The annual service project was also to celebrate Earth Day and inform individuals on the importance of conservation.

Transporting sticks and logs from the grounds to larger burn piles were the main jobs assigned to volunteers.

The NSNWR does all of its tree cutting during the winter, leaving large branches and logs covering the grass. In order to make room for native wildlife to continue growing, the sticks must be removed from the grounds.

Megan Wandag, visitor services specialist at NSNWR, coordinated the event. People gathered at the center around 9 a.m. for an informational presentation on what the volunteers would be doing and why the process of cutting trees and removing the branches is critical for the savanna.

“Having all of those things cut will allow the sunlight to reach the ground so the savanna can begin to grow and also so young oak and hickory trees can start to grow,” Wandag said. “Getting all of the cut material out of there will create more space for plants to grow and it will allow us to mow in that area.”

Mowing is required in the restoration process because the non-native plants grow quickly and can easily out-compete the native wildlife. Wandag said refuge staff mow in order to prevent the invasive plants from taking over.

Following the presentation, volunteers were then taken to the site by bus. Many kids participated with their parents, along with area Boy Scout troops and a group from Des Moines Area Community College.

Andrew Spargo, a DMACC student, was a first-time volunteer at the NSNWR Earth Day service project.

“I’m an environmental science major so I should probably do environmental work and help out,” Spargo said.

The volunteers worked until noon, when they were then transported back to the NSNWR for a free lunch provided by the Friends of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.

In two hours of work, nearly every loose branch and stick was cleared from the savanna grounds and piled onto the burn piles, according to Wandag.

“Considering the size of the group we had and the weather we were dealing with, I think we accomplished a lot and did really great,” Wandag said. “I think people were really excited to be here. Nobody seemed to mind getting their feet wet and being out there in the cold weather.”

Approximately 50 volunteers attended Saturday morning to help with the restoration process.

The NSNWR’s next service project will be in the fall as volunteers will be seed collecting before the winter.

Contact Alex Olp at
aolp@newtondailynews.com