We are pleased to announce that Catherine Rod will serve as acting director of the Center for Prairie Studies for fall of 2009 while Jon Andelson is on leave. Catherine is Special Collections Librarian and Archivist of the College, and she brings to the job a wide-ranging interest and considerable experience in studies of the prairie region. She has served three times on the Center's advisory board, most recently during the 2008-09 academic year. You can reach Catherine Rod via email.

The new prairie planting outside the Center's offices at Macy House (1205 Park Street) is looking vibrant and vigorous. A dozen or more forb species are in bloom. We invite you to drop by for a look at an alternative aesthetic for home landscaping.

June 12 - September 6
Faulconer Gallery, Grinnell College

Below the Surface
A 21st-Century Look at the Prairie
Below the Surface explores contemporary views of the Midwest and its natural history, infused with overtones of the cultures that now live on the lands that were once a tallgrass prairie. Through photographs, drawings, paintings and prints of landscapes, birds, plants and insects, this exhibition of work by regional and national artists examines how the construction of images affects how we look at the natural world around us. Curated by Lesley Wright.

September 1, 7:30 - 9:00 pm
Bucksbaum Faulconer Gallery, room 131

A reading of prairie texts to celebrate the final week of Faulconer's "Below the Surface and Small Expressions" exhibits and in celebration of Grinnell's 150th year in the town of Grinnell, please join Faulconer Gallery, Grinnell College Libraries, and Prairie Studies for a Prairie Reading. Students, staff and faculty will be joining together to read original works about the prairie and favorite excerpts featuring the prairie from poems, short stories, novels, essays or other writings.

September 5
Art Illustration Workshop with Peggy McNamara

September 5
Center for Prairie Studies Annual Farm Tour to Marshall County "Prairie Farm"

The annual farm tour sponsored by Grinnell College's Center for Prairie Studies will be held Saturday, September 5, from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The public is invited, although reservations are required.

This year the destination is an unusual one. In conjunction with Governor Culver's proclamation of "Prairie Heritage Week" September 6-12, the tour will visit Carl and Linda Kurtz's prairie farm near St. Anthony in Marshall County. The Kurtzes make their living by harvesting seed from their extensive reconstructed prairie and selling it to customers interested in doing prairie landscaping and restoration.

The Kurtzes began planting prairie in 1975, and in 1988 began to develop a mixed source of local ecotype seed for large-scale plantings. They use conventional farm equipment to combine their prairie, which is a diverse mix of species. They use no chemicals. Since most prairie plants are perennials, they do not have to plow and plant every year, and as a consequence their farm loses no soil to erosion.

In addition to farming, Carl is a professional photographer and the author of A Practical Guide to Prairie Reconstruction (2001, University of Iowa Press).

The field trip van will leave at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 5, from the alley behind Macy House (Park Street and Seventh Avenue). To reserve a space, contact Laureen Van Wyk, Program Assistant in the Center for Prairie Studies, at (641) 269-4720 or at vanwyk@grinnell.edu.

September 8, noon - 12:30
Macy House Prairie Garden Tour

Stop by the Macy House at 1205 Park Street for a tour of the Prairie Garden and experience a bit of Iowa's natural heritage in the blooms of late summer. The 1500 square foot garden contains over 30 tallgrass prairie species native to Iowa. Brochures and prairie guides will be available.

September 10, 4:15 - 6:15 pm
Prairie and Savanna Walk
This tour will highlight the diversity of plants in our prairies and bur oak savannas. Some of the species often seen in bloom in mid-September include showy goldenrod, sky blue aster, hairy aster, upland white aster, rigid goldenrod, saw-tooth sunflower, great blue lobelia, and bottle gentian. Transportation to CERA will be provided; please RSVP to Larissa Mottl at mottll@grinnell.edu. Wear long pants, socks, and shoes. Light refreshments provided also. Sponsored by the Center for Prairie Studies.

October 1 - 3
150 years of Grinnell in Grinnell

October 6, 4:15 - 6:15 pm
Prairie Seed Harvesting
Volunteers are invited to help us collect seed from various prairie species at CERA. The seed will be used to diversify other plantings at CERA. Transportation to CERA will be provided; RSVP to Larissa Mottl at mottll@grinnell.edu. Wear long pants, socks, and shoes. Gloves and bags and light refreshments will also be provided. Sponsored by the Center for Prairie Studies.

October 28, 4:15 pm, JRC 101
Lecture: Dr. Shahid Naeem
"The environmental significance of biodiversity in managed and unmanaged ecosystems from China, to Sub-Saharan Africa, the Great Plains, and Iowa."

Shahid Naeem, Professor and Chair, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Columbia University.

November 4, 4:15 - 5:30 pm
Prescribed Fire Training for CERA Volunteers
NOTE CAMPUS LOCATION: Noyce 2021. This training session is a must for anyone who would like to assist with prescribed burns at CERA. Participants will learn where, why, and how we conduct burns, and how volunteers can help. Sponsored by the Center for Prairie Studies. Contact Larissa Mottl at mottll@grinnell.edu for more information.

November 9, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Mary Swander "The Girls on the Roof"
Mary Swander, Poet Laureate of Iowa, will perform a piece based on her new book of poetry, The Girls on the Roof. Swander describes her work as "a Mississippi River flood narrative filled with humor, intrigue, and the flora and fauna of the river basin". Co-sponsored by the Department of English and the Grinnell Area Arts Council.

November 12 - 13
Double D Wranglers Cowboy Band
This remarkable cowboy band, including a cowboy yodler, will give workshops on campus and perform at Voertman Theater (927 4th Ave.) on Friday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. Co-sponsored by the Department of Music and the Grinnell Area Arts Council.