Notable Events – Prairie Oaks

May 17, 2019May 22, 2019 PrairieOaksIowa Notable Events

Shop Renovations

Some big changes have taken place over the past year at Prairie Oaks, thanks to the dedicated and persistent hard work of many neighbors, friends, volunteers, and workers. This includes some major renovations to the shop: the installation of new lighting and insulation in all of the walls and ceiling, the construction of an attached greenhouse, and the organization of areas for woodworking, vegetable processing, and machinery repair.

The Greenhouse
Greenhouse planning and construction began in late 2017 and finished in the spring of 2019. The greenhouse is 14ft x 11ft (156 square ft) with built-in cedar planting boxes. The greenhouse was also installed with a Ground to Air Heat Transfer system (GAHT). With a GAHT system, the ground under the greenhouse is used as a battery to store heat sequestered from passive solar heat and thermal mass of the soil.

When the temperature inside the greenhouse reaches 80 degrees, a small fan kicks in to force hot air from the higher points of the greenhouse into plastic pipes that are coiled and buried 6 feet under the ground. If the temperatures exceed 90 degrees, an exhaust fan kicks in. These processes are controlled by thermostats. When temperatures drop below 60 degrees, the GAHT process is reversed by recalling the stored heat from underground. We also have a very small heater connected to a thermostat that kicks in if the temperatures fall below 55 degrees. While the temperature regulations are not fully perfected, we continue to experiment with this new system.

May 13, 2019May 22, 2019 PrairieOaksIowa Notable Events, Seasonal Rhythms

Tree Update: Spring 2019

Ash Removal
The Emerald Ash Borer has devastated many of our 600 ash trees, requiring us to fell many over the past year. The EAB is an invasive, wood-boring insect that specifically targets ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). The EAB is projected to kill nearly 100% of the 8.7 billion extant ash trees in North America. For more information on the EAB, visit the Iowa DNR page or the Emerald Ash Borer Information Network.

Although the EAB will continue wiping out ash trees, we we will do what we can to minimize the impact of the EAB on the rest of the ecosystem. The open spaces in the canopy will allow sunlight to reach the young oaks and walnut trees, which will eventually establish a new canopy. We continue to plant diverse tree species to ensure that the wildlife will be supported with ample habitat, shelter, and food.

Continued Tree Planting
This spring we have potted and planted 250 trees and shrubs, including hazelnut, high bush cranberry, hibiscus, arborvitae, redosier dogwood, white oak, shingle oak, red oak, paw paw, rose mallow, serviceberry, and pecan.

May 21, 2017May 17, 2019 PrairieOaksIowa Notable Events

Tree Update: Late Spring 2017

Got inspired late to plant over eighty hardwood trees this spring. This years focus was to add more bur and red oaks to the Savana. To introduce more fall color and interest to the nursery, three species of maples (Red Sunset, Northwood and Autumn Blaze) were plated on the hill west of the brown barn. Tulip Tree, Canada Red Choke Cherry and Crabapples were interspersed among the nine maples. To catch the rain water from this hill and the one on the north a small pond below the planting is being constructed by David. Sidra and Hilario helped plant the trees in the holes dug by David’s large two foot auger. Our record was 30 trees in one day.

February 15, 2017April 21, 2017 PrairieOaksIowa Notable Events

2016

2016 was a year of transition. A damaging storm came through the area in the late spring, bringing down many of the old bur oaks. Work was done on clearing fallen trees, pruning, cleaning up around existing structures, and further establishing campsites. New projects include building an ornamental natural stream by the meditation porch.

In the early fall of 2016, Prairie Oaks began a partnership with Phil Crandall of Crandall Farms. Five bee hives have been installed, and five more will be established pending success of the first group.

We are looking forward to new initiatives, events, and partnerships in 2017!

November 4, 2014February 16, 2017 PrairieOaksIowa Notable Events

The 500-Mile Long First Step

As September came to a close, Tony Singh completed the 500-mile “Walk for the Bees” along the Colorado Trail. Moselle completed 120 miles in the first 7 days before sustaining a knee injury, causing her to leave the trail early. The trail was not only physically challenging, as Tony recalls, it also tested mental and emotional strength through long periods of isolation.

Facing the void of isolation was often daunting, but it also opened the space and time for clear self-awareness, something we rarely have the opportunity to experience in our present-day society. As Tony explained, “I also recognized that my ability to control my surroundings and conditions is beyond me. For me, accepting and surrendering to a higher power is needed and is essential for me to make peace with my existence.”

As humans, we are ever-changing and adapting to the elements of nature that inform and shape the human experience. Being raw and unsheltered from such elements on the trail naturally leads to self-surrender and humility. This acceptance of the very humanness of our being leads to a powerful sense of freedom and peace. If we act while lucid of our relationship to these elements, we can evolve with the brilliance and clarity of self-aware action.

Thus far, the “Walk for the Bees” has raised $8,000, which Tony is matching, meaning a total of $16,000 has been raised. All proceeds will support programs at the Nahant Marsh Education Center in Davenport to raise awareness and action for the preservation of pollinator populations and the restoration of their habitats.

Donations are still being accepted and will continue to be matched up to $25,000. If you would like to contribute, send a check written out to the Nahant Marsh Education Center with a note that it is for the “Walk for the Bees” project. The address is 4220 Wapello Ave., Davenport, IA 52802.

August 4, 2014February 16, 2017 PrairieOaksIowa Notable Events

A Walk for the Bees

Pollinators, such as bees, have been experiencing increasing pressure from the widespread usage of chemicals, from pesticides on croplands to weed killers on lawns. Bees pollinate nearly 80% of flowering crops, which constitute 1/3 of everything we eat. Bees as pollinators are essential for creating food security, but in order to do so, we must also secure the habitat that houses these pollinators. Our ability to survive as a species is directly linked to the survival of pollinators, and this link is represented by the health of our landscapes. In other words, the survival of species, flora, fauna, insects, and humans alike, relies on the resilience of the habitat within which they live.

As I, Moselle, have learned from my experience with permaculture and agro-ecological design, the most resilient systems are those exemplified by natural ecosystems — those that nourish, foster, and cultivate biodiversity through regeneration. Though we are from the land known for it’s vast monocropped fields of corn and soybean, we can and ought to learn much from the rich wilderness, including how to properly nurture, protect, and encourage the growth and resilience of all that takes care of us. By taking one step at a time, we can and we will do just that — here we begin by walking for the bees.

My father and I decided to dedicate this five week, 500 mile walk on the Colorado trail from Denver to Durango to the bees and other pollinators of which we have noticed a significant decline in the Quad Cities.

We have found that annual extended pilgrimages through these wild landscapes with only the essentials on our backs teaches us a fundamental truth that we fail to appreciate otherwise. We quickly learn that we are not apart from but part of nature. We are connected with all that is around us. The delusion of a separate self does not exist when we immerse ourselves in an experience like this. Therefore, by walking for the bees, we ask your support for sustainable practices that respect a diverse natural landscape for all.

You can help promote education about pollinators by sending a pledge of a penny, a nickel, or a dollar per mile to prairieoaksreserve@gmail.com. We will contact you with the payment details in October. All of the money raised will go towards the funding of educational programs in the Quad Cities through the Nahant Marsh Educational Center. Tony Singh will personally match the amount raised up to $25,000.

To see these efforts published in the local news, click here!