Chapters in Iowa

Join us for a fall hike at Wickiup Hill. 

The Wickiup Hill Natural Area is a 700-acre piece of the Cedar River Greenbelt in Linn County which has benefited from protection efforts since the 1980s.

With more than five miles of scenic trails, we can stroll the wetland boardwalk to a peaceful observation deck, take in prairie, woodland, and savanna habitats alive with wildlife, and hike past Native American mounds.

Meeting point
Meet in front of the Wickiup Hill Learning Center, where there is plenty of parking and restrooms available.

This event is open to all, and there's no need to RSVP.

Cancellation/Reschedule
If the hike gets canceled due to weather, we will announce it here - with a possible reschedule date of Sunday, September 27th.

Come join us for a presentation about how to Germinate Native Seeds and then stick around for a hands-on Native Seed harvest at the Loess Hills Arboretum and Nature Trail at Western Iowa Tech Community College on Sunday, October 4th from 3:00pm to 5:30pm.  

Rod Tondreau, biology professor,  will describe the conditions that various native seeds need to break dormancy and germinate.  Techniques like cold, moist stratification will be explained, along with methods to clean and store seeds.

We will start in room L-205, and then move to the Loess Hills Arboretum and Nature Trail.  Park in Lot 1 (first lot on the left), enter through the main entrance to find room L-205.  See the WITCC campus MazeMap for detailed directions.

https://www.witcc.edu/maps/

When traveling to WITCC, if Stone Avenue near Caseys on Gordon Drive is closed, follow this detour:

https://www.witcc.edu/road-closure/

The format is casual.  Come for just the presentation, the seed harvest, or both.

A variety of native seeds will be harvested by hand along the nature trail.  There is a wide, paved trail for those not wishing to walk on the uneven ground of the prairie.

Bring clippers, garden gloves, and drinking water. No prior experience needed. 

Free and Open to the Public

Seeds harvested will be collected for the Seed Share Library at Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center.

Co-sponsored by Loess Hills Wild Ones and Western Iowa Tech Community College

Join us to clean-up a section of Lincoln Way along Sioux City's South Ravine Park.  We'll meet at the gravel parking lot at S. Ravine Park which is just East of the intersection of Lincoln Way and S.  Lewis Boulevard in Sioux City, IA.  

Hi-visibility vests and large orange plastic bags for collecting trash will be provided.  Bring your own drinking water, trash picker, garden gloves, and wear sturdy walking shoes.   

And then afterwards, join us for refreshments at the Stewart's Hilltop Gardens. 

This is always a very worthwhile event.  We hope you will join us for a little productive outdoor recreation and refreshment rewards afterwards.

Join us for our Annual Meeting with a recap of our 2026 Events, 2027 Elections, and a Potluck.   We'll also talk about our wildly successful Seed Share Library.

 LHWO will provide Sneaky's Chicken, beverages, and table service! 

Bring a side dish to share!

We will be partnering with Plymouth County Conservation to bring a Winter Sowing event.

More info to come!

Hillview Recreation Area - Plymouth, IA