Iowa City Press-Citizen
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
By Rob Daniel
Iowa City Press-Citizen
A group of Johnson County residents is raising money to renovate 40 acres of prairie land near Hills.
The Johnson County Heritage Trust has raised $40,000 of the $65,000 it needs to refurbish Belgum Grove as part of its "Bringing Iowa back to Belgum Grove" campaign.
The group plans to restore the prairie grass and plant life, develop a wetland habitat and reconstruct a savannah environment at the property, one of five the group owns for conservation purposes, said Tammy Richardson, administrator for the nonprofit land trust.
The trust also hopes to develop trails and create an educational area at the site for different groups, such as Boy Scout troops and local schools, she said.
"We want it to be an outdoor classroom," she said. "We're trying to make it look like it used to."
Belgum Grove had been farmland, used primarily as pastureland, she said. However, it was donated to the trust in 1998 by David and Kathie Belgum.
Trust officials planted a mix of prairie plant life, especially brome grass, on the former cropland, which is enrolled in the group's Conservation Reserve Program. The group also hopes to preserve a remnant oak/hickory stand with native flowers on the south side of Dirty Face Creek, which runs through the property, and maintain an old apple orchard and small area of white pines.
Richardson said the project has been received well, including by those who attended a presentation on the campaign Wednesday at Oaknoll. She also said the project was supported by David Belgum, who died April 12.
"The Belgums are thrilled we're doing this," she said.
Reach Rob Daniel at 339-7360 or rdaniel@press-citizen.com.