At this 160 acre prairie/marsh complex you can choose to stay dry, or venture out where your feet get wet. A cattail marsh gives way to a sedge meadow which blends into one of the best examples of virgin prairie in the region. Turtles and Phalaropes and Wrens, oh my!!

Pothole Birding

Known nesters at this site include the Wilson’s Phalarope, Sedge Wren, Bobolink, Vesper Sparrow, and a variety of waterfowl as well as more common grassland bird species.

Location Description

Threatened and endangered species here are the Smooth Green Snake, the Blanding’s Turtle, and the Showy milkweed. Other plants to be found include the Common horsetail, Yellow stargrass, Blue flag iris, Michigan lily, Wild onion, White camas, Rattlesnake master, Butterfly milkweed, Heath aster, Silky aster, Pale purple coneflower, Compass plant, Ironweed, Hoary puccoon, Blue lobelia, False indigo, Bottle gentian, Mountain mint, Evening primrose, Sweet William, Pasqueflower, New Jersey tea, Culver’s root, and Prairie violet.

Driving Directions and other Information

• Located 2 miles south of Dan Green Slough off of B 17, 7 miles west of Hwy 71 north of Spencer.
• GPS Coordinants - N43deg12.865 WO95deg00.639
• 160 acres, Iowa DNR
• Hiking, Binoculars, Prairie Plants

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