Ron Risdal, who farms 80 acres near Roland, Iowa, was interested in repairing damage that his cattle had done to the creek that flowed through his farm. He also wanted to plant some trees and plants to introduce more wildlife onto his farm, so he asked the advice of a friend, Richard Schultz, with whom he served on the volunteer fire department. Today, the Bear Creek riparian project has received national recognition and is a prototype for an ambitious, national buffer strip project. And the key to its success is how it got started, says Tom Isenhart, project developer, and ISU forestry associate scientist. It is important that efforts like this are community driven - that we're viewed first as members of the community, and second as folks from Iowa State University.
Credibility comes from being a member of the community.
And so the planting began on Ron Risdal's farm. Switchgrass, with its deep roots, slowed down the water as it flowed across the fields. Native big bluestem, Indian grass, and little bluestem added organic matter to the soil. Cottonwood, silver maple, and green ash trees anchored the soil. Dogwood and serviceberry attracted black-capped chickadees, and thrashers, and tanagers.