Mother Nature has a way of keeping animal populations in check. Weather conditions and predators weed out the weak and old animals leaving healthy populations on the land. This winter, however, has been one of the hardest on wildlife since the early 1990’s. An ice storm in November blanketed what little food and grasses were available, and the ice lay under a thick snow cover even into March. The true importance of providing wildlife food plots was evident during this past winter season.

The O’Brien County Conservation Board is willing to assist with food plot design for any animal from pheasants to deer. There has been a recent advent of different types of crops to plant. Cover crops can range from biologic corn to turnips. There is also a plethora of seed on the market - conventional, Liberty, and Round-Up Ready corn to name just a few.

This year, in addition to helping with the design, the Conservation Board is also able to provide some seed to be used in your wildlife plots. Conventional and Round-Up Ready seed are available from our office to assist with your habitat needs. One thing to note is that if you have been using Round-Up Ready corn in your areas, it has been advised that you rotate with Liberty to eliminate volunteer corn.

If we can assist you in providing animals with much needed shelter and food, please contact me at 712-295-7200. I would enjoy visiting with you and helping to put a plan into action.

Be sure to enjoy our public areas this year. Exciting things are planned in our parks and at our nature center. We will be increasing our staff size this year by a full-time position and a half-time position in order to continue to provide the public with top-notch facilities and programming.

Terry Boltjes,

Director

Reflecting a Prairie Town - A Year in Peterson by Drake Hokanson

This book could describe any town in the Midwest … but it is made even more special by describing a town near us! A combination of history, archaeology, geography, geology, agronomy, photography and much more allows us to view the land from a different angle. Find a bit of your own history in this book.

Reflecting A Prairie Town is available at the Prairie Heritage Center gift shop. Drake Hokanson, a local author, will be presenting a program at the center on Saturday, May 17.