2025 Roadside Conference
Hotel and Conference Registration
The 2025 Iowa Roadside Conference will be held at the Rhythm City Event Center in Davenport, Iowa. The conference room rate at the hotel is $107/night; to receive this rate, reservations must be made by Wednesday, September 17, 2025. Call 563-328-8000 to make a reservation. Other nearby hotels are the Hampton Inn & Suites Davenport, 563-441-0001 and the Holiday Inn & Suites Davenport, 563-344-2900.
The deadline to register for the conference through this website or by mail is Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
Agenda
Downloadable PDF of the conference agenda
All events are in the Rhythm City Events Center unless otherwise noted
Wednesday, October 1st
Noon-4:15 pm Networking Event — Golf @ Glynns Creek, 19251 290th Street, Long Grove, Iowa. Sponsored by Stormwater Supply Co.
5:00 pm AFIRM Fall Business Meeting, Fort Madison Room, Rhythm City Events Center.
6:00 pm Dinner on your own
Thursday, October 2nd
8:00 am Registration / Breakfast (pastries & breakfast breads, fruit, yogurt, oatmeal / Exhibits
9:00 am Welcome and Introduction
9:15 am IRVM Data logging. Darrell Inskeep, GIS Analyst, Scott County IT
10:00 am Break and Exhibits
10:15 am Adopt a Prairie/Scott County IRVM — How to Promote Conservation Through Our Roadsides. Brian Burkholder, Roadside Vegetation Specialist/Weed Commissioner, Scott County Secondary Roads Department
10:30 AM Conservation Partnerships — Bi-CAN. Rob Liva, Co-Vice President, Quad Cities Wild Ones chapter.
11:00 am Climate Change — Its impact on Iowa. Ray Wolf, Retired Science and Operations Officer, NOAA National Weather Service
11:45 am Lunch Buffet and Exhibits
12:30 pm Board bus for afternoon field trips to tour Nahant Marsh and Prairie Oaks
1:00 pm Arrive at Nahant Marsh, 4220 Wapello Avenue, Davenport, Iowa
2:00 pm Load Bus and Depart to Prairie Oaks
2:30 pm Prairie Oaks, 23099 260th Avenue, LeClaire, Iowa
3:30 pm Depart Prairie Oaks back to Rhythm City Event Center
5:00 pm Social hour. Sponsored by Nutrient Ag Solutions.
6:00 pm Evening Dinner Buffet and Award Ceremony
Friday, October 3rd
7:00 am Hot Breakfast / Exhibits
8:00 am Living Roadway Trust Fund Updates, Tara Van Waus, LRTF and IRVM Plan Coordinator, Iowa DOT
8:15 am Roadside Program Updates, Kristine Nemec, Roadside Program Manager, U. of Northern Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Center
8:30 am St. Ambrose University Student Roadside Inventories, Dennis Tarasi, Biology Professor, St. Ambrose University
9:15 am Profile Products Mulch & Hydroseeding. Sonny Johns, Regional Business Manager, Profile Products
10:00 am Break and Exhibits
10:15 am EDDMapS Data Collecting. Rebekah Wallace, Program Coordinator III, University of Georgia
11:00 am On the Road Again: The Environmental Effects and Management of Native Prairie Plant Seeding on Roadsides, Wes Bollinger,
Master's Student, University of Illinois
11:45 am Lunch Buffet and Door Prizes
