Registration and Abstract Submission NOW OPEN for 2019 Iowa Prairie Conference
August 8-10, 2019 at Central College, Pella, Iowa
The world is changing rapidly, and the highly fragmented nature of Tallgrass Prairie will greatly reduce the ability of this ecosystem to respond to these changes. As a result, the future of Tallgrass Prairie will depend heavily on our actions in the coming decades. Set in this reality, the 2019 Iowa Prairie Conference, with a theme of “Ensuring the Future of Prairie,” will be held at Central College, in Pella, on August 8 to 10, 2019.
The Iowa Prairie Conference is open to anyone interested in prairies. Natural resource managers, educators, students, and prairie enthusiasts will gather for education, discussion and networking opportunities. The conference will open on Thursday with a morning of work spent at a remnant prairie at Reichelt Unit of Stephens State Forest, near Kellogg, Iowa.
Official conference activities will then open at Central College at 1 PM on Thursday, August 8. Featured speakers include Jesse Nippert, Associate Professor of Biology at Kansas State University discussing the impact of climate change on Tallgrass Prairie; Justin Glisan, the State Climatologist of Iowa presenting historical and recent climate trends in Iowa; and James Bever, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Kansas University discussing the importance of soil bacteria and fungi on prairie biology and reconstruction.
Additionally, conference attendees will attend a “posters in the prairie” session highlighting research at Central College’s Prairies For Agriculture Project, and an open presentation session will be held. Last, and often the highlight of the conference, several field trips will take attendees to local remnant prairies and research sites. Field trips will be held in the morning to (hopefully) beat the August heat. Field trip details—coming soon!
Individuals interested in giving presentations should submit a title and abstract to Russ Benedict (benedictr@central.edu) – Please reference submission instructions online.
Abstracts deadline is end of day, Friday July 12, 2019.
Conference Registration is open to anyone and costs $80 per person / $60 per student; after July 1, registration costs increase by $20 per person. Iowa Prairie Network has generously offered student scholarships to help defray the cost of registration--find details on their website. Questions can be addressed to Russ Benedict, Professor of Biology at Central College (benedictr@central.edu; 641-628-5173).
Conference Website Abstract Submission Information & Registration
STUDENTS: Apply for partial reimbursement of conference expenses through Iowa Prairie Network
Hope to see you there!
-The Iowa Prairie Conference Committee
Russ Benedict, Daryl Smith, Lee Macomber, Jessica Riebkes Clough, Sarah Nizzi, Ryan Schmidt, Melanie Louis