TPC Seminar Series

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The Persistence of Prairie and People: The Emergence of the Native Seed Industry in the Upper Midwest

• 6 p.m. CST, February 24, 2026
• In-Person: TPC Classroom, 2412 W. 27th Street, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Parking information can be found here.

Learn more about Andy Olson and his talk

This talk explores the emergence of the native seed industry from the Dust Bowl until present day. A wide array of individuals - including growers, scientists, and government officials - have persistently utilized and advocated for the use of native vegetation in a political and cultural landscape often hostile to the idea. Only in the face of environmental and financial crises have farmers, private-industry, and government turned towards prairie as a solution. 

Andy Olson has a B.A. in public history and a M.A. in history, specializing in cultural resource management from Colorado State University. Previously, he worked as a Green Iowa AmeriCorps service member for the Tallgrass Prairie Center and later the Prairie on Farms Program Manager. He is currently serving as a Stewardship Specialist for the Native Prairies Association of Texas.

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Aldo Leopold, Paul Johnson, and a Land Ethic for Iowa (and Beyond)

• 6 p.m. CST, March 10, 2026
• In-Person: CEEE Auditorium, 8106 Jennings Drive, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Parking information can be found here.

Learn more about Curt Meine and his talk

Iowa has been home to many conservationists who have shaped the state’s landscape, and whose influence has reached far beyond the state’s borders. These include Burlington native son Aldo Leopold and Decorah farmer Paul Johnson. Curt Meine wrote the first biography of Leopold, and has just published a collection of Paul Johnson’s writings, We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy (Ice Cube Press). Curt will share stories of his work on these two conservation leaders and the connections between them—and what their legacies hold for Iowa today.

Curt Meine is a conservation biologist, environmental historian, and writer. He serves as Senior Fellow with the Aldo Leopold Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin, and with the Chicago-based Center for Humans and Nature. He is also a Research Associate with the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo and Associate Adjunct Professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology.

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Tallgrass Prairie at the University of Northern Iowa: A Proud Past, A Bold Future

• April 21, 2026
• CEEE Auditorium, 8106 Jennings Drive, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Parking information can be found here.
  • 5:30 p.m. CST Welcome & Refreshments
  • 6:00 p.m. CST Screening of America's Lost Landscape: The Tallgrass Prairie
  • 6:45 p.m. CST Panel of UNI Alumni & Daryl Smith (Virtual option available for panel discussion)

Learn more about this talk and our speakers

Join us this Earth Week to celebrate the legacy of tallgrass prairie at the University of Northern Iowa. This free seminar features a screening of the 2002 feature film "America's Lost Landscape: The Tallgrass Prairie" and a panel discussion featuring UNI alumni. Hear from UNI's "Prairie Panthers" as they continue to build the future of prairie restoration in Iowa and beyond.   

Virtual attendees are welcome to watch the film independently and join zoom for the panel discussion. The film can be viewed here - https://vimeo.com/79230293

The Hidden Mysteries of the Prairie in Winter with Chris Helzer

Bringing Prairie Back with Chris Taliga of Burtal Farms