Instructor Information & Event Descriptions

Instructor/speaker biographical information & the events they will be facilitating are listed alphabetically by last name. Please click on links to individual & organization websites for more information about our facilitators & their missions.

2025 Loess Hills Prairie Seminar Speaker Bios/Descriptions

Amie Adams (she/her) is a writer and certified Iowa Master Naturalist. She is a 5th-generation Iowan who grew up in northern Iowa and currently lives in Ames.

Connect with Amie at www.amieadams.space

Conservation, Collages, and Creative Writing: How can we use visual art and writing as tools for conservation? In this hands-on session, we will get creative with upcycled magazines, field guides, found materials and writing prompts to help us imagine hopeful futures for the Iowa landscape and the places we care about deeply.

Dr. Russell Benedict is a Professor of Biology from Central College, where he has taught since 2002. Russ has spent most of his life exploring the prairies and woods of the Midwest. Although his graduate education emphasized mammals, he loves to study birds, insects, plants and all other aspects of nature. His favorite word is billions. Billions of tiny steps have created the enormous problems that face our world, and billions of tiny solutions will help to solve them. Join Dr. Benedict for his Keynote Address Saturday night on the Bats of Iowa: How many kinds of bats are found worldwide and how many live in Iowa? Why are bats declining in populations in Iowa? Which two species are listed as federally endangered and which additional species is being considered for listing? Are any species expanding their geographic distributions? The answers to these questions and more await people at this energetic talk on some of the most fascinating animals living in our state. Join Dr. Benedict for a follow up program at the seminar campsite for Mist Netting for Bats, for a demonstration on how bats are collected for scientific study with mist nets and what we can learn by capturing these tiny flying mammals.

Connie Betts is Harrison County Conservation’s Naturalist. Whooo’s There? What is that sound in the night? What owls are flying around and what are they eating? Bring the kids to learn all about Iowa owls, listen to their calls, and find out their adaptations to live at night. We’ll also dissect owl pellets to see what they have been eating and everyone gets to take the bones home! All materials supplied.

Jeanne Bockholt is a member of the Northwest Iowa Group of the Sierra Club. Northwest Iowa Group Sierra Club will be leading a children’s program titled, The Web of Life, on Friday night.

Butch Bowman is an instructor of the 4-H S.E.S.S. (Safety Education Shooting Sports) program. During Introduction to Archery, participants will learn how to handle a bow and arrows in a safe manner. You will also be able to practice target shooting.

Stacie Bragg is an IA DNR Conservation Officer for Woodbury County. John McAndrews is a member of the IA DNR Missouri River Wildlife Unit. Mike Sucik, a retired NRCS Soil Scientist, has fished many ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers throughout the United States and has volunteered to assist with the fishing program. Join Stacie, John and Mike for Fishing in the Loess Hills an all equipment provided program that aims to get attendees hooked on fishing. Open to all participants, this program has a special event permit with the IA DNR, so no fishing license is required to participate.

Lance Brisbois of the Golden Hills RC&D will lead a Bike Tour of the Loess Hills on gravel roads through the Loess Hills around Turin. Bring your own gravel-friendly bike, a helmet, and water. The route will be 10-15 miles and include some hills but also flatter sections.

Mark, Ed, & Lee Brogie are a family of naturalists that have a passion for sharing their knowledge about birds at the seminar. They will be leading early Birding Walks for All Ages. Each will be offered in the early morning hours to ensure a variety of birds can be seen both Saturday and Sunday morning. Some binoculars will be provided. The Brogies will also provide a Bird Tour by Auto. Car caravan to several different habitat stops in the Loess Hills. You can choose to leave to be back by the 10:15AM session.

Katie Byerly calls herself a wildflower enthusiast. She started self-studying Iowa wildflowers eight years ago. Response to her Facebook posts made her realize that others had a similar beginner’s interest in wildflowers too. This encouraged her to start her Iowa Prairie Girl YouTube channel. Most recently, a hike on the Superior Hiking trail inspired her to share her love for flowers and nature through the tales of a little fairy. Gentian the Prairie Fairy came to life in her first children’s chapter book Gentian Wakes the Mason Bees. In her children focused program, “Do You Believe in Fairies?” She hopes to spark interest in wildflowers, a fun make believe belief in helpful fairies, and a basic knowledge in Leave No Trace principles. Adults are welcome to attend too but must come with the childlike wonder and willingness to play games and do crafts.

Doug Chafa works as the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist for the Missouri River Wildlife Management Unit, which totals seven counties. He and his team are based out of Lewis and Clark State Park near Onawa, IA and manage such areas as the Loess Hills Wildlife area, the Sylvan Runkel State Preserve, and organize the annual pre-LHPS, G.R.A.S.S. event.

Dam Beavers! Ecology and effects of the beaver.

Beavers modify their environment, creating space for many other species of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and insects. Beaver created pools moderate stream flow, reduce erosion, recharge groundwater, and remove sediment & nutrient pollution.

Sloping Towards Natives: A Local Small-scale Pollinator Plot

Visit our house at 30967 210th St where we are replacing lawn turf with native plants to support bees, butterflies, and beauty in our living space. Native bees and butterflies have evolved for tens of thousands of years with native plants. Successes and failures will be shared. Opportunity for participants to plant native seedlings will be offered.

Snakes of the Loess Hills: Join Terry VanDeWalle, Marlene Ehresman, and Doug Chafa for a program on the snake species of the Loess Hills of Iowa, including their life histories, ongoing studies, and rehabilitation cases.

Nancy Crews is the Director of the nonprofit Milkweed Matters. She is an avid gardener, conservationist, and is passionate about helping our threatened pollinators especially the Monarch butterfly. The mission of Milkweed Matters is to help educate the public about pollinator conservation and restore native pollinator habitat along the roadsides and in community gardens. Milkweed Matters helps restore habitat along roadsides by conducting outreach with schools, scouts, garden clubs and other groups to make thousands of milkweed and native nectar flower seedballs. The seedballs are taken to RAGBRAI each year and passed out to riders to toss along the Iowa roadsides. Milkweed Matters is celebrating 10 years of pollinator conservation work! Nancy will provide an overview of why pollinators are threatened and what we can do to help.

Milkweed Seed Balls: Nancy will lead a seedball workshop for participants. This is an activity for all age groups and the seedballs will be taken to RAGBRAI, the annual large scale bike ride across Iowa. We distribute the seedballs to riders to toss along the Iowa roadsides during the ride to help restore pollinator habitat. The workshop will include a short presentation on why pollinators are importantly, why they are threatened, an overview of the Monarch butterfly lifecycle, habitat, migration and how everyone can help. We will demonstrate how to make the seedballs and then participants will dig in. The seedballs are made with compost and clay and we use native common milkweed seed and a fall blooming nectar flower like aster or goldenrod seed. We make thousands of seedballs every year during outreach events at nature centers, schools, scouts, garden clubs, etc.

Join Plymouth County Naturalists, Victoria DeVos, for some basic birding fun! Birds and Binoculars: Whether you are a kid or a kid at heart and want to learn a little about using binoculars, identifying birds and finding them in their habitat, this is the program for you. We will not be staying in the camping area the entire time, so be sure to wear appropriate clothing and shoes.

Judy Ehlers, Chair of Monona County’s Historic Preservation Commission and retired school teacher, will be leading a session on the Mann Country School Experience: Visit the Mann Country School and learn what a typical classroom day was like for a one-room country schoolhouse. Activities to include writing on a blackboard, a spelling bee, and using nib (fountain) pens. The Hidden Past of the South Jordan Cemetery: Judy will be discussing the history and importance of preserving this historic site, located north of Moorhead, IA. Judy will be joined by Seth Brooks as co-presenter and the tour will also make an effort to visit three other historic locations: Mann School, Soldier Country Church and Ingemann Danish Church.

Marlene Ehresman is the co-founder and executive director of the Iowa Wildlife Center. A wildlife biologist by academic training, she is also a licensed wildlife rehabilitator with more than 30 years’ experience caring for many Iowa wildlife species, including several species of turtles. Marlene has been coming to the LHPS since her sons were in grade school (one just turned 46!) and has given several programs over the years, solo or with her husband, Bruce. Marlene will be joining Terry VanDeWalle for his program Turtles of Iowa.

Brian Hazlett is a professor at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City. He is leading a session on Woody Plants for Beginners. This session is designed for those who wish to gain a greater familiarity with our local trees, shrubs, and vines. Participants should expect a medium walk on level ground.

Katherine Koskovich is a retired wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. She was the Private Lands Biologist for NW Iowa. She provided technical assistance to private landowners who wanted to create wildlife habitat on their property. Kathy lives in the Loess Hills of eastern Woodbury County! She's a watercolor artist and loves to incorporate nature into her artwork. Organic Painting: Join Kathy for an Organic Painting Session. We will use natural items to create painted works of art!!! Students will go out and collect natural items to use in the class. No artistic experience needed! Adults and children welcome, small children should be accompanied with an adult.

Deb Lewis retired last fall from her 40-year career as the herbarium curator at Iowa State University. She is a founding board member of the Iowa Native Plant Society.

Who’s Your Neighbor? A Plant’s-Eye View of the Prairie – Join Deb and Rich Pope for a hands-on, non-technical introduction to prairie plant interactions with their living and non-living environment. We’ll begin with a walk, then sit in the prairie (an old towel or cushion might make it more comfortable).

Kelly Madigan is a local property owner and conservation advocate. Her long walk over the entire length of the Loess Hills in Iowa in the fall of 2020 sparked an annual group hike in the hills called The LoHi Trek. She is a poet and essayist, and teaches creative writing.

Kelly has received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Distinguished Artist Award from the Nebraska Arts Council. Her work has appeared in 32 Poems, Terrain.org, Prairie Schooner, Flyway and Calyx. Her books include The Edge of Known Things (SFASU Press) and Getting Sober (McGraw-Hill).

Slope, Rise, Smoke, Wise: A Reading of New Work by Loess Hills Writers

Creative writers from the region, as well as those writing about the Loess Hills, will share samples of their new work. As time allows, there will be a Q & A and an "open mic" for attendees to share their own writing related to the Loess Hills.

Poets and writers joining Kelly for this program include:

Kathy Timperley is a life long rural Nebraskan. Educated at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and Wayne State College, she is now retired from teaching secondary language arts. She loves her native gardens of grasses and wildflowers as well as the many trails carved through the trees on her farm, and watching the many birds and wildlife who seek refuge there.

Bridget Lillethorup lives near some train tracks in flyover country. She is a lyric essayist and educator from Omaha, Nebraska. Some of her work can be found in places like Superstition Review, Sweet Lit, Essay Daily, and River Teeth. She is a nonfiction reader at Prairie Schooner, and her writing has been supported by Cedar Point Biological Station.

Robert Bauer is a grazing specialist living in Viroqua, Wisconsin. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and studied environmental science at the University of Minnesota and grassland ecology at Virginia Tech. For the last decade, he has worked professionally with people to consider the needs and capabilities of land for grazing livestock. He has lived most of his life near the Mississippi River, and so his work and writing focus on the connections between people, the land, and water. In his free time, Robert enjoys singing in a choir, gardening with native plants, and exploring Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.

Jane Daniel grew up in New Jersey and moved to Iowa in 2010 to her husband’s family farm. They have three grown sons, two young adult grandchildren, and a brand-new granddaughter. Jane is an artist, cat lover, political activist, and an adventurous cook. She has been a psychologist for over 40 years, with a personal mission of creating greater opportunities for lovingkindness in the world.

Todd Robinson is the author of two poetry collections, most recently Mass for Shut-Ins (U of Nebraska P, 2018). His poems and lyric essays have appeared in Rattle, North American Review, and The Adroit Journal. He is an Assistant Professor in the Writer's Workshop at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and caregiver to his partner, a disabled physician.

Megan Renshaw is an emerging writer from northeast Nebraska. She is a 2015 graduate of the Wayne State College journalism program, but she has been telling stories since early childhood. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring rural cemeteries, making jewelry, and spending time with her pets.

Dani Johnson is a passionate special educator and part-time library associate. She grew up in the hills near Moorhead and currently resides in Onawa. When she isn’t pushing words around on paper, she enjoys throwing the frisbee for her Australian Shepherd, Bandit; taking a very permissive parenting style towards her garden plants (i.e. letting them run wild); crocheting; and dabbling in art. In spite of her being directionally challenged and functionally illiterate when it comes to reading maps, she is mildly obsessed with traveling the world.

Luke O’Reilly is very nearly a life-long Loess Hills resident who grew up with a whole mess of siblings not more than a couple miles from here. He enjoys landscaping and gardening with his family and finding creative new ways to “O’Gyver” solutions to everyday problems. He has identified over 30 species of birds in his own yard.

Matt Mason is the Nebraska State Poet and has run poetry workshops in Botswana, Romania, Nepal, and Belarus for the U.S. State Department. His poetry has appeared in The New York Times and Matt has received a Pushcart Prize as well as fellowships from the Academy of American Poets and the Nebraska Arts Council. His work can be found in Rattle, Poet Lore, Prairie Schooner, and in hundreds of other publications. Mason's 5th book, Rock Stars, was published by Button Poetry in 2023. Find more at: https://matt.midverse.com/

Writing Down the Outdoors: Participants will come with me on a guided writing exercise where we will talk about nature as inspiration and (weather permitting) walk outside in a writing exercise.

Matt Moles - Building and Maintaining Sustainable Trails in the Loess Hills

This presentation will focus on the challenges of building and maintaining quality soft-surface trails in the Loess Hills, and the methods used to overcome these hurdles. Our highly-mobile and erodible soil requires a lot of attention when exposed to traffic, but it is possible to successfully offer quality trails with relatively low-impact and reasonable degrees of maintenance.

Mariah Myers is a Woodbury County Conservation Naturalist at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center in Sioux City, IA. Insect Safari - During this interactive family program, we will learn all about bugs and why they are important. We will also go on an “Insect Safari” where we will walk and look for bugs. Nets and bug carriers will be provided so that kids can catch, study, and release the critters we find.

Kay Neumann is the Director of S.O.A.R - Saving Our Avian Resources. This is a 501(c)(3) organization established in 1999 dedicated to “saving our avian resources” through raptor rehabilitation, education, and research. Join Kay at the S.O.A.R. Raptor Program and meet her birds, learn bird-of-prey behavior, and learn about some of the raptors that call the Loess Hills home. There is a possibility S.O.A.R. brings a raptor to release at the seminar, but this is subject to availability of a suitable raptor in good health needing release at the time.

Don Poggensee is a very talented photographer who enjoys every chance he can to live out his passion. He has been coming to the seminar year after year offering programs and using his talent by photographing this event. Don will offer two programs: Prairie Photography and Digital Images. His sessions will include an introduction in how to capture the best photo in the field, setting up a photo shoot, selecting a subject, lighting, and best composition. Checking exposure and knowing your camera settings will help you capture that great image! (Note: Please bring your own camera to this session.)

Rich Pope is the chair of the Loess Hills Alliance. He returned to western Iowa after a career with ISU Extension. Join Rich on Saturday morning for Soils of the Loess Hills to learn about how prairie communities depend upon their environment, with soils and landscape being a key foundation.

Andrea Porter works for a non-profit in Sioux Falls called EmBe. She works for two departments: childcare and school aged care. She is a Site Coordinator at Lowell Elementary school within the Community Learning Centers. Recently she has been working to reinstate her class B CDL to provide field trip transportation during summer care. Andrea will also be teaching science and nature related field trips as well. You could call her the next Miss Frizzle and the magic school bus.

Insect Safari, a family program: Insects are indeed the most diverse on the planet. Let's meander through the prairie to see just how many call the Loess Hills home. Are there any imposters that call themselves insects but really are not? Join former Monona County Conservation Board Naturalist, Andrea Porter for a fun fill exploration!

Andrea will also be leading the Kayaking a Loess Hills Pond program. Did you ever have a desire to get up and close with the water's surface or even beneath? This is the place to explore! This session is designed to teach the basics of kayaking and how to properly fit your gear for a safe time on the water. I have had many spring, summer, and fall seasons logged in canoes and kayaks both competitively, scientifically, and leisurely. If time allows I will be prepared to collect some pond water samples at different depths to see what's teaming below the surface. Let's Go! Kayaks, paddles, and some life jackets available, please bring a PFD if you have one that fits. Parents need to accompany children under 18 and sign a waiver. Also, be prepared with the possibility of getting wet. Water shoes may be desired as well as sunscreen, hat, water, and camera.

Dr. Tom Rosburg is an expert in the field of biology and professor at Drake University. Nature Scavenger Hunt for Kids - This is a hands-on, fun-filled activity for kids ages 5 to 12. We will take nets and bottles to nearby areas to look for natural treasures and collect or observe items on a nature checklist. Parents are welcome to join us.

Prairie Flora of the Loess Hills - This session will explore the prairie ridges and slopes in the Sylvan Runkel State Preserve to find and identify plants, provide identification tips, and discuss their biology and ecology. At least 125 plant species in the Preserve are native to the prairie communities on the Preserve. We’ll make an effort to find 100 of those prairie species. It will be a moderate to long hike, but we go pretty slow. In his session on Prairie Ecology, you will take a short hike into the prairie to see and discuss examples of how prairie ecosystems work. Topics will likely include soils, climate, mycorrhizae, adaptations, herbivory, predation, fire, mutualism, disturbance, and animal behavior. Questions from participants will help guide our discussion.

Renee Sans Souci, With a degree in education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and being an Umonhon woman, Renee Sans Souci combines her life experiences with a learning process that helps learners to engage in their own cultural identities and languages. Renee is a Cultural Consultant and Curriculum Developer, and has been a Teaching Artist with the Lied Center for Performing Arts since 2009. She has provided keynote speeches on the topic of Water and Environmental Science, has presented at numerous conferences on various topics related to #MMIR, Native Science, History of Indian Education, Native Languages, Poetry, and Sustainability. Sans Souci was featured in the PBS American Masters Series, UNLADYLIKE 2020: Susan LaFlesche Picotte: The First American Indian Doctor. She is also a Co-Leader for the Niskithe Prayer Camp and is a recipient of the UNL Institute of Ethnic Studies 2023 Leo Yankton Award for Indigenous Justice.

We are the Buffalo and the Buffalo are Us!: The American Bison also called Buffalo have many names in Native Languages. For UmoNhoN (Omaha) People in this region, we call them Te. For this presentation, the UmoNhoN worldview of Te will be shared. Many Tribes throughout Turtle Island have hunted Buffalo since time immemorial. They were seen as Relatives, a sacred being that brought life to the people. They were also healers of the land, Mother Earth, and helped to maintain the balance of the Tall Grass Prairie and watershed ecosystems. Currently, there is Buffalo Restoration taking place, especially with Native Tribes throughout the Great Plains. There will be a Buffalo Table or exhibit for participants to look at, touch, feel, and smell.

Anna Stoysich is an artist and art educator living in Malvern, Iowa. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with emphasis in ceramics. She was awarded artist residencies at the Archie Bray Foundation (Helena, Montana), Whiterock Conservancy (Coon Rapids, Iowa) and Waubonsie State Park (Hamburg, Iowa). She actively exhibits her work and is an award winning artist; her most recent awards include grants from the Iowa Arts Council. Her recent exhibitions include the Nebraska Biennial at Gallery 1516 (Omaha, Nebraska) and Perspectives, a duo show, with her husband, Jorge Colorado, at Moonrise Gallery (Elkhorn, Nebraska). Her first public tile mural with an Iowa wetlands theme is scheduled for installation in the summer of 2024 on the Wabash Trace Nature Trail in Malvern, Iowa. She has taught at Montessori schools in western North Carolina and Mexico and was the seasonal naturalist at Waubonsie State Park in 2018 and 2019. She currently teaches summer art camps and clay classes out of her home studio and other locations in Western Iowa and the metro Omaha area. Block Printing is Fun: Each participant will carve a soft lino block and stamp it onto a canvas tote bag. We will share our stamps with each other to make a reusable bag to use for trips to the farmers market, etc.

Please wear old clothes that can get stained and bring an adult friend to help you with the carving/stamping if you are 8 and under.

Terry VanDeWalle is a principal biologist with Stantec Consulting Services and an adjunct natural resources instructor at Hawkeye Community College. He is also an Iowa Wildlife Center founding Board of Directors member and IWC’s current president. He has been conducting research on Iowa’s reptiles and amphibians for over 30 years, working closely with the IDNR and USFWS. His newest book, The Natural History of the Turtles of Iowa, published this year, will be available for sale. His book, The Natural History of the Snakes and Lizards of Iowa, came out in 2022 and he’ll have a few copies of this available for purchase, as well. Turtles of Iowa: Do turtles really crawl out of their shell? Their shell is like a rock, right – they can’t feel me touch it? Do turtles make good pets? Can I take a turtle from the wild and keep it as a pet? Do all our turtles live in water?

Marlene and Terry will talk about the natural history of Iowa’s 13 species of turtles and how we all can help them, beginning with a conversation about the simple question, “What is a reptile?” They will cover many specifics about these animals, including threats to them and the habitats in which they live. Live turtles will be included, as well as shells of all the species of turtles for hands-on examination. Terry will toss in some experiences of his many years in the field researching turtles, and Marlene will add some stories about her experiences caring for these living remnants from the age of dinosaurs.

Tim Youngquist, along with his wife, Mandy, and his parents, farms corn and soybeans near Kiron on his family’s heritage farm. He has overseen the creation of buffer strips using native prairie in fields and riparian zones on his family land. Tim also grows and harvests prairie for native plant propagation. Tim serves as the farmer liaison for Iowa State University’s STRIPS program, where he helps farmers and landowners implement prairie strips on their farmland. Join Tim for his program Why would a farmer even care about prairie? Helpful tips for having hard conversations about conservation. In Iowa, prairie can provide disproportionate environmental benefits, when planted adjacent corn and soybean fields. These benefits include decreased soil erosion, increased nutrient retention, water filtration, and habitat for wildlife including grassland birds and pollinators. Currently, nearly 75% of Iowa’s landscape is planted to two crops: corn and soybeans. If the benefits of prairie are so clear, then why aren’t farmers and landowners adopting more conservation practices? Attend this session to hear from a 5th generation Iowa farmer about ways to integrate prairie into agricultural land, including practical steps for establishment and maintenance. Successful strategies for landowners to discuss conservation with their tenant and/or other decision makers will also be outlined. There will be time for questions and discussion.