It is named after the late Bernard Klauenberg, who donated his land parcels to Marshall County with the stipulation that its long term goals would include prairie and other land/soil conservation practices. Those goals have been and will be continued for long term commitments to conservation.

Beginning in 2016, the first steps were taken to plant native prairie seeds in specific places along with pollinator friendly forbes favored by Monarch butterflies and bees of many species. Nesting cover for upland birds and winter weather protection plantings followed.

In 2018, another step was taken to include a partnership with Iowa State University for use as a “STRIPS” project. The practice involves integrating prairie grass strips between traditional row crops and is called officially Trails of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips.

This is a proven method and tool available to farmers to protect row crop fields. It converts 10% of a crop field to a diverse native perennials.

This practice greatly reduces wind erosion and protects the amount of nitrogen that may otherwise leave a field by erosion by up to 85%. It is a good demonstration of a win-win farming technique.

Public parking areas to access this site are located on Knapp Avenue. Public upland bird hunting is allowed as per hunting seasons, dates and times as set by the Iowa DNR rules and regulations. The public may also view wildlife or enjoy a hike anywhere on the land for nature study, photography, or just plain good exercise.

Because the Klauenberg Prairie Preserve is located in southern Marshall County, its land topography is defined geologically to be within the Southern Iowa Drift Plain. That title tells the history of how these soils and hilly terrain got to be what they are today.

In a nutshell, the topography of southern Marshall County is a 600,000 plus year old landscape. Yes, it has been previously glaciated many times, but the last glacier to impact it was more than half a million years ago.

Since then, the landscape has had ample time for natural erosion factors of wind and water to cut and develop a well defined dendritic surface drainage network. After the glaciers were long gone, tundra vegetation was the first plant life to try to stabilize the soils. Eventually as the earth’s climate naturally rewarmed, grass plants became the dominant vegetative cover.

That is what pioneer farmers found when they homesteaded lands across Iowa and the Midwest. It was also vast amounts of geologic time that allowed a transformation of the soils to create deep and dark topsoils from the natural decay of surface plant life.

When pioneer farmers tilled this land, it produced good crops, but good crops needed to have the topsoil held in place by prudent farming techniques so those good soils remained rather than be eroded away. To learn more about the Southern Iowa Drift Plain, and more about the Klauenberg Prairie Preserve, do contact the staff at the Marshall County Conservation Board. They can fill you in on details of how, when and why they do what they do for long term conservation goals.

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My second aerial image this week is of the land owned by the State of Iowa, and managed specifically by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. It is called Hendrickson Marsh. The site was acquired in the mid 1960s and added to periodically to now include 851 acres with

uplands that surround a water filled basin.

The basin itself is a leftover relic from glacial history whereby a large portion of the lateral edge ice of the most recent glacial event, the Wisconsinan, reached its most southern advance. This geologic time frame is recent, being only 18,000 to 20,000 years ago, just a blink of the eye to Mother Nature. As the Earth naturally rewarmed from this glacial impact, its retreat (melting faster than any advance pressure), allowed the rotten and weakening ice margins to fill any low places and valleys with running water.

In the case of Hendrickson Marsh, one big lateral ice block became unattached and stranded. This ice block was filled with all kinds of debris including ground up soils and rocks from places far to the north and of Canadian origins.

When the ice block melted, all of its contents within the ice block fell out, creating higher ridges of glacial tills surrounding that ice block. This process shaped the land in and around what is now Hendrickson Marsh.

The center area where the ice block was the thickest, was the source of the landform that today still holds water. The DNR built a short dam and control structure at the outlet so water levels could be somewhat controlled for wildlife beneficial needs. The outlet ultimately runs to Clear Creek. Hendrickson has a watershed of about 8,000 acres.

Hendrickson Marsh is a part of the Midwest’s Prairie Pothole Region, a vast unique soils association that covers large areas of Southern Canada, and portions of the states of Montana, North and South Dakota, western Minnesota and north-central Iowa. Numerous large and deep lakes and many more shallow and ephemeral wetland potholes dot this landscape. It is also known as the “duck factory” of North America. Each wetland area is important to migrating birds that rely on warming shallow waters to produce the invertebrate animals crucial to their health.

Wetlands suffered tremendously as settlement began in the late 1800s. For some areas that remained too deep or too perennially wet for traditional agriculture, it was unfortunately termed “wasteland,” a term centered upon the idea that if land could not be farmed it was of no value. But it does have value of many different kinds, for the benefit of wildlife and people. This wildlife area is well used by all forms and sizes of migrating birds each spring and fall, and during fall

hunting seasons, hunters can hide near shorelines or launch a camouflaged boat from the public access area.

Ducks and geese are the likely game birds sought by hunters. The county line road is well known by wildlife observers.

The marsh area received its official name because of a wildlife management professor at Iowa State University, George Hendrickson. A naming ceremony and dedication took place on June 13, 1970 when a bronze plaque was unveiled as dignitaries and wildlife enthusiasts participated. Hendrickson Marsh remains a vital part of natural habitat for conservation needs.

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This author will obtain several unsolicited images from hunters as this fall’s seasons progress. I know many have aspirations to see their image of themselves with a wild turkey, a deer, or other game animals along with a bit of the story of how that hunter was able to take the game, but the caveat to using images gets tight because of unintentional errors on the part of the photographer.

Following are a few hints to help, not guarantee, that I may choose to use such an image. The list of things to carefully watch for before taking photographs is not long, but it is important.

Do include tastefully set habitat within the area of where the game animal was taken, whether it was a deer in the forest, or waterfowl near a river or lake, or fish from a river or lake. People like to see part of the landscape where a hunt took place.

Next, make sure horizon lines are level so that trees are shown growing straight up and the horizon line is level. If in a boat on the water, a level horizon line means the lake water in the background is not trying to run downhill. Many photos in major outdoor magazines reject otherwise good images because of this failure.

Also clean up the animal of any surface blood. Put the tongue back in a deer’s mouth. Have a legal deer tag visible on the antler, a requirement by law before the animal is moved in any way. Sit behind the animal, or off to the side, but never straddling it as if riding a horse. Position yourself and the animal so that good light illuminates you and the animal.

If at night, use a fill flash to light the subject adequately. Do make lots of images.

Ball caps should be tilted back enough that show the entire face of the hunter so as to be easily visible. Do smile, and take off the sunglasses.

Firearms should have the muzzle pointed well away from anyone and pointed in a safe direction. Leave no impression that the firearm is pointed toward the hunter.

Especially for deer hunters, a photo provided of a deer hanging from a machine shed rafter or inside the tailgate of a pickup truck will not be usable. Place the cleaned up deer in a natural setting with a pleasing background.

Above all, show respect for the game animals or fish you were fortunate enough to take. You do not have to make excuses for legally taken game or fish. Let your images tell the story of following all pertinent conservation laws.

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Reminder: A 10-stand 100 bird sporting clay target shoot will be held Sunday, Sept. 29 at the Izaak Walton League. Registration begins at 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.

Tune up your shotgun skills in real world settings where the clay birds fly fast and at realistic angles. Have fun outdoors with this type of shooting sport.

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Garry Brandenburg is the retired director of the Marshall County Conservation Board. He is a graduate of Iowa State University with a BS degree in Fish & Wildlife Biology.

Contact him at:

P.O. Box 96

Albion, IA 50005