Whiterock Conservancy
Encyclopedia
Whiterock Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) land trust
located in west-central Iowa
that stewards over 4,000 acres of contiguous land located in the Middle Raccoon River watershed, and an additional 1,000 non-contiguous land located in the Brushy and Middle Raccoon River watersheds. The Whiterock landscape almost exclusively made possible by an extraordinary planned land gift from the Garst
family to Whiterock Conservancy. The landscape is a mosaic of agricultural land
, wetlands, preserved prairie
and oak savanna
, riverine woodlands
, and upland forest. The land is also home to the historic Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead
, which hosted Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev
in 1959, and is now on the National Register of Historic Places
. The land is used for recreation
, environmental conservation, and for the production of agricultural products, and is managed as a working landscape where cultural, environmental, agricultural, and recreational land uses are held in equal importance.
.
, periodic grazing, and mechanical removal of invasive shrubs and trees.
Oak savanna is characterized by two layers: an overstory of scattered, widespread oaks
(mostly bur oaks and black oaks) with an understory of wildflowers, sedges
and grasses.
While highly intact as a land base, much of Whiterock is in need of intense restoration efforts to protect and conserve rare habitats and restore key ecosystem functions and services. Like oak savannas, prairies on Whiterock Conservancy lands are also managed with prescribed fire and mechanical removal of invasive species. In addition, some of our prairie acreages are being integrated into the rotational grazing program.
Whiterock Conservancy uses cattle grazing to model a system that helps rural landowners derive income from the land while also achieving restoration and conservation goals. In 2009, Whiterock Conservancy implemented a sustainable pasture management system to create more effective cattle rotations to protect ground cover. Interior fences were constructed to exclude cattle from riparian areas.
, mountain biking
, and horseback riding
.
The main office of Whiterock Conservancy is the historic Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead
, which is also an active bed and breakfast
and part of the Whiterock Resort. In 1997, the farm house and surrounding lands became an agritourism
destination which later became the Whiterock Resort in 2007.
Another historic building located on Whiterock Conservancy is the Heeder barn, located on the Middle Raccoon River in the heart of the conservancy. Currently used as an event facility for weddings and corporate retreats, this barn was converted from a working barn to a place for celebration during prohibition
.
Historic District
Land trust
There are two distinct definitions of a land trust:* a private, nonprofit organization that, as all or part of its mission, actively works to conserve land by undertaking or assisting in land or conservation easement acquisition, or by its stewardship of such land or easements; or* an agreement...
located in west-central Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
that stewards over 4,000 acres of contiguous land located in the Middle Raccoon River watershed, and an additional 1,000 non-contiguous land located in the Brushy and Middle Raccoon River watersheds. The Whiterock landscape almost exclusively made possible by an extraordinary planned land gift from the Garst
Roswell Garst
Roswell "Bob" Garst was an American farmer and seed company executive. He developed hybrid corn seed in 1930 that allowed greater crop yields than open-pollinated corn. He was perhaps most well known for hosting Nikita Khrushchev on his farm in Coon Rapids, Iowa, on September 23, 1959...
family to Whiterock Conservancy. The landscape is a mosaic of agricultural land
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, wetlands, preserved prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
and oak savanna
Oak savanna
An oak savanna is a type of savanna, or lightly forested grassland, where oaks are the dominant tree species. These savannas were maintained historically through wildfires set by lightning, grazing, low precipitation, poor soil, and/or fires set by Native Americans...
, riverine woodlands
Riparian forest
A riparian forest is a forested area of land adjacent to a body of water such as a river, stream, pond, lake, marshland, estuary, canal, sink or reservoir. -Etymology:...
, and upland forest. The land is also home to the historic Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead
Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead Historic District
The Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead Historic District is a farm in Guthrie County, Iowa, United States, near the city of Coon Rapids. It is significant as the home of farmer and hybrid corn populizer Roswell Garst. During the 1930s and 1940s, Garst played an active role in the conversion of...
, which hosted Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
in 1959, and is now on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The land is used for recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
, environmental conservation, and for the production of agricultural products, and is managed as a working landscape where cultural, environmental, agricultural, and recreational land uses are held in equal importance.
Sustainable land management
Whiterock Conservancy currently stewards over 5,000 acres using economic and environmental sustainability principlesSustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
.
Oak Savanna restoration
The predominant plant community at Whiterock is oak-dominated forest, covering about 1,200 acres of the total landscape. Oak savanna, an ecosystem that was once widely distributed in the state of Iowa, is currently one of the most endangered in the region, with less than 0.1% of the original tract remaining. Whiterock Conservancy is actively restoring oak savanna habitat through the reintroduction of fireControlled burn
Controlled or prescribed burning, also known as hazard reduction burning or Swailing is a technique sometimes used in forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. Fire is a natural part of both forest and grassland ecology and controlled fire can be a tool for...
, periodic grazing, and mechanical removal of invasive shrubs and trees.
Oak savanna is characterized by two layers: an overstory of scattered, widespread oaks
Oaks
-Horse races:"Oaks" is generally used to describe a Thoroughbred horse race restricted to 3-year-old fillies. Among the best-known races using the term are:*Epsom Oaks, The Oaks Stakes, at Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, England; the original "Oaks" race...
(mostly bur oaks and black oaks) with an understory of wildflowers, sedges
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
and grasses.
Native prairies
Much like the state of Iowa, the vast majority of the Whiterock Conservancy landscape was historically covered in tall and mid-grass prairies. Today, very little remains. Currently, a total of 26 acres of native prairie remnants and 600 acres of reconstructed prairie are present on the property, 240-acres of which were recently planted in the fall of 2008, and 110 acres in 2009.While highly intact as a land base, much of Whiterock is in need of intense restoration efforts to protect and conserve rare habitats and restore key ecosystem functions and services. Like oak savannas, prairies on Whiterock Conservancy lands are also managed with prescribed fire and mechanical removal of invasive species. In addition, some of our prairie acreages are being integrated into the rotational grazing program.
Prescribed fire
Whiterock Conservancy focuses on using a variety of tools to foster a healthy and resilient environment. Historically, fire was an important part of Iowa's landscape. It helped to create and maintain habitat, recycle nutrients and maintain a level of ecosystem functional balance on the land that helped minimize the impact of other disturbances, like flooding. Fire, an ecosystem disturbance, has been dramatically curbed on the Iowa landscape over the last 100 years, resulting in a highly degraded and poorly functioning Iowa ecosystem.Rotational grazing
Agricultural production is an important part of the Iowa landscape. Although economic production is a primary for many landowners, interestingly, some production systems, such as grazing beef cattle, are also an important part of the land's native disturbance regime.Whiterock Conservancy uses cattle grazing to model a system that helps rural landowners derive income from the land while also achieving restoration and conservation goals. In 2009, Whiterock Conservancy implemented a sustainable pasture management system to create more effective cattle rotations to protect ground cover. Interior fences were constructed to exclude cattle from riparian areas.
Recreation
Whiterock Conservancy uses its 5,000 plus acres for sustainable outdoor recreation with the intention of helping the public reconnect with the outdoors by having fun on, and learning about, Iowa’s diverse landscape. Its 30 miles of trails are multi-use and offer access to hiking, campingCamping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, and horseback riding
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
.
The main office of Whiterock Conservancy is the historic Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead
Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead Historic District
The Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead Historic District is a farm in Guthrie County, Iowa, United States, near the city of Coon Rapids. It is significant as the home of farmer and hybrid corn populizer Roswell Garst. During the 1930s and 1940s, Garst played an active role in the conversion of...
, which is also an active bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
and part of the Whiterock Resort. In 1997, the farm house and surrounding lands became an agritourism
Agritourism
Agritourism, as it is defined most broadly, involves any agriculturally-based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch. Agritourism has different definitions in different parts of the world, and sometimes refers specifically to farm stays, as in Italy...
destination which later became the Whiterock Resort in 2007.
Another historic building located on Whiterock Conservancy is the Heeder barn, located on the Middle Raccoon River in the heart of the conservancy. Currently used as an event facility for weddings and corporate retreats, this barn was converted from a working barn to a place for celebration during prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
.
See also
- Coon Rapids, IowaCoon Rapids, IowaCoon Rapids is a city in Carroll and Guthrie counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 1,305 at the 2010 census unchanged from the 2000 census. The small portion of Coon Rapids that lies in Guthrie County is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical...
- Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead
Historic District
Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead Historic District
The Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead Historic District is a farm in Guthrie County, Iowa, United States, near the city of Coon Rapids. It is significant as the home of farmer and hybrid corn populizer Roswell Garst. During the 1930s and 1940s, Garst played an active role in the conversion of...
- Iowa Natural Heritage FoundationIowa Natural Heritage FoundationThe Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is a statewide non-profit natural conservation organization based in Des Moines, Iowa. The organization has protected more than in 94 of Iowa’s 99 counties and worked on hundreds of different project sites since its inception in 1979. INHF is donor-supported...
- Iowa Department of Natural ResourcesIowa Department of Natural ResourcesThe Iowa Department of Natural Resources is a department/agency of the U.S. state of Iowa charged with maintaining state parks and forests; protecting the environment; and managing energy, fish, wildlife, land resources, and water resources of Iowa.The Mission Statement: To conserve and enhance...