Celebrating 5,000 Acres of Conservation at LOTSWO

TNC works with landowners in the region, offering tools like voluntary land protection agreements, also known as conservation easements, or land purchases to help them meet their goals including preserving wildlife habitat and preserving grassland for grazing.

Some parts of the preserve are open to the public for hiking, birdwatching and exploring natural habitats.

This milestone was made possible by many generous donors, including the Maytag Family Foundation and the Jason and Carolyn Andringa Foundation, who are committed to protecting these special places and benefiting local communities.

Floodplains are nature’s kidneys. When the Cedar River floods, water flows into LOTSWO’s ridges and swales, soaking into oak roots, prairie grasses and rich soils. Together, they remove nitrates from the water, acting like a high-powered filtration system.

After the devastating 2008 flood, Dr. Schilling and his team measured nitrate levels in the Cedar River floodwaters at 8 mg/L. But within LOTSWO’s floodplain, those levels dropped to less than 1 mg/L in the groundwater, almost instantly. “It happens so fast,” he says. “The plants and soils just go to work.”

That’s why TNC is working with farmers and landowners to protect and restore these vital habitats. “Our partnerships with local landowners and farmers are key,” says Carissa Shoemaker, project manager at LOTSWO. “Whether it’s through voluntary land protection agreements or restoring marginal cropland back to functional floodplains, we’re finding ways to protect water quality and wildlife habitat while supporting working lands.”

LOTSWO’s Hidden World of Insects

While floodplains are vital for water quality, they also sustain life that often goes unnoticed, like insects. Jeff Klahn, a retired University of Iowa professor, has been surveying insect diversity at LOTSWO since 2023. His work reveals how essential these protected areas are for insects.

Some insects can’t survive in an industrial agricultural landscape, Klahn explains. “They only have corn and soybeans, and there aren't many insects that feed on those. Protected areas are really where you find insect species. It’s where you find species diversity of any kind. And when you have these static little habitat areas, it’s like a refuge.”

Klahn and his team visit LOTSWO weekly, using nets and specialized traps to collect specimens. They’ve discovered beetles that feed on carrion and dung and pollinators drawn to prairie flowers. These insects are critical to ecosystem health, recycling nutrients and supporting plant life.

Every new species Klahn finds is a reminder of why land protection matters: “It tells me that because we have this protected land, these species can survive.”