Anderson Prairie State Preserve
Emmet County, Iowa
Anderson Prairie State Preserve
Plants and Wildlife
Bird Checklist for Anderson Prairie State Preserve.pdfIn the table below:
Click on the Plant, Bird, Reptile and Amphibian, Insect and Arachnid, and Mammal tabs at the bottom of the table to scroll through the lists.
These lists are based on species identified during site visits and sightings submitted using the link in the sub-bullet point below. Submitted species are added to the table as time allows.
Click here if you would like to submit records of plants or wildlife you have seen at this location.
Bloom periods are based on those provided by the Illinois Plants Database.
About the Anderson Prairie State Preserve
The Anderson Prairie State Preserve was created in 1984 to preserve the site’s unique biological and geological resources. The preserve spans an impressive 200-acres, providing a glimpse of what the great prairie landscape once looked like. The subsequent purchase of the adjacent Crimm Savanna and Ringham Habitat public areas added an another 400-acres to this natural area complex.
Plant communities that can be found within the preserve include gravel prairie, sand prairie, mesic prairie, wet-mesic prairie, sedge meadow, pothole emergent marsh, and upland and bottomland woodlands, with over 220 species of native plants have been documented overall.
Prior to being dedicated as a State Preserve, the majority of Anderson Prairie was grazed by cattle, which introduced exotic plant species that took a foothold amongst stressed prairie plants. Active management of the prairie to eradicate these weeds is underway using natural prairie maintenance processes including fire as well as using human imitations of natural processes – mowing to somewhat mimic large herbivore grazing effects and brush clearing to mimic large browsing herbivore processes.
Amenities
The Anderson Prairie State Preserve has no restroom facilities or maintained hiking trails. A small off-road parking lot is available.
How to get there
The Anderson Prairie State Preserve is northwest of Estherville, Iowa in Emmet County. To get to the preserve from Highway 9, turn north on 360th Avenue for approximately 1.7 miles; the preserve will be on the east side of the road.
Nearby Sites of Interest
The Crimm Savanna and Ringham Wildlife public areas are immediatley north of Anderson Prairie State Preserve.
Literature and links:
Click here to view a Google Scholar search for additional literature using the pre-filled search terms of "Anderson Prairie State Preserve Iowa"
Herzberg, Ruth and John Pearson. 2001. The Guide to Iowa’s State Preserves. Bur Oak Guides Iowa City, Iowa.214 pp. This guide provides information and maps for State Preserves throughout the state of Iowa.