Fire, Food and Prairie Ecology

Join us to explore the topics of fire, wild foods, and prairie ecology with educator Samuel Thayer at Iowisota. The program includes lunch. An overnight option is available. All the details below!

Programming Cost:  $125/person for the Saturday workshop. Lunch is included. Start registration by clicking the RSVP link; After you submit a registration, we will send you an invoice for payment. 

Location: Iowisota Retreat and Education Center, 2472 IA-26, Lansing, Iowa.

What to expect for the Saturday event: The focus of this workshop is the unique ecology of the steep hillside prairies of the Driftless Area. These prairies rely on fire to persist, and many of the prairie plants that grow on them were valuable food source for indigenous people. We will begin the workshop in the Gathering Room at Iowisota for an introduction and background, then will spend much of the day outdoors, talking about the landscape and plants. The intact “goat prairie” at Iowisota is steep, rugged ground, so sturdy shoes and the capability to hike on uneven surfaces is necessary.  Expect to hike up to three miles and spend extended time outdoors. Lunch will be provided.

Overnight “Bed and Breakfast” stay at Iowisota:  Additional $75/person/per night, or $100/room/night if there are more than one family member/friend sharing a room. Lodging taxes will be added.  Camping is available on-site for $30/site per night. Breakfasts are included.

·        Stay in one of our 6 guest bedrooms, with all the modern amenities. Most rooms have queen or double beds, two have bunk beds. (See the accommodations tab on the website for information on all the rooms).

·        If you want to camp on-site, we can help you find a good spot to meet your needs.  We have several good spots for tents, and a few good spots for small camping trailers. Camping on-site is primitive but includes access to the bathrooms and common space inside the main Iowisota house, and breakfasts.  

·        The setting of Iowisota includes nearly 200 acres of private forest and many trails to hike and explore. The sleeping rooms are a delightful blend of historic, rustic, and modern. The “gathering room” with its stone fireplace, expansive windows, and comfortable seating provides a place to hang out and chat with the hosts and other guests.

About the speaker/guest expert: Samuel Thayer is a renowned author and forager and internationally recognized authority on edible wild plants. Along with speaking and writing, he is also a maple syrup producer, wild rice harvester, and owns a small organic orchard. In addition to wild food foraging, Sam is an all-around naturalist with particular interests in reptiles, amphibians, bird watching, botany, and mammals.

About your hosts: Linda and Dennis Haugen both recently retired from careers as forest health specialists with the US Forest Service. Linda grew up on the Iowisota property, moving here with her parents in 1968. Linda and Dennis built the new residence/retreat center and moved back to northeast Iowa in 2023. They have a wealth of knowledge about natural resources in general, and the site history of Iowisota specifically.   

How to sign up and pay: Registration is limited to 18 participants. On-site accommodation is limited. Click the link for registration and then fill out the registration form. This will hold your space. Once you have completed the form, we will email you an invoice that you can pay by check, credit card, or PayPal. If payment has not been received within 3 weeks of registration, your spot may be released. We anticipate this session filling up; we will maintain a waiting list.