PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF STORY COUNTY CONSERVATION
CONSERVATION CONSERVATION
Conservation at the Crossroads By Erica L. Place
I
n Story County, Iowa, an undevelopable wild area sat in the middle of a planned commercial development. The developer, Iowa State University’s Research Park, saw the potential for an amenity rather than an obstacle. What began as discussions between the research park and the county quickly grew into multi-agency conversations about a shared vision — a learning corridor that would provide a place where people could see first-hand how the urban-rural interface was not only possible, but also could improve the economy, environment and quality of life.
The Four Cs The park’s namesake, Ted Tedesco, has been a stalwart of conservation and community betterment, serving as Ames mayor, on the Ames Planning and Zoning Commission, Ames City Council and Story County Conservation Board. Tedesco’s heart is in bringing people together and investing in future generations and our environment, and it was important these ideals were represented in the corridor. The “four Cs” concept coined by Tedes26 Parks & Recreation
Live stake plantings and root wads armor the curves in the stream and protect against erosion.
| M AY 2 02 0 | PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N .O R G
co would guide us through development: collaboration, cooperation, conservation and connectivity. In order to create a space that embodied the four Cs, habitat restoration had to be a large part of the process. The landscape was greatly altered from its historic form; the stream was flashy, incised and disconnected from the floodplain, and invasive species had taken the place of pre-settlement wet meadow and upland prairie. We needed to do more than just repair the landscape.
It had to become a live learning laboratory, modeling conservation techniques and sustainable technologies. And, because it was nestled in the heart of development, we had an opportunity to showcase stormwater management. Retention basins, which replicated wetlands, encouraged infiltration and also added aesthetically pleasing and functional habitat. Stream restoration work presented another opportunity to model up-andcoming sustainable strategies. Bioengineering techniques included using trees that had been removed during the prairie restoration to stabilize the banks. We strived to incorporate “greener” approaches to typical park amenities. Prairie reconstructed with local eco-type seed replaced traditional mowed turf grass. Repurposed shipping
