FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Friday, Jan. 17, 2025

By Brandon Clough, Natural Resource Manager

On May 21, 2024, a tornado struck Polk and Story Counties. We are grateful that there was no loss of human life, but many people were tragically affected by the tornado. Our condolences are with others in the community who experienced loss or damage following last spring’s tornadoes.

One of the Story County Conservation Wildlife Areas, Jennett Heritage Area, was hit by the tornado as well. The storm destroyed most of the trees at the Jennett Heritage Area south of Nevada. It also destroyed the bald eagle’s nest and sadly claimed the lives of the eaglets that were in it at the time. The gnarled mess poses risks to public safety, log jams and also creates problems looking forward to future management of the property.

A contractor has been hired to remove the damaged trees and debris. As a safety measure, this park will remain closed during the project.

The result of this work will mean very few trees will be left standing on the property. Desirable tree species such as oaks will be saved, if they can be. Many of the trees that are still standing are “weedy” or invasive such as white mulberry, honeysuckle, buckthorn, and boxelder. The Big Bluestem Audubon Society is donating funds to re-seed any disturbed soil to a native prairie seed mix.

Moving forward, SCC plans to manage the area as an open grassland as it historically was (see 1950’s aerial photo below). This will mean less seed sources of invasive plant species and it will make the property more desirable to many of our imperiled native grassland birds, including Henslow’s sparrows and Bobolinks, who often avoid nesting in areas near trees.

Aerial comparison of Jennett Heritage Area from the 1950s to 2023. (Notice the changes in tree cover)