Walking south past the sunflower field to the crest of the gently rolling hill provides visitors of a view with a diverse 1,850-acre wetland and rolling prairie complex in northern Wright County. As far as the eye can see, its rolling hills, prairie and small wetlands that make up the popular Lower Morse Wildlife Area.
The area has been a work in progress over the years through tree and shrub removal, prairie planting and restoring wetlands.
“We’re managing this area as a prairie wetland complex which requires regular disturbance to keep trees and shrubs from taking over,” said TJ Herrick, wildlife biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Clear Lake Unit.
The goal of the disturbance – prescribed fire and targeted and limited grazing by a local cattle producer – is to create and maintain high quality grassland habitat to benefit a diverse wildlife community.
The prairie changes through the summer, showcasing different plants along the way. Spiderwort, round-headed bush clover, prairie blazing star, black-eyed Susan, rattlesnake master, mountain mint, compass plant, lead plant and white indigo can all be seen. Remnant native prairie was uncovered on a portion of Lower Morse after ash and cottonwood trees were removed from an old pasture.
“That area had never had a plow on it, so we thought there was a good chance we’d find remnant prairie and we did,” he said.
The diverse prairie supports bobolinks, grasshopper sparrows, eastern meadowlarks, Bell’s vireos, Dickcissels and more. Sandhill cranes and trumpeter swans have returned to nest near the wetlands. Six cranes, with their distinctive grinding calls, could first be heard, then seen flying low over a hill to the east.
“Lower Morse is important for grassland birds and was designated as a Bird Conservation Area in 2009. It’s also important for migrating waterfowl,”
