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Prairies
The Bremer County Conservation Board
currently manages
two native prairies.
Brooks/Lease Prairie
In May of 1999, the Bremer County Conservation Board
acquired a 8.2 acre prairie remnant on the west edge of
Sumner. The prairie site was formerly a railroad
right-of-way and contains over 90 species of wildflowers and
prairie grasses. The prairie contains Bottle Gentians,
Compass Plant, Shooting Star, Blazing Star, Rattlesnake
Master, Indian grass, Big & Little Bluestem, plus many other
prairie species.
The area is used for school fieldtrips, Monarch Butterfly
tagging and wildflower hikes.
Warren Township Cemetery Prairie
The Bremer County Conservation Board took over management
duties of the Warren Township Cemetery Prairie in 1987.
Ownership was transferred to Bremer County Conservation in
2002. The cemetery prairie is located 1 mile northeast of
Waverly at 2101 Garden Ave. Over 33 graves can be found at
the cemetery, 26 of which have been identified. Tombstones
range from the years 1855 to 1901. Hubert Higgins, a Civil
War Veteran is buried in the cemetery. Mr. Higgins served
in the 14th Regiment of the Iowa Volunteer Infantry.
Since the cemetery was established so early in the county’s
history, many of the prairie plants have survived there
among the tombstones. Over 128 species of flora can be
found in the small prairie, including side-oats grama,
yellow coneflower, spiderwort, prairie clover, and prairie
dropseed.
To the north of the area, Wartburg College manages
Lageschulte Prairie. This 5.8 acre prairie contains 184
flora species.
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