A generous donation by Dale Light, in 1994, created the 73-acre Mink Run wildlife area, a mix of grasslands, woodland with a dry run creek through the middle, three miles southeast of Lisbon and Mount Vernon, in northwest Cedar County.
While not large, Mink Run has been enjoyed by deer, turkey, pheasant and rabbit hunters as well as mushroom hunters.
“I see lots of opportunity here,” said Matt Shanklin, wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Iowa River Unit’s Coralville office. “We’d like to see it with about 60 acres of prairie, and the rest in trees.”
Overlooking the work-in-progress prairie on this rainy early June morning, Shanklin is going through the prairie plants as he sees them.
“Golden Alexander, little bluestem, big bluestem, Indian grass, compass plant, cup plant, milkweed, round-headed bush clover, indigo, black-eyed Susan, gray headed coneflower, spiderwort,” he said. “Great start to the prairie.”
Shanklin said they rotate proscribed fire on two burn units every three to five years to encourage a diverse prairie that is heavy with forbs. The tree component will emphasize native hardwoods like oak, hickory, and walnut with some incidental species such as maple and cottonwood along the way. Management challenges include battling smooth brome, crown vetch, Reed canary grass, multiflora rose, honeysuckle, autumn olive and more.
“It’s a work in progress, but is definitely worth checking out,” he said. Given its location just south of U.S. Hwy. 30, its easily accessible.
Sitting in the parking lot on the area’s northeast corner, common yellow throats, song sparrows and dickcissels can be heard from the prairie. “That’s good to hear,” he said.