Prairie Installation/Management in Ames, Iowa

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Transform a portion of your property or business in Ames to Iowa’s native ecosystem.

The Tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem home to over 500 species of plants, 150 bird species, 35 mammal species, 1,000+ species of insects — all relying on this ecosystem to thrive. With less than 1% of prairie remaining in Iowa, Tallgrass prairie is one of the most destructed and endangered ecosystems in the world.

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First Step: Free Consultation

Transforming a portion of your Ames property to prairie will not only benefit pollinators like the native butterflies of Iowa, but promote soil health, drainage, and create wildlife shelter. The first consultation is free. In that consultation I will answer any questions you have, and begin to outline a quote that works with your property. We talk about things like erosion, time expectations, management methods, management frequency, mowing, and cost.

Go Cyclones :)

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Second Step: Quote

After the free consultation, in no more than two weeks I will email you a quote for:

  • cost of grass removal (if this is a lawn to prairie project) and ground prep

  • cost for the prairie seeding/planting

  • cost of a two-year maintenance (usually this is a monthly cost)

Once you approve the quote, we can get started!

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Third Step: Prairie Time!

Getting started is a science of finding the right window of weather for your planting/seeding, which will be detailed in your plan.

First on-the-ground step to get started will be prepping the soil and/or removing lawn, which is best to be started in early spring (in prep for Spring seeding) or summer (in prep for Fall seeding).

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  • "Our woodland area was historically a jungle until we brought Paige on to help. Now it is full of native plants, easier to manage, and easier to look at!"

    —Ames Customer

  • "Year two of our one acre prairie project and it is full of native flowers already. The existing thistles haven't been easy to manage, but Paige does a good job of communicating with me what her plans are and always explains things well."

    -Ames Customer

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About Paige

With ten years of experience in installing, managing, and restoring prairies across the state of Iowa, I am excited to help you explore this precious ecosystem.

I started Sown Ecological Solutions in 2021 to make restoration ecology services more accessible to private landowners and commercial businesses. I can’t wait to help you with your project!

Contact Form

sown@sownecologicalsolutions.com

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