Bob Bourne, Railroad Historian, and vice president of the Ames History Museum, gave us a brief rundown on how Iowa developed more railroad tracks than any other state. Then Lisa Hein, from the Natural Heritage Foundation told us about the transformation of an abandoned railroad line into Iowa’s High Trestle Trail. Since the High Trestle Trail overlooks the Des Moines River the next place to go was the organization that cares for rivers, Prairie Rivers of Iowa. Doug Cooper and Mike Kellner told us about how that organization is celebrating its 21st birthday on August 20 at Alluvial Brewing Company (and where to get tickets) "Butterflies, Bees, and Brew" And Steve Lekwa, retired Story County Conservation Officer, addressed the question “Who Were the Ioway.” We ended in the garden of Dr. Patricia Tice, who told us the story of her invention of The Plant Patron which successfully and humanely keeps critters from damaging plants in gardens.
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