Need inspiration and ideas? Visit the yards of pioneering Iowa City residents who have consciously designed ecologically beneficial features into their yards.
In addition to yard tours, hands-on events will show you how to implement these beneficial features in your own yard.
Go to Jim Fluck and Julie Scott | Jim Fluck and Julie Scott
Create a Healthy Urban Woodland
Prior to Euro-American settlement in the late 1800’s, tallgrass prairie, savanna and woodlands covered the Iowa landscape for thousands of years. Jim and Julie’s wooded backyard contains many elements of a native woodland ecosystem, and with the help of local experts, they are steadily working to restore the health of this small piece of land that is a part of our larger community.
Is it practical to rebuild native woodland on an urban lot? What hurdles must be overcome? What are the benefits – to the owners? To the neighborhood?, to the city?, to the environment? While still in the initial stages of restoration, early answers to these questions can be seen in their backyard as it becomes one of a growing number of authentic experiments in land-use design and practice.
| Saturday, May 10, 2008
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
(past event) |    |
Go to NatureMapping Workshop | NatureMapping Workshop
Become a NatureMapper!
In conjuction with the Johnson County Conservation Department, Backyard Abundance is helping promote and sponsor NatureMapping—Iowa's volunteer-driven wildlife monitoring program.
| Saturday, June 21, 2008
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
(past event) |  |
Go to What is Permaculture? Part I - Presentation | What is Permaculture? Part I - Presentation
Learn about Permaculture's potential
Have you heard of “Permaculture”? If so, it was likely referred to as a design methodology for eco-friendly gardening. Permaculture can be used to create abundant, low-maintenance gardens, but its principles and philosophy have a far greater reach. Fred Meyer and Kyle Sieck—both certified Permaculture Designers—will present the core concepts behind Permaculture and describe its potential to help you and all of Iowa City live more sustainably.
This presentation is being held in conjunction with Taproot.
| Saturday, June 28, 2008
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
(past event) | |
Go to Jason Taylor | Jason Taylor
Learn about Low-Maintenance Native Landscaping
Using a thorough understanding of Iowa Natives, Jason has transformed his yard into a brilliant ecosystem. (At a past Backyard Abundance event, Jason showed folks how to create a low-maintenance native prairie garden.)
| Saturday, July 19, 2008
3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
(past event) | |
 | What is Permaculture? Part II - Demonstration
New Pioneer Food Co-Op
22 S. Van Buren St.
Iowa City, IA
get directions
See examples of Permaculture
See Permaculture patterns and principles in action at the yards of Fred Meyer and Mary Crooks. Mary’s yard is undergoing a complete ecological landscape design makeover and Fred’s yard features an established vegetable and herb garden based on Permaculture patterns.
This event is being held in conjunction with New Pioneer and Field to Family. We will meet at New Pioneer in Iowa City and carpool to the two yards.
| Sunday, September 07, 2008
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM | |
Go to Jennifer Joslin | Jennifer Joslin
700 Whiting Ave
Iowa City, IA
get directions
Design an Eco-Friendly Yard
How can an outdoor space be designed so it equally benefits humans, wildlife, plants, and insects? What are the first things to consider with such a design? How should the project be started and where can help be found? At this event, we will meander around Jennifer’s one-acre yard of turfgrass and show how that space can be creatively transformed to be more enjoyable for her family and her wildlife friends.
| Date to be announced | |
Go to Mike Fallon | Mike Fallon
409 Brown Street
Iowa City, IA
get directions
Learn to Build a Rain Garden
Bring your gloves and shovels and learn how to create a rain garden at this hands-on event. The new rain garden will help stop rain water from running down Mike’s steep backyard into our urban streams. Help move dirt, plant shade-loving natives, and put down mulch, or just watch and learn. Experts will be on hand to explain how the garden was designed and to answer questions. Earth Sculptors, a local environmentally-conscious earthmoving company, has generously donated their time to help with the project.
| Date to be announced | |