Traer Museum

The Carl and Evelyn Wilson Nature Preserve was established in 1990, when their daughter and her husband, Ellen and Eugene Zmolek of Rochester, MN, wanted to memorialize her parents with a gift of two acres to the Town of Traer for an undeveloped natural area. Carl and Evelyn, long time residents, had a strong interest in their natural surroundings. They grew wildflowers in their Traer yard and Carl served as the local weatherman.

 

The Traer Development Board had recently purchased 27 acres from the Wilson Estate and were making plans to sell home building lots on the subdivision, later named Prairie West. In January, 1990, Jared Bauch contacted Ray and Yvette Berner and invited them to apply for money from a newly appropriated State of Iowa DNR fund, to create a two acre undeveloped wildlife preserve. The State Fund was called REAP (Resource Enhancement and Preservation). Traer had to compete with  many other towns its size to win the funds. In April, when it was announced that Traer was a successful recipient, Ray and Yvette were ready to go with a prairie restoration, a small butterfly garden and a small woodland of native trees.

 

The butterfly garden was planted with 400 plants on April 21, 1990, and the seeding of the prairie restoration and the tree planting were done in May and June that year. A disaster struck on June 6 when heavy rain-washed out about 3/4 of the new prairie seeding a few days after planting. The washed out section was reseeded in 1991. There are currently 10 native grasses and 75 native forbs (flowers) in the Nature Preserve.

 

The prairie reconstruction, in 2003 is in its 14th growing season. A reconstruction needs up to 10 years before it reaches satisfactory saturation of prairie plants. For example, compass plants and leadplants do not bloom until the 4th or 5th year. 
 

Wild cream and wild white indigo showed up in 1995 for the first time. We look upon this as a prairie museum.  (There are in a small area more flower species than you might see in a virgin prairie.) Since there is only 0.01% of a tall grass virgin prairie left in Iowa, we can provide an opportunity to see what used to be common in 85% of the State of Iowa.

 

As Aldo Leopold (Iowa-born naturalist 1886-1948) said: all conservation of wilderness is self-defeating, for to cherish we must see and fondle, and when enough have seen and fondled, there is no wilderness left to cherish. If all Iowans walked on our remaining prairie remnants, we could destroy them. Reconstructed prairies such as this can partially recreate aspects of the original prairie and provide a means for more people to experience prairie and at the same time help divert pressure from our remaining remnants.
 
Many Traer community members volunteered money and their time to develop the Preserve.  Before moving from the area, Marilyn and Fred Lineberry assisted greatly in the Preserve development. Duane Ingle, only appointed to the Board in July 1997, has been invaluable, as has his wife Marlene. Jared and Marilyn Bauch have from the beginning given a great deal of support and time to make the Preserve one of the most unique city parks in Iowa.

 

Regular visitors are the 5th graders, the Creative Writing classes from North Tama School and the Pied Piper Preschool. Visitors have logged in from 27 states and 5 foreign countries. Guided prairie walks are available during the summer months, and you may call Ray and Yvette Berner  at 478-2007 for guided tours during the summer months."

 

By: Dr. Raymond Berner