Friends of Hickory Hill Park - Latest Blog Entries

Plant sale fundraiser, two weekends in May!

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:33:00 -0500

FRIENDS OF HICKORY HILL PARK ANNUAL PLANT SALE

The annual Friends of Hickory Hill Park Plant Sale will take place in the backyard at 1167 East Jefferson Street in Iowa City, at the following times:

May 11 - FRIDAY EVENING 4 to 7 PM
May 12 - SATURDAY 10 AM to 4 PM
and,
May 18 - FRIDAY EVENING 4 to 7 PM
May 19 - SATURDAY 10 AM to 4 PM

Plant donations are needed as well as help BEFORE & DURING the sale. In the past, donations have included perennials such as, coneflowers, dahlias, asters, daisies, hostas, lily of the valley, wild ginger, celendon poppy and other woodland plants plus other groundcovers. Sometimes shrubs and small trees are donated.

This annual fundraising plant sale supports projects within Hickory Hill Park, funded by The Friends of Hickory Hill Park. In past years, FHHP has raised $1,800 to $2,000 from this sale.

For more information or to donate plants, please call J. Jehle at 319-338-5331.

Don't miss the Great Garlic Mustard Pull!

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:28:00 -0500

The Great Garlic Mustard Pull is THIS weekend- Saturday April 21st from 9 am to noon. Your 3 hour commitment can make a world of difference to help control this aggressive invasive species! What a great way to celebrate Earth Day weekend!

Visit our volunteer page for more details. Anyone is welcome!

Spring Volunteer Workdays Announced

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:44:00 -0600

Can you donate just 3 hours of your time to improve Hickory Hill Park's ecosytems?

The Spring 2012 volunteer work days have officially been announced, and you can register now online. We have scheduled 7 sessions that that focus on removing honeysuckle and garlic mustard from the park. These invasive species need controlling - as left unchecked they dominate and alter the native ecosystems in the park.

And mark your calendars for the Great Garlic Mustard Pull on Saturday April 21st! Follow the link above to register and help us control this aggressive invasive species! What a great way to celebrate Earth Day weekend!

Visit our volunteer page for more details about each work session. Anyone is welcome!

2012 Fundraising Calendar On Sale Now

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 14:12:00 -0600

Buy your 2012 Friends of Hickory Hill Park Calendar today! Proceeds help support conservation and improvement projects in the park.

The photos in the calendar, which are donated to the project by area photographers, capture the amazing natural setting that exists within Hickory Hill Park — woodlands, fields, waterways, and a variety of wildlife — throughout each season.

Calendars are now available for sale for $10 each at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center and the following Iowa City businesses: Ace Hardware on North Dodge, Active Endeavors, the East Side Artists Show (scheduled December 9-11 at the Masonic Temple), Eble Music, Fin and Feather, Iowa Book and Supply, New Pioneer Co-op, Prairie Lights Bookstore, and Russ’ Northside Service.

In 2010 and 2011, FHHP provided more than 2,000 hours of volunteer work in the park, which culminated this year with the first-ever controlled burn in the woodland area. The calendar is our principal fundraising tool.

Video and News Coverage of Woodland Burn in Park

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:33:00 -0500

KCRG News was at Hickory Hill Park on Saturday October 29th covering the woodland burn.

From their news article:

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Helping Mother Nature take back a woodland area means lighting parts of it on fire. That's what about a dozen people did Saturday at Hickory Hills Park in Iowa City. Two invading plant species: honeysuckle and garlic mustard are killing the native plants in the forest. Saturday, professionals and volunteers worked to burn a concentrated portion of those plants for the success of others.

Prescribed Woodland Burn Scheduled for October 29th

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:40:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: FRIENDS OF HICKORY HILL PARK
Iowa City, Iowa
C.J. Voci: 400‐4919
e‐mail: cjvoci@gmail.com

FIRE RETURNS TO HICKORY HILL PARK
(Iowa City, IA) After two years of site preparation, the Friends of Hickory Hill Park (FHHP) will conduct its first prescribed woodland burn on Saturday, October 29 in an area just to the northeast of the Bloomington Street entrance to the park (view full press release with map). The burn will be conducted under the direction of Liz Maas and a professional land restoration crew from Transition Ecology.

Volunteers are welcome! Register online here.

Volunteers will arrive at 9 AM at the Bloomington Street entrance to secure the surrounding area and trails. The controlled fire will begin at 10 AM and will last 4‐5 hours depending on conditions. Site monitoring will last several more hours after the fire is out. Because controlled burns require particular weather conditions (esp. wind speed and direction and humidity), a rain date has been set for Saturday, November 5th. Some of the trails will be closed to ensure the safety of the public. The burn will be a slow and low controlled fire that will not be visible from other areas of the park, through it will generate smoke.

FHHP has conducted prescribed burns in the grassland areas of the park for several years. All planning and preparation for the woodland burn has been done under the direction of land restoration professionals and the project is coordinated with Iowa City Parks Department and the Iowa City Fire Department. FHHP has secured a permit from the IC Fire Department. Prescribed woodland fires are a natural and beneficial element in the development of a healthy and thriving woodland. A prescribed burn has neither the heat nor intensity of wild forest fire and will not harm native herbaceous plants or mature trees but will help to control some invasive species that threaten the park. Fire provides additional benefits by stimulating native seeds in the ground to germinate, opening up space for sunlight, and replacing nutrients in the soil. This leads to more plant diversity, which increases the health of the forest as animal habitat.

Fall Volunteer Work Days Announced

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:29:00 -0500

If you like to recreate in the park, consider joining us for some physical labor that improves Hickory Hill Park trails and ecosystems. Anyone is welcome to volunteer!

The Fall 2011 volunteer work days have officially been announced, and you can register now online. We have scheduled 9 sessions that include activities such as: trail building, brush clearing, bridge building, woodland burn/prep and invasive species removal.

Visit our volunteer page for more details about each work session.

Calling all photographers!

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:00:00 -0500

Submit your photos of the park for the 2012 Friends of Hickory Hill Park Calendar. The deadline for 2012 calendar submissions is August 15*.

There are two ways to submit:

Email digital submissions to info@hickoryhillpark.org.
Mail prints (5x7 or smaller) and CD's to Sarah Walz, 1813 Morningside Dr, Iowa City, IA 52245

Please note:

We will not return prints or CDs unless requested.
All photos must be taken in Hickory Hill Park.
Please provide your name, address, phone number and email with your submission (label each print or disk)
Limit: 15 photos per entrant

*We will now begin accepting photos on a rolling basis to be used in future calendars. So submit anytime of the year!

Annual Hickory Hill Park Plant Sale Fundraiser

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:37:00 -0500

The annual Friends of Hickory Hill Plant sale will be held two weekends in May in the backyard at 1167 East Jefferson Street.

Times & Dates

Friday, May 13th from 4 to 7 PM
Saturday, May 14 from 10 AM to 4 PM
Friday, May 20 from 4 to 7 PM
Saturday, May 21 from 10 AM to 4 PM

After May 21 by appointment only. Call 338-5331.

Help is needed before and during the sale.
Plant donations are needed.....call 338-5331 to make a plant donation.
Pots of all sizes are available for your use.

In the past 3 to 4 years, FHHP has raised over $2,000 each year which supports projects within Hickory Hill Park. Beautify your yard and support the park at the same time.

We hope to see you there!

Volunteers needed this weekend!

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:22:00 -0500

Friends of Hickory Hill Park is organizing four volunteer projects this weekend in the Park.

There will be two shifts on Saturday starting from the Bloomington Street Entrance at 9:30 and and 1:30, and two more on Sunday starting from the North Entrance at 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. Garlic mustard pulling will be the focus both days, except Sunday afternoon when we'll also do Heritage Trees.

Learn more and register online today.

Prescribed Prairie Burns this Spring

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 08:11:00 -0500

Prescribed prairie burns may be taking place this spring in the park. Dates will be announced soon if the weather continues to cooperate.

If you are not familiar with why burns are used as a management tool, click here to learn more.

Spring 2011 Volunteer Work Days Announced

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:12:00 -0500

Friends of Hickory Hill Park is organizing 7 volunteer work sessions in March and April. Each session lasts from 3-4 hours and includes activities such as brush clearing or pulling garlic mustard, an invasive species. For each session we can accommodate 40 to 45 volunteers of all skill and age levels.

Volunteer this spring to improve your Hickory Hill Park ecosystem! Learn more and register online today.

2011 Calendar for Sale

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:09:00 -0600

The 2011 Friends of Hickory Hill Calendar is now available for sale!

Some are calling it our best calendar ever! The 2011 calendar is ifor sale for $9.00 at the following retail locations:

Prairie Lights Bookstore, New Pioneer Co-op, Fin and Feather, Active Endeavors, Russ Northside Service Station, Iowa Book and Supply, The Art Mission,

The calendar is our main fundraising tool--all proceeds from the sales go to support our conservation work in the park.