Diversifying, enhancing habitat at Iowa’s Sugema Wildlife Area benefits birds, and local recreation

The Sugema Wildlife Area-Lacey-Keosauqua State Park-Shimek State Forest areas make up a hub of outdoor recreation in far southeast Iowa, six miles from the Missouri state line.

“This area has something for everyone — hiking, biking, hunting, bird watching, paddling, fishing, camping, fall colors, antiquing, sightseeing – there’s a lot of things to do around here,” said Jeff Glaw, wildlife biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “This is a pretty rural area, away from much of the population so you don’t have a ton of competition.”

Staff at the Sugema Wildlife Unit have been working to enhance the prairie resource over the last decade on the 3,950-acre wildlife area. One of their most recent projects is to diversify a large native prairie seeding to support grassland birds.

“We’ll have done over 200 acres when we’re all done,” he said. “In a couple of years, this will be beautiful here.”

Henslow’s sparrows have been found at Sugema and the wildlife unit is working to enhance the habitat to raise the profile of Sugema to a globally important area. The area was designated as a bird conservation area in 2015, recognizing it’s important for all nesting and migrating birds that depend on its significant amount of grassland and woodland habitat.

“There’s so many species of birds here, it’s amazing,” he said.

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Managing such a large and diverse area has its challenges, mainly brush encroaching on the prairie, and the Sugema team uses prescribed fire on about 300-400 acres annually to set back the brush. Grants from the Ornithologists Union and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grant have helped with a tree removal, stump treatment and re-seeding project to return an area to prairie.

A neighbor who is part of the beginning farmer program handles some of the habitat and food plot work through a three-year habitat lease. Battling the invasive sericea lespedeza is most effective by farming the area as food plots for a few years before planting it back into prairie.

On this late August morning, the sky was filled with dragonflies and monarchs passing through on their great migration. The dove fields have been mowed in preparation for opening day of the season.

The annual August roadside survey found the quail population has rebounded after getting hammed by the winter of 2020. Squirrel, deer and rabbit hunters come from across the country and all over the state to hunt the area. There is also pheasant and waterfowl opportunities here, as well.

“The Villages of Van Buren does a lot to promote the area. We’ve had astronomers come to the main boat ramp parking lot at Lake Sugema just to photograph the Milky Way Galaxy because there is no white light there. Jefferson County hosts kayak classes here. The county naturalist teaches geology of the area, cast iron cooking, astronomy and paddling,” Glaw said.

The county has built a nice boat ramp upstream of Keosauqua on the Des Moines River Water Trail and the ramp in town is being re-done.

Editor’s Note: Jeff Glaw passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 3. Jeff was a dedicated wildlife professional and valued member of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for more than 40 years.