(Oakland)--It's always a wonderful thing when you can transfer your life's passions into your life's work. That's exactly what is taking place in the life of Lindsey Barney, Iowa Department of Natural Resources District 9 Forester.

Barney (in photo left standing next to a small walnut tree) grew up in Lamoni, Iowa and attended Iowa State University where she studied animal ecology and forest conservation-restoration. After getting good work experience at various areas of the country, she came home to southwest Iowa in 2010 and is now based out of Oakland where she serves 12 counties.

Barney says there are many forest health issues in the area and through prescribed fire and purposeful thinning positive effects are taking place, albeit slowly.   She says KMAland woodlands need managing and landowners like David Robbins of rural Elliott are doing something about it.

Robbins re-enrolled his 80 acres back into the Conservation Reserve Program and through the Farm Service Agency is also participating in the Upland Tree Planting Program. With the goal of restoring native woodlands to his property, Robbins has planted thousands of trees, including the likes of oak, elm, walnut, hickory, maple, Kentucky coffee tree, cherry, cottonwood, sycamore, ash and silver maple. Trees are placed depending on many factors, including soil type.

Barney also does a lot of conservation work in the gorgeous Loess Hills where oak savannah and prairie restoration are some of the key components of restoring the topography back to the way it looked when Lewis and Clark gazed upon it over 200 years ago.

If you'd like to visit with Lindsey Barney, feel free to give her a call in Oakland at 712-482-6245 and she'll work with you to restore health and beauty to your woodland property.

Check out the video below where Lindsey and David describe the good things that are happening on the Robbins property near Elliott.

   

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