About Ashton Prairie

Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory (APLL) is an 8-acre prairie restoration project located within the University of Iowa’s Ashton Cross Country Course. APLL was established in 2019 to expose students and the public to prairie ecosystems and for faculty and students to explore environmental processes and management at a developing prairie restoration site.

The site includes an initial 1-acre pilot plot and a recently added 7-acre area, as well as an adjacent stream. Over the last five years, the site has supported over forty undergraduate students, across multiple departments, working directly on management, monitoring, and research projects. Student activities have included seed gathering, thistle management, pollinator and plant distribution studies, groundwater-surface water-macroinvertebrate interactions, and soil health studies. APLL has also hosted a number of academic classes, such as Intro to Environmental Studies, Entomology, Hydrogeology, and Prairie Restoration, as well as community events, including the annual University of Iowa BioBlitz.

Although, primarily used by undergraduates, graduate student research is encouraged and equipment is available to anyone within the university. We also welcome students, staff, faculty, and others to use the space for art, writing, and other non-STEM activities!