Conard Environmental Research Area

The 365-acre (148 ha) facility is owned and operated by Grinnell College for class use in the study of ecology and student and faculty research.

The preserve is named for Henry S. Conard, a bryologist and ecologist who long served as the chair of the college's Department of Botany.

[3][4] In addition to its role as an environmental preserve and research area, CERA has hosted several artists and their exhibitions.

In 2001, the British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy constructed a stone cairn at the site, one of a series of three across the United States.

The cairn, while an example of temporary land art, is expected to last decades and still stands.

The cairn by Andy Goldsworthy is in the foreground, with the new wind turbine and Environmental Education Center in the background.
Restored prairie at CERA
Aerial photo of the site, 1994. Interstate I-80 is at the top left and the Environmental Education Center is indicated by the line at center.