Catheryn Irvine, center, pictured with her Outstanding Legacy Project award on April 3 in Ankeny. Also pictured (from left), Iowa DNR Director Kayla Lyon, Catherine Wieck with the Dysart Tree Board, [Irvine], Dysart Mayor Tim Glenn, and DNR State Forester Jeff Goerndt. PHOTO COURTESY OF IOWA DNR

ANKENY – Catheryn ‘Cathy’ Irvine of Dysart was named Outstanding Legacy Project by the Iowa Urban Tree Council during the 34th Annual Urban Forestry Awards Ceremony held on April 3, at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny.

Cathy and her late husband, David, lived on a family farm in Benton County northeast of Dysart. They shared a love of the land, its beauty, and biodiversity. In memory of David, Cathy established nearly 300 acres of the farm as tallgrass prairie.

After establishing the prairie, Irvine turned her two-acre woodland within Dysart into a permanent woodland for the city. In cooperation with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, the Viola Irvine Nature Preserve was dedicated on Arbor Day in 2022. It was formally deeded to the city in late 2023, and work began to prepare the woodland for visitors.

The Viola Irvine Nature Preserve is a visitor-friendly nature oasis. It’s a pleasure to walk through the preserve, stopping at the meditation area to watch and listen to the many bird species present. The walk then continues on a natural trail through the preserve, with different species of woodland flowers in bloom at different times throughout the spring. The Dysart Tree Board believes the successful Viola Irvine Nature Preserve will be an environmental legacy for the future.

“Catheryn Irvine is an outstanding example of Iowa’s urban forestry partners by enhancing our forest resources,” said Emma Hanigan, Urban Forestry coordinator with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “This land will create a legacy for Iowans for years.”