| Contact:
Jeff Morgan, Jeff.Morgan@iowa.gov,
(515) 281-3858
(DES
MOINES) – The State Historical Society of Iowa’s popular “History for Lunch” lecture series in Iowa City continues next week with Dr. Diana Horton, who will discuss the history of Rochester Cemetery.
Horton will present “Rochester Cemetery: A Legacy of the Pre-settlement Landscape” Noon-1 p.m., Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at the State Historical Society’s Centennial Building, 402 Iowa Avenue in Iowa City. The lecture is free and the public is invited to bring a brown bag lunch. Call 319-335-3911 for more information.
Rochester Cemetery is a pioneer cemetery perched above the Cedar River just south of the town of Rochester. The 14 acre prairie/savanna harbors an extraordinary diversity of plant species, many of them uncommon, and a spectacular spring flora. The site also features magnificent white oaks – 48 to 60 inches in diameter and 150 years old – and historic gravestones dating back to the 1830s.
Horton has a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Alberta in western Canada. She has been a faculty member at the University of Iowa since 1983, and she was director and curator of the University of Iowa Herbarium from 1983 to 2004.
Horton’s passion is conservation and she has developed a Web site – Iowa’s Fragile Flora (http://www.cgrer.uiowa.edu/herbarium) – that highlights Iowa’s rare plant species and the vital role of collections-based research in the preservation of natural habitats.
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The State Historical Society of Iowa is a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and is a trustee of Iowa’s historical legacy and an advocate for understanding Iowa’s past. It identifies, records, collects, preserves, manages and provides access to Iowa’s historical resources. Its dual mission of preservation and education serves Iowans of all ages, conducts and stimulates research, disseminates information, and encourages and supports historical preservation and education efforts of others throughout the state. Visit www.iowahistory.org or call 515-281-5111 for more information.
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