Heritage of the Loess Hills with Rich Pope

As a volunteer at the Center, Rich Pope is a familiar presence to the staff, and we are continually astonished by the range of his interests and the depth of his knowledge on an array of topics. Serendipitously, these topics often have a strong connection to the types of programming in which the Center specializes: historical, cultural and educational. He has a longstanding fascination with the Lewis and Clark Expedition that goes back to his youth, when his 4-H Club meetings were held at an historic Lewis and Clark campsite on the banks of Badger Lake in Monona County.

Pope’s position as the Chair of the Loess Hills Alliance led him to collaborate with the Center to bring its guests his wealth of knowledge on this unique Iowa feature. Within two minutes of the start of a conversation on the topic, Center staff learned:

• Loess is correctly pronounced “Luss.”
• Loess is a specific geological structure formed by blowing dust, in Iowa’s case, that of the Missouri River Valley.
• To be considered a “loess hill,” the loess formation must be at least 60 feet high.
• The Iowa legislature established the Loess Hills Alliance in 1999 to preserve the unique land formations, promote tourism and protect the rights of Loess Hills landowners.

This is just a taste of the treat that Pope’s full presentation at the Center promises to be. Admission is free and we encourage all to attend.