Rewilding Woodview Way
“Conservation is everyone’s responsibility—not just those few who make it their profession.” -Doug Tallamy
Since moving into their new home on Woodview Way in January 2023, Paula and Scott Scherbroeck have transformed much of their 4.3 acres in Davenport, Iowa, into a sanctuary for native plants and wildlife—right in the heart of the city.
Driving by the front of the Scherbroeck home, one wouldn’t know there was a thriving ecosystem in the backyard. Close to the house, the couple maintains a meticulously manicured lawn that blends in with the rest of the neighborhood—clipped bluegrass, landscaping, and clean edges.
The yard comes to life as we walk to the back of the Scherbroeck property on a sunny June morning. Less than a mile from Davenport’s busy 53rd Street, the rolling hills and woodlands along Pheasant Creek create a sense of seclusion that makes it easy to forget the city.
The entire slope leading up to the back of the house could have been a traditional bluegrass lawn. Instead, the couple has devoted a large portion of their land to native flowers and grasses, recognizing their vital importance in sustaining the local ecosystem.
As Paula takes us on a species tour, goldfinches fly among the black-eyed Susans, and the calls of catbirds, brown thrashers, and cedar waxwings fill the air. A monarch butterfly dances over the common milkweed blooms that rise above the coreopsis and early sunflower.
The Scherbroecks host a variety of native flora and fauna on the property and hope to introduce more. With pollinator numbers in decline, they keep an eye out for threatened and endangered species, like the rusty-patched bumble bee. By providing habitat and avoiding pesticide use, they hope their property will make a difference.
Paula photographs the flora and fauna in her yard.
Paula and Scott began learning about the benefits of native flora just a few years ago. During the coronavirus pandemic, the Scherbroecks read about the role native flowers and grasses play in a healthy landscape. They signed up for online workshops with Scott County’s roadside vegetation specialist, Brian Burkholder, who inspired them to create an ecologically-friendly space that would support pollinators, birds, and other wildlife in their backyard.
Scott James of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partnered with the Scherbroecks, providing guidance and resources for prairie restoration. He works closely with Mik Holgersson of Vildmark LLC who prepared and seeded the site in 2023. Holgersson also aids with long-term management and mowing when necessary to control invasive species.
Photo collage provided by Paula Scherbroeck.
Just two years later, the property includes an impressive variety of native flowers, including keystone species like milkweeds, asters, and goldenrods, and native trees, like oak trees donated by Living Lands and Waters. These many keystone species offer essential food and habitat for numerous Iowa natives.
Scott, once an avid hunter, now captures wildlife visiting their sanctuary on video, while Paula, an accomplished photographer, adds to her impressive collection of nature images. Their shared goal? “To create a mini nature preserve in the heart of Davenport,” Scott says. Though only a few years into the project, the couple nurtures a vibrant native habitat in Iowa’s third-largest city.