Dave Williams

Dave Williams is a prairie restoration specialist and author associated with Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center. The Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Seed and Seedling Identification in the Upper Midwest addresses a practical problem in ecological work: recognizing native prairie plants before they reach their familiar mature form. Published by the University of Iowa Press and illustrated by Brent Butler, the guide uses photographs, drawings, descriptions, and accessible identification keys. A review from the U.S. Geological Survey noted its usefulness to botanical beginners while also identifying the limits of the species selection. Williams also collaborated with Daryl Smith, Greg Houseal, and Kirk Henderson on a broader guide to prairie restoration in the region. The Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Seed and Seedling Identification in the Upper Midwest reflects his applied focus, linking plant identification with reconstruction, seed production, and land management rather than treating taxonomy as an isolated exercise.