2023 was a year of celebrating both what we have accomplished and what we are still aspiring to achieve.
50th YEAR EVENTS
BioBlitz
June 25 – July 1
50th Celebration Event
October 14
50 DONORS CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
Throughout 2023 individuals and organizations who invest in our future with a gift to The Fund for the Future will be recognized here.
Watch our 50th Anniversary video with a special message from Executive Director John Myers.
Indian Creek Nature Center was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1973, making it the first nonprofit nature center in Iowa.
Throughout 2023, we celebrated our 50th anniversary with special events, recognizing our donors and sharing your stories.
50 Stories for 50 Years
sponsored by New Leader Manufacturing
During 2023, we are shared weekly stories from many of the people who have contributed to our mission over the past five decades.
Get to know Indian Creek Nature Center
At Indian Creek Nature Center, we create champions of nature.
Indian Creek Nature Center’s mission is to promote a more sustainable future by nurturing individuals through environmental education, providing leadership in land protection and restoration, and encouraging responsible interactions with nature.
Our History
Conservation, Education & Investing in the Future
The 80s were a busy time for the Nature Center:
In 1980, the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service declared the Nature Center’s trails the Cedar Greenbelt National Recreation Trail.- In 1982-83, the Nature Center piloted its preschool and second grade programs and established its role as a leader in outdoor education.
- ICNC installed its first stand-alone solar energy system, which charged a series of batteries that generated enough electricity to run the building’s lights but no more.
- Finances were tight in the early 80s. And in response, the Indian Creek Nature Center Charitable Trust was formed. A $10,000 check came from an anonymous donor through the mail and was deposited into the endowment as the start of the Trust’s Assets.
- The first tractor (a Sears lawn tractor and trailer) was purchased using money raised by the Guild. It greatly helped management of lands and trails.
- In 1984, the Nature Center held its first Maple Syrup Festival. About 450 people attended. Two years later the festival expanded from one day only to a weekend event. The Sugarhouse was built in the winter of 1987 was used was for the 1987 festival.
In 1980, the 
The first tractor (a Sears lawn tractor and trailer) was purchased using money raised by the Guild. It greatly helped management of lands and trails.Prairie, Wetlands and Woodlands
An exceptional and unexpected opportunity came to ICNC in 1994 when the Bena family offered to sell their farm to the Nature Center. The resulting transaction increased Nature Center land to 210 acres.BB Stamats’ and Jean O’Donnell’s dream of a nature center for their community materialized into green prairies, teeming wetlands, and protected woodlands that thousands of visitors enjoy each year.
The Paul & Sigrund Lynch Wetland, the site of hundreds of Nature Center programs on wetland flora and fauna, was established in 1999.
More Visitors, More Land
In 2004, ICNC hosted its one-millionth visitor and purchased the Bena Homestead as part of its “Stitching the Bena Farm Back Together” project.
In 2005, ICNC drafted and began implementing a strategic initiative to provide leadership in land protection and restoration. The initiative expands the Nature Center’s work in the community to provide long-term, healthy ecosystems that benefit wildlife, the environment, and future generations.
In 2009 ICNC, in partnership with Metro High School staff and students, constructed and dedicated its Sense of Wonder Trail/Outdoor Classroom, which was certified as a Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom by the National Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation.
Also in 2009, the Nature Center’s trail system expanded with the completion of Wood Duck Way and the Founders’ Trail.
Amazing Space & Etzel Sugar Grove Farm — A New Chapter
In 40 years, Indian Creek Nature Center increased its annual attendance to over 40,000 individuals per year, including approximately 14,000 children attending programs and school field trips. While a cherished landmark, the Nature Center’s barn building presented many inadequacies that hindered its use as a center for learning and exploration. Lack of accessibility to persons with disabilities, air conditioning, and dedicated classroom space were among the primary obstacles.
To bring the Nature Center into the future, and after much input from stakeholders and the general community, the Amazing Space project was born. The 12,000 square foot building on Nature Center land, and the accompanying campus, addresses the shortcomings of the barn building, while making the Nature Center’s outdoor habitats more accessible. It also leads in building sustainability standards.
The Amazing Space fundraising campaign included $1 million in funds to build the Nature Center’s endowment, ensuring financial sustainability now and into the future. Indian Creek Nature Center is poised to bring the best of nature to the people of Iowa and beyond for many years to come.
The Nature Center received one of the largest gifts in its history in 2016, with the donation of 190-acres of farm from George Etzel. Presented with this incredible gift, the Nature Center’s board and staff knew it was an opportunity to truly impact environmental sustainability in Iowa. By working toward making agriculture more sustainable, ICNC can carry out its mission to create a more sustainable future. Located in rural Marion, Etzel Sugar Grove Farm represents the future of agriculture in Iowa: it’s a place where Indian Creek Nature Center will implement restorative agriculture practices that lead us toward greater sustainability in farming, educating the public on these practices as we work to restore the health of Iowa’s farms, watersheds, and environment.
Living Building Petal Certification
In September 2019, Indian Creek Nature Center reached an incredible milestone: Amazing Space officially earned Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal Certification, designating at the time as the first and only Petal Certified project in the state of Iowa and one of only 31 in the world, 24 of which are in the U.S.
Living Building Challenge is a comprehensive certification process set forth by the International Living Future Institute. The certification was designed to integrate human spaces with natural spaces; to celebrate the beauty and structure of nature; and, to lead the way in sustainable design.
Amazing Space now stands on the global stage as a model for comprehensive, sustainable design. By adopting and promoting regenerative building practices, Amazing Space sets the example for other businesses and individuals on how to implement these or similar practices themselves.
Amazing Space achieved six of the seven LBC petals, including Site/Place, Water, Energy, Health, Equity and Beauty. Learn more about our certification here.
2020: A difficult year — Global Pandemic & Derecho
Like the rest of the world, Indian Creek Nature Center faced an unprecedented year in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time in the Nature Center’s history, in March of 2020, the building was closed to the public and programs were halted temporarily as infections of the deadly virus spiked. Thankfully, we were able to continue a number of programs virtually and implement safety procedures for our community. We were able to slowly and cautiously reopen and continue to provide nature-based learning and recreation opportunities to our community.
However, the Nature Center was struck by tragedy once again in August of 2020, when a catastrophic storm ripped through the community on August 10. With sustained winds of over 100 miles per hour, the derecho devastated our beloved woodlands, destroying well over half of the Nature Center’s tree canopy. Read more from Executive Director John Myers here.
After a tumultuous prior year, ICNC kicked off 2021 by announcing a brand new preschool: Creekside Forest School. CFS is a nature-based, independent preschool program for three- and four-year-old children. Children will spend 30-70% of their day outdoors learning in the context of nature. In addition to kindergarten readiness, Creekside Forest School also teaches positive peer play behaviors and “learning to learn” skills that increase success in future school experiences. In August we hired our new preschool team and in September the school officially opens.
After more than five years of planning, careful crafting and, finally, installation, Indian Creek Nature Center’s long-awaited Indian Creek Exhibit opened for public viewing in March of 2021. The exhibit was planned as part of the design of Amazing Space prior to the building’s construction in 2016. The exhibit brings fresh energy to the exhibit hall, as well as a new educational and inspirational experience to the community.
In April, the Midwest Organic Services Association certified that the eggs and produce from Etzel Sugar Grove Farm are organic. Organic certification is a commitment to the future of agriculture and would not have been achieved without the support of countless volunteers, staff, and corporate sponsors including Frontier Co-Op, United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), and Trees Forever.