The natural beauty of Iowa is a gift to behold. We have a picturesque landscape like no other. We have incredible soils. We’ve had a stable climate. We’ve had diverse flora and fauna in the tallgrass prairie. The Iowa of today may look different than it did 200 years ago, but our state remains a beauteous marvel that deserves to be celebrated.
Too often in Iowa, we’ve put productivity ahead of beauty. We’ve put efficiency ahead of diversity. Today, nearly 30 environmental organizations across the state, including Indian Creek Nature Center, will participate in Iowa Gives Green, a day of giving that shows Iowans’ commitment to our environmental promise.
This environmentally-focused day of giving empowers diverse groups to work together to support conservation, preservation, and recreation, and to engage Iowans on the same day with intentional action to support those efforts.
Gifts to organizations participating in Iowa Gives Green will help to:
- clean and protect Iowa’s waterways. ICNC’s Amazing Space campus is net-zero water, meaning every drop of water stays on the property. And at our Etzel Sugar Grove Farm site, prairie buffer strips are planted to capture runoff to keep water on site.
- protect and invest in habitat and landscapes. We protect and manage 500 acres of land at ICNC through the hard work of our knowledgeable and passionate team and a whole host of nature-loving volunteers. The Věčný property, just up Otis Road from Amazing Space, is our latest strategic land acquisition to help protect and restore native woodlands. We’ve found migrating songbirds and racer snakes in that area who depend on our conservation efforts to protect their habitat.
- provide recreation and education opportunities. Day in and day out, visitors come to Indian Creek Nature Center to explore our trails, slosh through the wetlands, and wander the prairie. Our programs, which fill each season of the year, engage a wide range of participants young and old to help fulfill our vision to create Champions of Nature. From Creekside Forest School and Fresh Air Academy, to Maple Syrup Festival, the Backcountry Film Festival, and Monarch Fest, there are endless ways to engage with and learn from nature at ICNC.
- take action on climate. Indian Creek Nature Center seeks to model behaviors that mitigate the effects of climate change, whether that’s recycling and composting or focusing on the importance of prairie land to prevent erosion and flooding. We know that it takes small efforts along with big-picture vision and we work to inspire and educate on practices for others to do the same.
- Grow clean sources of energy. Amazing Space is net-zero energy, which means that our solar field creates enough energy to power all of our sites and then some. ICNC has been a decades-long leader in renewable energy and seeks to partner with other organizations, like Alliant Energy, to encourage other individuals and organizations to look for ways to be a part of clean energy initiatives.
Iowa Gives Green helps to create an environmental movement that makes access to Iowa’s natural beauty available to all Iowans regardless of their economic status or the communities where they live. Join us in celebrating and supporting Iowa’s environment today for Iowa Gives Green by coming together to show how much Iowans truly care about our environment.
You can visit www.iowagivesgreen.org to learn more and make your donation to Indian Creek Nature Center, today!