In Case You Missed It: 2017 at INHF

Posted on December 20, 2017 in Blog

2017 was a record breaking year for INHF. Take a look back at the biggest moments of the year, and the work ahead for 2018.

Introducing: Heritage Valley

Folded into the far reaches of northeast Iowa, Heritage Valley lingers in the minds of those who visit. The Allamakee County property is as magnificent as it is vast, as wild as it is richly diverse.

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INHF helps protect statewide Monarch habitat with pollinator partnership

Iowa lies in the middle of the breeding ground for the North American monarch, but the monarch's numbers are drastically falling from a loss of breeding habitat. INHF recently received two grants to establish monarch habitat across the state.

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INHF protects 1,000-acre property in Madison and Clarke counties

Heritage Hills is a special place — and INHF is working hard with the DNR to protect the plant and animal species that live there, and for the Iowans who want to visit.

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Green Pastures keeps Okoboji wild

Ann G. and Sigurd Anderson were honored this year at Gift to Iowa's Future Day, a ceremony recognizing Iowa landowners who gave gifts of land or conservation easements to the state. Ann and Sig originally donated a conservation easement on Green Pastures in Dickinson County before donating the land to INHF for longterm management and ownership.

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Collaborative Effort Keeps Great Western Trail Untouched

Following a series of meetings about the extension of Veterans Parkway in Warren County and its potential to impact landowners and Great Western Trail users, volunteers formed a group of stakeholders interested in exploring additional options.

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INHF Expands Resources for Iowa Landowners

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has released two new, easy-to-use tools for Iowa landowners interested in exploring methods for permanently protecting their land.

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Looking toward 2018

These projects are on the horizon for INHF and our partners in 2018. Interested in helping to permanently protect these places for the future? Donate now.

Heritage Valley

Heritage Valley is a magnificent, 1,200-acre area in Allamakee County that is full of diversity, wildness and amazing scenery. INHF purchased Heritage Valley in 2007 to ensure its longterm care and management. The property is home to over 1,100 species of animals, insects and plants and is regularly visited by INHF volunteers and local experts.

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Carroll Prairie

49 acres along West Indian Creek in Story County that includes remnant prairie and oxbow wetlands. Lorna Sellberg, a Story county resident and passionate conservationist, worked closely with INHF to see the protection of this property come to fruition. Lorna donated half the land’s value to ensure permanent protection and future public ownership. Future restoration activities will continue to build off the past care and attention that Lorna so willingly gave to the property.

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Gunderson Nature Park

25 acres of woodland, prairie and wetland adjacent to Pine Lake State Park in Eldora limits. The site is currently open to the public, and provides educational opportunities to local students, as well as a walking trail for Eldora residents.

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Big Wall Lake Addition

This block of upland habitat on Big Wall Lake's northwest corner adds an additional 341 acres of protected land to a large emerging complex, protecting the shallow marsh for migratory birds and improving water quality.

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Kuehn Conservation Area Addition

Protect a key 50-acre inholding at the entrance of the 600+ acre Kuehn Conservation Area in Dallas County. Balance the established woodland with a converted open grassland, increasing species diversity and further protecting the water quality of the Middle Raccoon River.

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Winneshiek County Trout Stream

Until recently, two of the state's highest quality trout streams were conditionally open to the public based on agreements between two property owners and the Iowa DNR. Now, INHF has purchased both properties with plans to transfer them to the Iowa DNR to be used as public recreation area.

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Silver Lake West

This shallow glacial lake with poor water quality is becoming a focus for restoration in Palo Alto county. The 185-acre property on the west side of Silver Lake catches and filters nearly 30% of all water flowing into the lake. The preservation and restoration of this wet meadow, remnant prairie, CRP and wetland landscape will be a huge step in improving water quality and keeping wildlife habitat intact.

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Current Trail Projects

Dry Run Trail

A mile of former rail corridor runs through 170 acres of woodlands and open space on Dry Run Creek. Besides being an attractive county park, Neste Valley will be a trailhead and a very scenic midway stretch for the envisioned 8-mile connection of Trout Run Trail in Decorah to the Prairie Farmer Recreational Trail (Calmar to Cresco). This would connect a 43-mile trail system in Northeast Iowa.

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Connector to link High Trestle Trail with Raccoon River Valley Trail

This 9-mile future trail between Perry and Woodward will connect two of Iowa's biggest and best trail systems! This is the connection that everyone is waiting for. While this project is in its early stages, contributions now will help Dallas County Conservation match and secure public grants to kick off the trail.

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Iowa River Trail

This 34-mile former rail corridor between Marshalltown and Steamboat Rock follows the beautiful Iowa River Greenbelt and connects with Pine Lake State Park. Through Marshalltown, this new trail will connect with the Highway 330 Trail and Heart of Iowa Trail. (Central Iowa through Hardin and Marshall counties.)

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Coon Rapids to Herndon Trail

This 17-mile connection is the last link to connect the Raccoon River Trail to Whiterock Conservancy, a 5,500-acre outdoor recreation area! The Raccoon River trail is part of the Central Iowa Trail System, a 700 mile network of continuous trail in and around Des Moines that includes the High Trestle Trail.

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Farragut connection to Wabash Trace Nature Trail

This 4-mile trail will give you another way to enjoy the Wabash Trace. The go-getter people of Farragut (pop. 485) are working hard to connect trail users with their community, and the Admiral Inn Café is eager to host events for trail enthusiasts. (Southwest Iowa in Fremont and Page counties.)

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Red Rock Prairie Trail

The development of this trail extension, connecting Monroe, Prairie City and Mitchellville, is part of the long range goal of linking the Des Moines metro with Lake Red Rock and Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.

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