President's Corner:
Conservation & Community

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This article first appeared in INHF's Fall 2007 magazine.

Several of the Foundation’s board members and staff recently attended the annual conference sponsored by the Land Trust Alliance. The Alliance is the national umbrella organization for our nation’s 1,700 land trusts (including the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation). More than 2,200 participants shared and learned about the important issues, needs, opportunities and strategies to protect beloved special places throughout the country.

The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is an active and well-respected leader in the national land trust movement. We’re leaders in our efforts to protect the special areas we have, restore the natural systems that have been lost and lead in creating innovative initiatives to accomplish our goals.

Most of our work involves land, but all of it involves people: landowners; partners from all levels of government; public and private supporters—along with a team of volunteers, board and staff. While we’ve grown comfortable working with individuals, it’s often more difficult to define and engage “communities”—whether defined as a rural area, urban area, ethnic group or otherwise.

As the average Iowan becomes more removed from the land, INHF must work even harder to integrate our efforts into the communities where we work—to integrate conservation with other local values. It will require more sensitivity and understanding on our part, more listening and creativity.

We must all do more to raise the awareness of natural resource conservation issues and engage more people in our work. With your help, we can improve the health of Iowa’s natural and human communities. 

Thank you for your support.

Your conservation partner,

Mark C. Ackelson, INHF President

See related announcement on Land Trust Alliance website.

For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, or call (515) 288-1846.