INHF hits 200,000 acres protected

By Erica Place & Joe Jayjack on October 29, 2024 in Blog

When Daisy Iowa Whitham (yes, that's her real middle name) donated her family's Jefferson County woodland to Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation in 1980, it marked an important milestone. These were the first acres protected by a young organization, founded just a year earlier. Over the next 44+ years, INHF has completed more than 1,500 individual protection projects. We have worked with countless people like Daisy that cared about the future of their land and wanted to partner with an organization that could be their "eyes to the future." 

INHF just hit another big milestone. Since our founding in 1979, we’ve helped protect 200,000 acres across Iowa. That land area is about the equivalent of:

• The city limits of Kansas City, Missouri
• A mile-wide swath between the Missouri River in Sioux City and Mississippi River in Dubuque
• 151,515 football fields
• Nearly 75% of Rocky Mountain National Park

These aren’t just any acres. Each of these acres has a story of partnership, passion and dedication. These are prairies, woodlands, rivers and wetlands. These are places for current and future generations to play outside in whatever ways they enjoy. These are historic and cultural sites preserved from development. These are family farms preserved as open space. These are spaces that clean our water and retain our soil. These are homes for sensitive plant and wildlife species. These are resilient landscapes. This milestone represents A LOT of good conservation work. It’s worth celebrating!

In the map above, all cities in green are within 10 miles of an INHF protection project that is now open to the public. That is a lot of people enjoying the land, water and wildlife whose protection is made possible by your support. 

At the same time, it’s a good reminder that there’s more to do. Those 200,000 protected acres are also the equivalent of .56% of Iowa’s total land area — 36 million acres. There are more places in need of protection. Here are just a few of the ways you can support us in our mission:

• Sign up for our e-newsletter
• Introduce a friend or family member to our work
• Invite your legislators on a hike at your favorite park or trail
• Talk with the landowners in your life about the future of the places they care for
• Pick up a copy of our updated Nature’s Advocate guide
• Join us at an upcoming event
• Consider a donation to help us fund more protection work

Thank you for helping us do what we do. We’re looking forward to the next milestone in preserving Iowa’s natural heritage.

More resources:

• Browse a map of all the areas that our now open to the public
• Learn about the land protection options available for Iowa landowners