TIMES-REPUBLICAN

DES MOINES – Four hundred and three Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation volunteers logged more than 1,500 hours to protect, restore and steward Iowa’s land, water and wildlife in 2017. Three hundred and four of those volunteers were new to INHF.

During the course of the year, volunteers participated in 25 outdoor volunteer opportunities in 10 counties across Iowa, working to restore prairies, woodlands, wetlands and other native habitats. Fifteen of these events were held in partnership with groups ranging from local breweries to county conservation boards.

Outdoor volunteer activities included harvesting native prairie seed to expand and restore the prairie, removing non-native plants from native habitats, trash removal and trail construction and maintenance among others.

Volunteers also shared their time and talents to help INHF connect to new audiences, fundraise for projects, teach others about Iowa’s outdoors and more.

“What motivates someone to volunteer with INHF differs from person-to-person,” said INHF Volunteer Coordinator Melanie Louis. “For some, it’s an opportunity to get outdoors with family, friends and coworkers. For others, it’s a way to remember a loved one. But they all have one thing in common: a shared love for Iowa’s wild places and a desire to see them protected and restored. We simply couldn’t do this work without them.”

INHF hosted two Volunteer Appreciation Nights, one in Decorah on Dec. 7 and another in Des Moines on Dec.14, to thank and celebrate the accomplishments of its volunteers.

INHF offers a variety of volunteer opportunities year-round. To view upcoming volunteer events, and learn more about volunteer needs, visit inhf.org/events or contact Louis at mlouis@inhf.org or 515-288-1846, ext. 35.