IEC BeWildReWild $25,000 Request
We (The Iowa Environmental Council (IEC) and BeWildReWild) share the belief that agriculture and wildness can/must coexist for the benefit of ALL life.
About IEC
For more than 25 years, IEC has been the largest environmental coalition in Iowa, leading the way in addressing urgent concerns impacting people and the planet. We are a nonpartisan alliance of diverse organizations and individuals working together to protect and preserve Iowa’s environment. IEC’s mission is a just, healthy environment and sustainable future for all Iowans. We envision a state that is a leader in addressing climate change and environmental justice, and in creating resilient communities that embody Iowans’ shared values of respect for all people and the environment.
The Problem
Iowa is trapped in a system of land use that is unsustainable for the state that IEC envisions, and that would bring about the realization of IEC’s mission. Iowa’s natural resources are diverse. However, to meet current and future land and water needs and preserve our natural resources, we must develop and adopt solutions that are economical, sustainable and environmentally sound. What consumers buy and the prices they are willing to pay are part of a system that determines what farmers produce and the methods used in that process. We can create a low input, sustainable agriculture. We will do that by simultaneously creating a low input, sustainable urban culture. This includes reducing pollution from urban and agricultural sources to restore Iowa’s land and water, and building a landscape that is more diverse in the life it supports.
Through advocacy, education and coalition-building, the Iowa Environmental Council works with diverse stakeholders to advance strong standards and goals for clean water and land stewardship that strengthen Iowa’s environment, economy, communities, health and quality of life. Systemic change is needed, which means building a base of support for these changes, and advocating to have them made.
Your Support
With the support of BeWildReWild, IEC will pursue a number of strategies to engage Iowans in imagining a different future for our state – a future that is a more diverse landscape that can support all life.
- BeWildReWild will be a sponsor of our Iowa Water Watch newsletter, which goes out weekly during the “beach season” and monthly the rest of the year. This highly read newsletter is one of our most effective means of communication where we highlight different voices and visions for Iowa. In 2023, this included:
- The voices of Iowa Rivers Revival Service Squad members, a cohort of Next Generation Ag and Conservation Leaders, making information available in spanish, and more.
- BeWildReWild will support hosting Water Watch and Cost of CAFO events in different parts of Iowa, where we can bring people together, in person, to talk about different visions for Iowa’s future that include a more diverse landscape
- IEC and BeWildReWild will partner with Roger Ross Gipple to showcase 5 films in places to further the purposes of this grant and the vision of BeWildReWild
- IEC will continue to grapple with the key questions posed by BeWildReWild:
- What do you/we mean by wild?
- What lifestyle changes are needed for us to live within the bounds of sustainability?
- How can we create a wilder, more beautiful, more biologically diverse, and a more enduring Mississippi River Watershed?
A grant donation of $25,000 to the Iowa Environmental Council can be made at the following link: www.iaenvironment.org/yearend, or by mailing a check to:
Iowa Environmental Council
ATTN: Jordan Bles
505 Fifth Ave., Suite 850
Des Moines, IA 50309