Preserve ‘for the public’ grows in Linn County

CEDAR RAPIDS — Lifelong Cedar Rapids resident Rae Jeanne Kilberger always dreamed of honoring her grandparents with open green space.

Now, with the help of Linn County Conservation, her dream has became a reality through her work with the organization named after her — the Rae Jeanne Kilberger Foundation — in creating a 140-acre nature preserve near Covington.

The second phase of the nature preserve officially was opened Friday, adding 57 acres to the 83 acres opened last fall. The purchase of the preserve was funded half by the county — using about $400,000 from a $40 million conservation bond voters approved in 2016 — and half by the foundation.

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The foundation also paid to build a 24-seat pavilion, a parking lot and a restroom on the second phase of the project.

Kilberger named the land after her grandparents, Clayton “Jack” and Libbie Bird, who raised her since birth and owned the land since the 1920s.

They “would be proud of this,” Kilberger said, adding that she no longer has living family members. “They wanted this to be for the public, and I promised I would see it done that way.”

The Bird Preserve had a “soft launch” in November 2023 when the first phase of the project — which included oxbow river restoration, wetlands restoration and oak savanna restoration — was opened. Now the preserve has over a hundred acres of land, bookended by Rogers Road NW and Ellis Road NW.

The preserve is open to cross-country skiing, biking, hiking and archery-only deer hunting, but no motorized vehicles are allowed.

Bruce Norden, a close family friend of Kilberger who helped facilitate the project, said working on the preserve has been fulfilling.

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“I'm watching a dream of Rae Jeanne come true and I'm really proud to be part of it,” said Norden, who worked closely with Tom Watson, a contractor on the project. “How many how many times can you be part of a gift being given that's going to help the community?”

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Linn County Conservation Deputy Director Daniel Gibbins said having spaces like the preserve provide a way for people to decompress and connect with nature — either by themselves or with friends and family.

“We can't have a healthy community if we don't have a healthy environment,” Gibbins said. “It makes a community special.”

Gibbins said the Bird Preserve will be a “multigenerational” advancement to the community. “It’s great for us, but it’s also great for our kids and grandkids,” he said.

Kilberger said her wish for the Bird Preserve now that Phase II is complete is that it stays natural and does not get built on for commercial purposes.

Gibbins said this phase isn’t the end of the project. The county and the foundation already are looking at expanding some of the preserve’s trails.

Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

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