It’s Iowa Gives Green day

The natural beauty of Iowa is a gift to behold. We marvel at our picturesque landscape, from rolling hills to stunning bluffs. We benefit from incredible soils, created over thousands of years thanks to the tallgrass prairie. We enjoy miles of beautiful rivers and streams to paddle and fish. The land and water of Iowa has given us many gifts, and now is our time to give back.

On Aug. 2, more than 30 environmental organizations across the state, including Wings2Water, will participate in Iowa Gives Green, a day of giving that shows Iowans’ commitment to our environmental promise. This environmentally-focused day of giving empowers diverse groups to work together to support conservation, preservation, and recreation, and to engage Iowans to support those efforts.

Gifts to organizations participating in Iowa Gives Green will help to:

•Clean and protect Iowa’s waterways. We hear again and again about Iowa’s role in the Dead Zone and our state’s contributions to water pollution issues. We also hear about the solutions our state is working on, but see little measurable progress. The environmental and conservation groups with Iowa Gives Green have exciting ideas to bring to the table. Your support will help groups like Wings2Water implement new ideas and practices to deliver real results.

• Protect and invest in habitat and landscapes. Iowa is one of the most changed landscapes on the planet. By supporting the efforts of groups that are preserving and rebuilding ecosystems through land management and conservancy helps, you can help to build rural economies and critical pollinator and wildlife habitat.

• Provide recreation and education opportunities. Iowa offers incredible recreation opportunities, but our state ranks one of the lowest in the nation for public land. Your support can help these organizations to expand and improve our recreational spaces.

• Take action on climate. Extreme weather events in Iowa are no longer the exception, they are the norm — hotter summers, extended drought, Derechos. We need to address climate change together, now. With your support, organizations across Iowa can implement their plans and help you to get involved.

• Grow clean sources of energy. Our state is a wind energy leader and solar power is poised to grow exponentially. These groups seek to improve the landscape for clean energy development, so our state can transition to true, 100 percent clean energy 24/7.

• Address environmental injustices in Iowa. Drinking water across the state is threatened by polluting chemicals, lead pipes, and aging infrastructure. Rural Iowans struggle to gain access to transportation improvements, recycling initiatives, and other environmental efforts. All Iowans stand to benefit when we address historical injustices.

Iowa Gives Green helps to create an environmental movement that puts Iowa’s natural beauty and the promise of a more livable future in reach for all Iowans. Join us in celebrating and supporting Iowa’s environment on Wednesday, Aug. 2 for Iowa Gives Green by coming together to show how much Iowans truly care about our environment at www.iowagivesgreen.org.

Jordan Bles is director of fundraising and development for the Iowa Environmental Council Julie Kraft is director of organizational development for Wings2Water.