CREATING sustainable, healthy environments

Our Vision

Natural resources and outdoor recreation in Central Iowa play a critical role in maintaining our quality of life. Our trails network, parks, and greenways attract people to the community, while providing easy access to all for healthy living through walking, cycling, bird watching, paddling, playing, and more.

Without restored landscapes and improved habitat for both people and wildlife, we continue to place our water resources at great risk for pollution and flooding. If the public is not well-educated in conservation issues, our expenses to reduce waste, improve air quality, and fight the impacts of climate will continue to skyrocket.

Our Purpose

The Great Outdoors Foundation is Central Iowa’s pathway to sustainable, healthy environments. We are a regional conservation leader and a catalyst for high impact environmental projects. We convene partners with a shared vision, drive collaboration and raise funds and awareness.

Our priority initiatives expand and restore natural spaces, foster outdoor recreation, promote conservation and build passion for nature. We connect people of all ages and backgrounds to nature by collaborating with other organizations who share a common vision of healthy environments that provide a variety of outdoor recreation and education opportunities.

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the need

Central Iowa’s quality of life and ability to attract and retain talent is directly linked to this conscious effort of improving our outdoor recreation. Even with these outstanding accomplishments, Central Iowa still falls short of capitalizing on existing investments. With dwindling budgets at the local, state, and federal level, the future of our existing green capital is threatened.

Budgets are tightening with no relief in sight, the growing size of the metro is beginning to tip us into cooperation by necessity and the shift in work force demographics creates an opportunity to create new frameworks. What is missing is the regional partner to help align visions, convene partners, and build the framework to continue to build upon the great system and take on the next audacious goal. Central Iowa needs the Bravo of the conservation and outdoor recreational world. The Great Outdoors Foundation fits the unique parameters to fill this role