RELEASE: Great Outdoors Foundation Announces Meta Investment in Conservation Acceleration Fund

DES MOINES, IA (Dec. 9, 2025) – The Great Outdoors Foundation (GOF) is pleased to announce that Meta has invested $240,000 into its Conservation Acceleration Fund (CAF) for a nature-based water infrastructure initiative designed to enhance groundwater recharge, water quality, and ecological function across approximately 22 acres of restored floodplain and wetland habitat in Polk County.

As the project’s sole private contributor, Meta’s investment will be joined by commitments from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Polk County to fully fund this $1 million development. With an anticipated 2026 completion, this improvement to the Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt is projected to benefit Iowa’s waterways by replenishing more than 200 million gallons of water and mitigating tens of thousands of pounds of nitrogen annually, including the capture and treatment of nearly 10,000 acres of agricultural drainage.

Perhaps the most impressive component of the project is a strategically placed two-pump system that will rehydrate more than four miles of the old South Skunk River channel. This particular oxbow became disconnected from the main water body more than 100 years ago when the river was originally channelized. Concurrent with these improvements, an innovative linear wetland is being constructed which will be monitored and assessed by Iowa State University in a groundbreaking study, potentially affirming additional water quality benefits and creating a new intervention model for agricultural drainage.

“We’re grateful to Meta for this investment, which demonstrates the efficacy of public-private partnerships and stacked benefits that move the needle for water quality,” Hannah Inman, CEO of the Great Outdoors Foundation, said. “The dynamic, innovative nature of this initiative, as well as its high-impact environmental outcomes, makes it an exemplary project within the Conservation Acceleration Fund portfolio.”

“Supporting local water projects is a key part of Meta’s water stewardship program,” said Matt Sexton, Community Development Regional Manager at Meta. “We’ve been proud to call Iowa our home since 2013 — and this partnership reflects our continued commitment to being good stewards of the environment and enhancing water quality in the region.”

To date, the CAF has yielded:

• $7+ million in private investments for water quality.
• $45+ million in unlocked capital for conservation practices.
• 105 water quality projects activated across the state.
• 8 million pounds of nitrogen mitigated from Iowa waterways.

This suite of water infrastructure projects is positioned along the South Skunk River among more than 8,300 acres of public land. Nature-based solutions, like wetlands, support the ecology of the entire environmental system. In addition to improvements to water quality, this initiative will also yield carbon, pollinator, and habitat benefits that contribute to a vibrant, thriving community.

To learn more about the Conservation Acceleration Fund, click here.

###

About the Great Outdoors Foundation

The Great Outdoors Foundation exists to advance conservation through innovation, collaboration, and stewardship. We are the foremost fundraising professionals in the conservation and outdoor recreation sector. Together, we activate meaningful, accessible initiatives that enhance our environment and improve quality of life. Over the last few years, we have invested more than $200 million in conservation and outdoor recreation initiatives, and we’re just getting started.