|  | Seeing Green This Summer: Iowa Gives Green and Green Gala |
| The Council is celebrating all things green this month as we participated in Iowa Gives Green on August 2 and prepare the details for our upcoming Green Gala & Art Auction on September 14. 2nd Annual Green Gala & Art Auction This week IEC is finalizing award winners and reviewing art auction submissions as they come in ahead of the Friday deadline for the second annual Green Gala & Art Auction on Thursday, September 14, at Mainframe Studios in Des Moines. Beautiful pieces in a variety of media are rolling in and we're excited to share them in the coming weeks! This year's event is sure to be another spectacular celebration, with guests donning their best green attire while enjoying music from DJ Jade Knight, celebrating the 2023 award winners, and bidding on inspiring pieces from Iowa artists. Tickets are available now. Don't miss out on this evening of fun and artistry! |
| | Iowa Gives Green Donors from all corners of Iowa helped IEC meet our $5,000 match challenge provided by long-time IEC supporter Jennifer Garst for Iowa Gives Green. Thank you for your generosity! More than 30 organizations across the state also participated in the day of giving, raising funds for land conservation, habitat restoration, tree planting, river clean-ups, environmental justice activities and more. You can still give to support Iowa Gives Green, and mark your calendar for next year: August 7, 2024! |
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| |  | IEC staff updates: promotions, hires, and changes It's been a busy summer for IEC staff! Jordan Oster has been promoted to Energy Program Associate Director, while Steve Guyer has been named Energy Policy Counsel. IEC welcomed four new staff members: Michaelle Gallagher as Event and Fundraising Coordinator, Cody Smith as Senior Policy Advocate, and Chris Emery and Marshall James as new Advocacy and Communications Associates. These additions came as we said farewell to recent Executive Director Brian Campbell. Board and staff are now working on a hiring plan. |
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 | IEC testimony highlights benefits of novel Soo Green Line The Iowa Utilities Board heard testimony last month about a novel approach to transmission lines in Iowa: Soo Green is proposing an underground direct-current line running from near Mason City to Illinois. IEC provided written testimony supporting the transmission line and participated in the hearing in Elkader, Iowa. The line offers significant potential benefits for Iowans, such improving reliability when demand is high and selling wind-powered generation to other states. Read the full story in IEC's Newsroom. |
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 | Iowans share ideas to inspire climate dialogue with art The Art of Climate Dialogue: Stories from Iowa, produced by EcoTheatre Lab, is a podcast series featuring conversations with artists, farmers, community organizers, activists and more who have used arts and storytelling strategies to talk about climate change and agriculture in Iowa. Through this podcast, interviewees share their strategies so that listeners can implement them in their own communities. Visit the website for more information about the project's funders, the interviewees, and all of the collaborators! | | |
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| | | Upcoming Environmental Events |
| 8/11 - R2G2: Fourmile Fest, Des Moines
8/12 - Blue Water Festival, Okoboji
8/19 - Duck Creek Cleanup, Bettendorf
8/19 - Paddle the Iowa River, Amana Colonies
8/19 - Floatzilla, Quad Cities
8/22 - Gull Point State Park Improvement Open House, DNR
8/23 - CAFO Impacts, Costs, and Rulemaking in Iowa, Iowa Learning Farms
8/24 - Wetlands: Protecting Nature's Water Filters, Izaak Walton League of America
8/24 - Ticking Time Bomb: Controlling Invasive Species, Trees Forever
8/26 - Monarch Festival, Blank Park Zoo
9/12 - The True Cost of CAFOs, IEC Webinar
9/14 - IEC's Green Gala & Art Auction, Des Moines
9/16 - Silver Creek Cleanup, Le Claire
9/17 - Conservation Day, Dyersville
9/20 - Save the Date: IEC's Condition of the State 2023, IEC Webinar |
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| Organizational Member News |
|  | Iowa Rivers Revival: Profiles in Conservation Iowa Rivers Revival has released the second installment of their Profiles in Conservation series featuring Iowa landowner Lee Tesdell. IEC is proud to be a partner on this video project! Watch the video to hear Lee's story about agricultural conservation best practices on Tesdell Century Farm. You can join Lee and be part of Iowa's Clean Water Future by signing up for Service Squad and attending the Fourmile Fest river cleanup on August 11th. |
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 | SILT farm the perfect home for new organic producers Ethan and Carly Zierke's journey to a SILT farm in Winneshiek County is chronicled in this recent profile in the Driftless Journal. In the couples' search for long-term land access and housing, they found the Luzum Heritage Farm, donated to the SILT – Sustainable Iowa Land Trust – for use by farmers following sustainable land practices in 2017. Read more about their application process and plans for the farm. Photo courtesy of Driftless Journal |
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 | Dreaming of a rail renaissance As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, Congress directed the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to study the feasibility of expanding Amtrak’s long-distance passenger rail network. The Long-Distance Service Study presents an opportunity to establish and bolster essential intercity passenger rail connections and build a stronger rail network overall—one that would allow people to get where they need to go safely and efficiently. Member organization ELPC participated in a recent working group meeting. Read more in their latest blog post. |
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