Bur Oak Land Trust Celebrating 40 Years of Conservation

Forty years ago, a developer offered Iowa City a parcel of land adjacent to Hickory Hill Park, the City was unable to meet his deadline, and this very attractive parcel at the southern edge of the Park was lost.

In reaction, a group of local citizens, seeing the need for a private, non-profit agency that could respond quickly in conserving land in and around Johnson County, founded Johnson County Heritage Trust. It’s original incorporators were David Ferree, Betsy Hillman, William Hines, Fremont Isaacs, James Lindberg, Jean Lloyd-Jones, Nancy Seiberling, and Harold Stager; its incorporation date May 3, 1978. In 2014, Johnson County Heritage Trust changed its name to Bur Oak Land Trust.

Today Bur Oak Land Trust owns eleven diverse properties and continues to expand its services. It is prepared to accept other significant parcels of land, hold conservation easements, advise land-owners on their land protection options, and assist, when needed, in transferring land to public bodies. In 1986, under the leadership of William Hines, a long-time early Trust president, it was instrumental in the protection of Ryerson Woods and its transfer to the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department.

“The land protected and the natural resources conserved by the Bur Oak Land Trust are a legacy,” says Carter Johnson, current Trust president. “One we owe to our founders and all of the dedicated contributors who have succeeded them. Forty years of conservation is noteworthy. Our mission directs us to expand and enhance that legacy for future generations. In that context, forty years is a great start.”

To celebrate 40 years of conservation, Bur Oak Land Trust will be planting, mulching and caging at least 40 native trees, recruiting 40 new supporters, removing 40 contractor bags of garlic mustard, workdays with at least 40 volunteers, and other events and conservation efforts with 40s! On Thursday, March 1st, Bur Oak Land Trust will host its 35th annual FREE Prairie Preview with over 40 environmental conservation exhibits and keynote speaker Mark Hirsch, author of That Tree, will give a talk titled: “Shades of wisdom, lessons learned from a lonely Bur Oak.” Mark will also give a photo workshop in the afternoon for a fee.

Bur Oak Land Trust was the second land trust founded in Iowa and is a member of the national Land Trust Alliance. The 2015 Land Trust Alliance census found that over 56 million total acres were conserved by state, local, and national land trusts—an increase of 9 million acres since 2010. Bur Oak Land Trust now owns eleven properties and holds 13 conservation easements, with a total of 710 acres protected. In 2017 Bur Oak Land Trust acquired Powesheik County’s Kessler Prairie, its first property outside of Johnson County. More information about Bur Oak Land Trust can be found at www.buroaklandtrust.org and also by following them on social media.