More than 150 attended Fall in Love with Nature at Camp Branch Glade Park in Johnson County this fall hosted by Blue River Conservation Collaboration partners. Photo credit: Jill Erickson.
This has been a significant year for Heartland Conservation Alliance and our Alliance members. We purchased and saved 40 acres of oak-hickory forest along the Blue River. We are restoring 20 acres of wetland at Municipal Farm. The Green Guard Stewardship Training program welcomed 50 new Conservation Stewards to help protect the Blue River and its tributaries. Along with the many Renew The Blue members we hosted more than 45 events and presentations throughout the year with a combined attendance of 5,000 people. Working with The Nature Conservancy in Kansas and the Missouri Department of Conservation, we produced and published the inaugural Blue River Report Card. The report card is instrumental in defining shared metrics throughout a watershed that spans two states, four counties, and twenty cities. This year we also completed the Blue River Documentary, capturing stories about the joys and challenges facing this urban waterway. Throughout the watershed, we work to connect individuals to their natural assets through restoration workdays and family-friendly social events. Heartland Conservation Alliance is promoting neighborhood-led conservation efforts through the Restoring Vacant Lots Program. We are also collaborating with the Blue Valley Neighborhood community and neighboring schools to restore 40 acres of forest in Blue Valley Park. Our ability to deliver high quality, programs depends on the support of our community. At this time of the year, we ask you to consider a gift to support this work. Your donation is an investment in our region’s natural places and the health of the local ecosystem. Your tax-free donation helps to keep natural places beautiful. Your support strengthens the connection between neighbor and nature. With deepest gratitude, on behalf of the Heartland Conservation Alliance Board of Directors, we thank you for your consideration and contribution to our common cause.
