Go Wild for Conservation returns Sept. 10 for 23rd annual fundraiser

The Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation will hold its 23rd annual Go Wild for Conservation fundraiser Sept. 10 at The Landing in Council Bluffs, raising money for county park improvements, land conservation and environmental education programs.

The event will run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and include silent and live auctions, food from Block 16, beer and wine tasting, a wine and spirit pull and several other fundraising activities. Tickets are $75 per person, and the event is limited to those 21 and older.

One of this year’s auction projects began with 30 birdhouses constructed by a foundation board member using locally sourced wood from Hitchcock Nature Center. The birdhouses were distributed to professional artists, beginning painters and others around the community who decorated them individually. They will serve as table centerpieces during the event before being sold through the silent auction. “We have professional artists who decorated them. We have novices like my nieces. We have the whole gamut,” foundation board member Brenda Windmuller said.

Additional silent auction donations have continued to arrive from businesses and individuals throughout the area. Windmuller said the selection ranges from Iowa State football tickets to health and wellness packages and other items donated by supporters of the foundation. The event will also include an Iowa-Iowa State competition built around the football rivalry, with participants purchasing poker chips to support their preferred team and entering a drawing for a tailgate package.

Money raised through the event supports the Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation and the Gary and Beth Matters Environmental Education Scholarship Fund. The foundation helps provide money for land management, park improvements, environmental education and field trip opportunities that may fall outside the county conservation department’s regular operating budget.

Windmuller said one of the foundation’s priorities is helping make those educational opportunities available to children who otherwise may not have the financial ability to participate. A trip into one of the county parks can become more than a day outside if it introduces a student to something that remains important for years. “That spark may be in the form of a lifelong hobby of hiking or kayaking down the river,” she explained. “It could also be a career path.”

Pottawattamie County Conservation operates five parks, including Hitchcock Nature Center near Crescent and Botna Bend Park near Hancock. Windmuller said each offers a different experience, and even the same park can change considerably from one season to another. That variety is part of what she hopes residents learn to appreciate rather than simply walking through an area without noticing what surrounds them.

“You know, we’ve got amazing seasons here in Iowa, and so what you see in the spring is very different than what you see in the fall or the summer,” Windmuller said. “Being able to go out there every season and see how things change is really, I think, amazing.”

Foundation money also allows Pottawattamie Conservation to pursue projects beyond basic operations. Windmuller said upcoming priorities include improvements at Hitchcock Nature Center while continuing to support scholarships and educational programs. The foundation’s long-term mission includes acquiring and protecting land, supporting environmental education and developing partnerships that expand outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the county.

Windmuller’s own involvement with the foundation began with Go Wild. She originally supported the event by donating silent auction items before eventually being asked to serve on the board. “I just have an environmental heart, I think,” she said. “I have always loved where I come from and have an appreciation for the land that has given to me and my family. So I just wanted to give back.”

Go Wild for Conservation will be held at The Landing, 6865 Gifford Road in Council Bluffs. Tickets and additional information are available through pottconservation.com. Sponsorship opportunities are also available, with proceeds supporting conservation and environmental education efforts throughout Pottawattamie County.