Give the Gift of Nature
Looking for gift ideas for the nature lover or outdoor enthusiast in your family? Consider giving the gift of nature! We have put together a few items to choose from that all directly benefit Polk County Conservation’s family of parks and trails. What benefits us, benefits you and your outdoor experiences in Central Iowa. Help us preserve and protect Polk County’s natural heritage with these gifts!
Friends of Jester Park
Friends of Jester Park is a collaborative program of Polk County Conservation and the Great Outdoors Foundation that provides more opportunities for outdoor fun and nature adventures.
The Friends of Jester Park membership is for everyone!
- Invites to member-exclusive events and programs.
- Discounts on outdoor equipment rentals like canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, tents, and other gear.
- Yearly gift of local nature-inspired art.
- Discounts on all Polk County Conservation reservable campgrounds and designated fee-based programs.
- And more!
Your membership support provides supplemental funds needed for operations to keep Jester Park beautiful and enhance conservation and outdoor recreation programming in our community.
Choose the membership level that fits the outdoor memories you want to create.
Become a friend of Jester Park today or give the gift of a Friends of Jester Park Membership, today!
Take a look at the full list of benefits here.
Sponsor or Donate to Our Youth Corps Program
The Polk County Conservation Youth Corps aims to engage and inspire diverse youth through hands-on environmental stewardship projects, outdoor recreation, and conservation education.
Our crews work and learn in Polk County Conservation's family of parks which provides an immersive experience into Iowa’s woodlands, prairies and wetlands. We also travel outside Polk County to assist other conservation boards in Eastern and Western Iowa on various restoration projects as a means to expand awareness of conservation practices in landscapes different from central Iowa.
An allocation from Polk County’s General Fund allowed us to get started, and funding from grants, partnerships, and donations will allow us to grow!
Easter Lake Bridge Plaques
Easter Lake Park has undergone quite the change! The lake is currently being refilled, hopefully in time for summer fun, and the new Mark C. Ackelson trail, winding around Easter Lake, was recently completed. The trail has many bridges, but one bridge stands out from all of them, the 440’ pedestrian bridge that spans the western arm of the lake.
Along the railing of the pedestrian bridge, individual bridge plaque sponsors are recognized with a plaque bearing their name or company name, friend or loved ones’ name(s).
- A $130 donation entitles you to a plaque until all spaces have been sold.
- Each plaque is an engraved aluminum with satin brush finish measuring 4”w x 21⁄4” h.
- Sponsors may include up to two lines of text with 17 characters each, including spaces, for 34 characters per plaque.
- An additional line at the top of the plaque, reading — In Memory of or In Honor of — may be added upon request at no charge.
Polk County Conservation T-Shirts
Polk County Conservation has teamed up with local apparel company, Twin Forks Trading Co., to bring you comfortable shirts of your favorite Polk County Conservation parks and trails!
A portion of proceeds from each shirt purchase benefits Polk County Conservation. Look good in these comfortable shirts, while supporting your local county conservation.
Gift a comfy, conservation-minded shirt here.
