Our "Alternative" Parks System

Occasionally, I do wander places other than the Sycamore Greenway. We are fortunate in Iowa City to have city and county officials who understand the value of parks and natural spaces, and invest in them accordingly.

 One has only to look at the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area for an example of an amazing new park developed by the city, or any of the number of improvements that are planned to other parks in area. F.W. Kent Park is a fantastic place to wander, one of many parks and trails managed by Johnson County Conservation.

And yet, there's more! You can explore several properties in and around Iowa City that are owned by the Bur Oak Land Trust, a private nonprofit that owns and maintains eight properties in Johnson County and works with landowners to identify areas that can be protected in the future.

Their properties are open to the public, with trails for hiking, birdwatching, and botanizing. You may have wandered into Pappy Dickens from Hickory Hill Park, or visited Shimek Ravine on the north side of town. Other properties are a bit off the beaten path but well worth the trip, such as Big Grove near Solon, which was swarming with butterflies just steps from the parking area.

Bur Oak Land Trust works extensively with other local groups and offer programs throughout the year, including the popular Prairie Preview, the upcoming Family Day at Turkey Creek, and the summertime Music on the Prairie.

Shimek Ravine

Pappy Dickens

While I adore our city and county parks and love that my taxes help to support them, I also appreciate having another way to help preserve valuable areas for everyone to enjoy. Donations to Bur Oak Land Trust help their mission "To protect and conserve the natural areas of Johnson and surrounding counties for future generations." There are also numerous opportunities to volunteer at work days, removing invasive species and helping maintain the properties.

I think of them as our "alternative" parks system, operating side by side with our public parks and performing a parallel function to enhance opportunities for everyone to enjoy the outdoors.

A couple of the charming fungi at Big Grove.