Cultivating Connections
Connecting businesses and private landowners in Madison County, IA.
The Cultivating Connections project is an initiative aimed at revitalizing Madison County by transforming underused and degraded spaces into vibrant, green areas filled with native vegetation. This project, a partnership between the Jay N. Darling Institute, local businesses, and Madison County Conservation staff, connects private landowners and community members to improve brownfields, yards, roadsides, and more.
Jessie Lowry, outreach coordinator for the Madison County Conservation Board, has seen firsthand that conservation efforts thrive when diverse stakeholders come together. In Madison County, she and her team are working to unite conservation agencies, non-profits, businesses, service groups, and small farmers.
“It’s all about everyone sitting at the same table and using those resources even more efficiently and effectively,” Lowry noted.
Empowering Students and Communities
Anna Snyder
A junior from Geneseo, Illinois, majoring in environmental sustainability and business management, helped with branding, research, presentations, and designing the Find Your Why card game. “My role was to take my marketing knowledge and make scientific concepts accessible to the public,” Snyder said.
Her efforts culminated in a successful launch event, fostering connections with local participants and agencies. Inspired by the experience, Snyder continued her work with the Madison County Conservation Board over the summer and aspires to a career in corporate sustainability. “I’m passionate about improving internal processes to benefit the outside world,” she shared.
Darby Russell
A sophomore from Olathe, Kansas, will continue its work starting in the Fall of 2024 and plans to lead a branding campaign that promotes economic growth and residential development in southern Madison County. Additionally, she'll continue efforts to beautify neighborhoods, making Madison County a more attractive place to live and work.
This initiative not only enhances the environment but also fosters community pride and connection.
Why the Darling Institute brought Darby to Drake
As a double-major of journalism and sustainability and resilience, Russell brings fresh ideas and a passion for environmental storytelling.
“My dream job is to make documentaries for National Geographic or Animal Planet,” she said. “I want to bridge the gap between the public and scientists through storytelling.”
The Darling Institute was a major factor in Russell’s decision to attend Drake, one of the few colleges offering a non-agriculture-based sustainability program. Her involvement in Cultivating Connections exemplifies the innovative, hands-on learning opportunities that Drake provides its students, preparing them to lead and inspire in the environmental sustainability field.
Community Engagement and Impact
Since its official launch in April 2024, Cultivating Connections has garnered significant interest, with more than 50 citizens attending the inaugural launch event. Participants pledged to take local ecological actions and engage in field trips and workshops. Activities include educational sessions, like a tour of In Harmony Farms, where a farm program is bridging the gap between urban gardening and conventional farming for historically underserved individuals, to hands-on workshops about rain barrel construction and composting.
