Whiterock Conservancy is in the unique situation of owning a diverse, protected and productive land with an array of land types, uses, and users.  Our land, in as much as it serves as open space for the public and an unbroken track of habitat for rare species and key ecological processes, can serve as a laboratory that produces innovative solutions to the challenges facing a resilient rural Iowa.  Declines in soil health, lack of perennial land cover, high external energy inputs to sustain productivity, economic pressures that favor short-term planning and promote environmentally degrading production systems, declined rural populations, and irregular climatic patterns are some of the challenges facing the restoration of resiliency to rural Iowa; some of the solutions can be found, tested, and demonstrated at Whiterock.  

The Middle Raccoon River, which is part of the Raccoon River watershed, is the natural resource that weaves the land of Whiterock together.  The Middle Raccoon River connects all of the diverse and unique habitats of the Whiterock landscape, it serves as the drinking water source for over a half million people down stream from Whiterock, is a recreational resource for Iowa, and a potential haven for declining or threatened species.  The Middle Raccoon River and its tributaries is a key recreational asset to Whiterock and its health is a reflection of how WRC and our watershed neighbors interact with the land.  This river, for these reasons and many more, needs a strong and diligent advocate.  Whiterock Conservancy will work to improve the river’s physical, chemical, and recreational health as part of our responsibility to those down stream of us, our commitment to a resilient and self-renewing landscape, and to our resolve to engage people with the outdoors through recreation.   

An integral part of Whiterock Conservancy’s vision and mission is embracing the role of people and recreation on the land.  Whiterock Conservancy uses the 5,000 plus acres of Whiterock as a place for sustainable outdoor recreation with the intention of helping the public reconnect with the outdoors by having fun on, and learning about, Iowa’s diverse landscape.  To help Iowans develop a healthy perception of Iowa’s diverse landscape, value its cultural and natural resources, and better understand how to manage the land for sustainability, Whiterock Conservancy provides free and fee-based recreation opportunities, sustainable land management and environmental learning opportunities, and we invite an array of people, and their interests, to the land to encourage everyone to explore and rekindle their relationship with the outdoors.