West Des Moines and partners celebrate progress, funding for Legacy Woods restoration

City of West Des Moines officials, state and county partners and corporate donors gathered at Legacy Woods Arboretum and Nature Sanctuary to mark progress on a restoration and education project that organizers say will improve habitat, water quality and outdoor access.

Ryan Penning, director of parks and recreation for the City of West Des Moines, said the city purchased nearly 30 acres in June 2023 and has removed 19 abandoned buildings, planted more than 120 trees and installed a new paved parking lot that organizers said is already at capacity. "Projects like this don't happen without strong partnerships," Penning said, noting the site’s role for school field trips, nature trails and future programming.

Microsoft, the Great Outdoors Foundation, local government partners and private donors have provided the bulk of funding. "At Microsoft, environmental sustainability is core to who we are and how we operate. We've set ambitious goals to be carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste by 2030," said Sarah Hansen, senior community affairs manager for Microsoft, who thanked the city and the Great Outdoors Foundation for local partnership.

Hannah Emmen, chief executive officer of the Great Outdoors Foundation, said the project is the result of long-term collaboration and fundraising. "It takes funding and it takes community," Emmen said, and she listed partners that supported the work, including Polk County, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and donors to the foundation's Conservation Acceleration Fund.

Matt McCoy, a Holt County supervisor, praised the project's benefits for future generations and schoolchildren, and said his county was "proud to have played a small role" in the effort. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike May emphasized water-quality benefits, saying, "Water quality is absolutely essential," and named state staff and private contractors who have helped with on-the-ground work.

Organizers said the effort has raised nearly $2 million in private contributions, with an additional $500,000 pledged and five grants secured that total just over $1 million. The next construction phase—stormwater wetland and prairie restoration—was described as being designed by RDG Planning and Design and funded through a mix of grants and private contributions.

Doug Loz, identified in the transcript as mayor pro tem and a Ward 3 council member, listed future amenities planned for the site: a nature playground, an outdoor classroom, shelter and restroom facilities, gathering spaces, public art and work on the historic campus in collaboration with the West Des Moines Historical Society.

Event organizers closed the program with photo opportunities and an invitation for the public to walk the newly planted trees and trails; light refreshments were available in the Jordan House. No formal votes or policy actions were taken at the event.