Our April “First Sunday” collection recipient will be Climate Land Leaders.  Climate Land Leaders are working with compassion and commitment to address the climate crisis on their lands. As landowners, they implement ambitious conservation projects, sharing with and learning from each other, and serving as leaders on climate policy and equity initiatives.

Their vision: Land stewards build soil health, increase biodiversity, and protect water so ecosystems and communities can thrive in a rapidly changing climate.
Their mission: Landowners create community and support to alleviate climate change through land stewardship and conservation.

At year-end 2022, 68 individuals who own 23,000+ acres of farm and forest land in IA, MN, and WI participate in Climate Land Leaders. The Initiative is growing rapidly: By year-end 2024, 200+ individuals who control 75,000 acres will participate. These landowners are leaders in their faith-based communities, environmental groups, arts organizations, and more. They are bringing the climate emergency and the role of land use and farming to front and center of the debate.

DMIEC donations will be used to strengthen the Climate Land Leaders Initiative’s outreach efforts by training individual Climate Land Leaders, using staff time to help them hone their messages, secure high quality photographs of them, and help them place their opinions in the media. The focus is on building a broad base of leaders around Iowa and the region.

For more information, visit climatelandleaders.org.

Checks can be written either to “Climate Land Leaders” or “DMIEC” with “First Sunday” in the memo line. We would prefer that all checks be mailed to DMIEC at P.O. Box 30065, Des Moines, IA 50310. If you mail your check directly to the organization, please inform Ed Arnold of the amount, if you feel comfortable, so the Social Justice Committee can get an accurate count of donations.