Gilchrist Foundation Helps Give New Life to Camp Joy Hollow
Camp Joy Hollow, located near Westfield, Iowa, has been a summer gathering place for girl scout troops since the 1970s. About a decade ago, the camp was facing financial uncertainty due to declining numbers but now it is poised to have a second life thanks to supporters like the Gilchrist Foundation.
In 2022, the Nature Conservancy in Iowa announced it had purchased the 350-plus acre camp in a partnership with the Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa. The conservancy paid $1.4 million for the land, raised via supporters like the Gilchrist Foundation. In 2022, the Foundation awarded the Nature Conservancy a $150,000 project grant to help purchase the acres.
A New Lease on Outdoor Life
The Nature Conservancy’s purchase ensures the protection of the unique Loess Hills habitat, while expanding the park’s services to the public. The Nature Conservancy plans to open the camp to the public for hiking, birdwatching, photography, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and other outdoor activities. The Nature Conservancy in Iowa held an open house on May 26, 2023, at the camp to kick off its reopening.
The camp will be incorporated into the Nature Conservancy’s Broken Kettle Grasslands Preserve, allowing it to expand its outdoor learning for future conservation leaders. Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa will continue to lease the 356-acre property for ten years, with an option to extend further.
About the Nature Conservancy in Iowa
Founded in the U.S. through grassroots action in 1951, The Nature Conservancy has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than a million members and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and over 400 scientists, the Nature Conservancy impacts conservation in 79 countries and territories: 37 by direct conservation impact and 42 through partners; Iowa being one of those areas.
Since 1963, The Nature Conservancy in Iowa has worked to preserve the state’s natural landscapes through the advancement of land and water conservation. Project managers across the state work within their own communities to protect and conserve private lands and work with agricultural producers and companies on best practices. The Nature Conservancy has worked to protect more than 20,000 acres of land in Iowa.
About the Gilchrist Foundation
The Gilchrist Foundation has supported conversation efforts in Iowa and the Midwest since Founder Jocelyn Gilchrist was alive. Jocelyn was interested in wildlife from an early age. She loved animals and nature and would visit DeSoto Bend with her family.
Each year, the Gilchrist Foundation awards thousands of dollars to support wildlife and protect habitats. In 2022 alone, the Foundation awarded more than $400,000 in grants that supported local and regional conservation initiatives. The grants awarded by the Gilchrist Foundation helped protect nearly 2,000 acres of habitat, wetlands, bighorn sheep populations, spawning grounds for walleye and more.
The 2023 grant season is nearly over, with applications due by June 23, 2023, but organization’s whose interests align with the Foundation’s: wildlife and conservation, the arts and public broadcasting or disaster relief, are invited to apply for a micro-grant anytime throughout the year.
Started in 2014, micro-grants offer one-time grants of up to $5,000. Grant requests may be submitted at any time through the online application. Micro-Grants will be either accepted or denied within 30 days. This grant allows non-profit groups to receive funding for smaller projects on a one-time basis.