Hay! Hay! Hay! Guess what time it is!!!!! The Bale Trail 2026 opens July 1. Look for patriotic themed art as we celebrate the Nation’s 250th. We invite you to enjoy the Seventh Annual Bale Trail on the Historic Hills Scenic Byway! This free public art installation includes bale sculptures and scarecrows celebrating our agricultural communities in Southeastern Iowa. Drive …
Historic Hills Spring Shop About April 17-18, 2026
Please visit the Historic Hills Scenic Byway on Friday and Saturday, April 17-18 for our annual Spring Shop About. You will find unique shops, tasty treats, welcoming communities, and beautiful scenery as you travel over 100 miles through southeastern Iowa. Thank you to the 2026 corporate sponsors: American Gothic House Center, Bonaparte Pottery and Artisan Market, Greef General Store and …
Historic Hills Scenic Byway episode of Road Trip Iowa
Iowa PBS presents season two of Road Trip Iowa Iowa PBS’s series Road Trip Iowa takes you on an adventure across Iowa’s scenic byways, showcasing the historic sites, unique attractions, and natural beauty when season two premieres on Wednesday, April 9. The 10 new episodes will feature businesses, towns, and landscapes along the byways of Iowa. The Historic Hills Scenic …
Public Spaces in Iowa – Accessibility Survey
Pathfinders is looking to grow and improve our Accessibility Map. If you visit a location and it has accessible amenities, or you think it would benefit from adding accessible amenities, please take our survey!
How to Navigate Iowa’s Accessibility: Iowa’s All Inclusive Amenity Map
Pathfinders RC&D, with the support of the University of Iowa Business Leadership Network Community Grant, created an Accessibility Map to help list places throughout southeast Iowa in the categories of museums, playgrounds, lakes, campgrounds, and trails that offered fully accessible or partially accessible amenities. This map allows users to see what locations have different amenities such as accessible bathrooms, braille …
Pathfinders one of four Iowa Communities Chosen for a Rural Small Business Grant
Minden, Perry, West Branch and a collection of towns in southeast Iowa have been selected as pilot projects for the Rural Business Initiative, a project from Iowa Rural Development Council. The project will support existing small businesses in rural Iowa as they build back from disasters, forge regional collaboration and spiff up business districts. The selected cities will also have support …
Pathfinders Selected as University of Iowa’s Initiative for Sustainable Communities Program Partner
Pathfinders Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) has been selected as a partner by the University of Iowa’s Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) program. During the 2024-25 academic year, IISC will bring more than 100 faculty and students to collaborate with Pathfinders RC&D and the communities they serve in southeastern Iowa, particularly in Davis, Van Buren, Jefferson, Wapello, Mahaska, and Keokuk …
NRCS Obligates Record $85.8 Million in Conservation Funding to Iowa Farmers
DES MOINES, IA, DEC. 12, 2023 — USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) obligated a record $85.8 million in conservation practice funding to Iowa farmers in fiscal year 2023, through 1,628 conservation program contracts that will help treat natural resource concerns such as soil erosion and water quality on 386,736 acres. Conservation program contracts typically run three to five years, depending …
Pathfinders RC&D Awarded NFWF Grant from the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced $2.9 million in grants to conserve monarch butterflies and other insect pollinators in 17 states. The grants will leverage $4.5 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $7.4 million. The grants were awarded through the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund (Pollinator Fund), a partnership between NFWF, the …
De Ronde Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Receives 2021 National Award
OSMRE Announces Recipients of the 2021 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards Bureau to Honor Five States for Exemplary Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation WASHINGTON – The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is pleased to announce the winners of its 2021 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards. This year’s winning projects represent the Nation’s highest achievements in Abandoned Mine Land …