John Swanson is a Des Moines native and graduate of Simpson College. John has spent the last 8 years working for Polk Soil and Water Conservation District where he has led projects including restoration work at Easter Lake and multiple watershed improvement projects. In his current role, as Watershed Management Authority Coordinator, he is facilitating implementation activities with three local watershed and their 17 member communities.  Through these efforts, John has helped install over 250 conservation practices on the ground across Central Iowa in both agricultural and urban areas to improve water quality and reduce flooding to the Des Moines metro. In this session John talks about the challenges inherent to conservation planning in the largest metropolitan area in the State of Iowa and the potential for cooperation between urban and rural areas.

Bridging the Divide: Urban and Rural Conservation in Iowa Colloquium Video (Echo360)