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Giving New Life to Expired Trees

OkoboTree is a project through Spirit of Okoboji intended to extend the longevity and beauty of trees in the area through visual art and preservation. The project kicked off in June 2022 with the commissioning of an Iowa-based visual artist to create sculptures from expired trees in the area. 

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In the News

Spirit of Okoboji is excited to announce that it plans to commission at least nine expired trees to be sculpted in 2023-24 through its OkoboTree project. The project kicked off in 2022 with three tree carvings funded in part through a Mountain Dew Outdoor grant. Now OkoboTree has received an Empower Rural Iowa grant to expand the project.

 

Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority announced a total of more than $450,000 in grants were awarded through six Empower Rural Iowa Grant Programs. The grant awards are to support rural initiatives.

 

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How You Can Help!

The goal of OkoboTree is to continue to identify expired trees and commission artists to create works of art with those trees for the public to enjoy. Eventually, a Treesure map will be created with all tree locations for residents and visitors to find each tree around the Iowa Great Lakes area..

How can you help? Although the first three sculpture costs have been raised, we do need to raise more funds for future trees. We hope you'll consider donating toward or sponsoring a tree, or at the very least helping us identify potential trees and wood carving artists to create the sculptures. 

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