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done responsibly and in line with the Northeast District Plan.” The fourth and current proposal removes the residential homes, keeps the senior care center and dedicates over 40 acres to be added to the park. Hickory Hill has nearly doubled in size from its original 98 acres when the park was created in 1965 to its current 185 acres, and if the current proposal is finalized, the park will increase in size by more than 20 percent. That’s a win for everyone, and we have the advocacy and leadership of Friends of Hickory Hill Park to thank for it. Looking ahead, aside from its regular activities, FHHP is aiming to increase its fundraising. You may be familiar with the organization’s popular annual plant sale and FHHP calendar, which will continue, but the board is looking to expand its repertoire of items with T-shirts and more—so keep an eye out for new FHHP gear. Partnerships are always of interest, and the group is also brainstorming new collaborations with local businesses and organizations. Of course, individual monetary donations are critical, whether it’s a $25 annual membership in the Friends organization or a donation of any size. Friends is an all-volunteer organization, so your time and talent are just as important as your treasure. Keep an eye on the group’s website to sign up for park workdays if you like to get your hands dirty or for more administrative activities such as helping with mailings. And if leadership is in your wheelhouse, FHHP is always on the lookout for enthusiastic board members. The current board boasts a variety of needed talents, and whatever you can bring to FHHP will be more than welcome. And as Friends treasurer Laura Goddard told me, even if you just want to share your concerns, ideas or experiences regarding the park, the board always appreciates hearing from you. After all, that’s at the core of the group’s mission—“promoting a healthy relationship between people and the natural world.” In his foreword to his seminal A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold said, “Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher ‘standard of living’ is worth its cost in things natural, wild and free.” In the Friends of Hickory Hill Park, Iowa City is fortunate to have a group of dedicated citizens who have had—and continue to have—the foresight and fortitude to make sure our community continues to enjoy a remarkable place that remains natural, wild and free. Thomas Dean is a friend of Hickory Hill Park.
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