2020 Annual Report
It's that time of year. After much hard work from our Marketing team, we are happy to present Des Moines Parks and Recreation 2020 Annual Report. Please take sometime to read it by clicking the button below.
2021 Earth Month
 In 2021, we are back but reimagined. Earth Day in the U.S. began in 1970 as 20 million Americans, from all walks of life, mobilized in an effort to change our environment. Today, Earth Day is celebrated by more than a billion people per year in 192 countries. This year, Earth Day is Every Day! Thanks to volunteer safety protocols we'll have opportunities spread out thru the Metro for small groups to volunteer while being physically-distanced over multiple dates in April-Earth Month. We will help you plan ahead, protect yourself and provide you opportunities to give back to make the Metro a great place to live, work and play again!
In 2020 the City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department was ranked #34 in the nation by the Trust for Public Lands. This association rates Cities based on access, investment, acreage, and amenities. Our Department is incredibly proud of this national ranking and we want to do more to showcase all of the cool programs, rentals, parks, etc that we offer to the public.

To better do this, we are asking for some help from the public. If you love taking pictures and are interested in volunteering to help us out, click the link below.
We want to give a special shout out to all who came out to volunteer at Cache in Trash Out. This is a collaborative effort between City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation, Iowa Geocacher's Association, Westwood Neighborhood Association, Walnut Creek Watershed Coalition, and other concerned citizens. Volunteers helped pick up trash along the trails but search for eggs hidden along the way for prizes. This is the 10th year of this event and it is as strong as ever. It would not have been possible without the help from the amazing co-organizers and volunteer leaders: Diane Kuhn of Westwood Neighborhood Association, Scott Mills of Iowa Geocacher’s Association, and Steve Miller of Walnut Creek Watershed volunteer efforts. They all have been involved with the event for many years. They not only helped organize the event logistics and gathered the event prizes, but they also did a phenomenal job leading separate volunteer groups to ensure a fun, safe, and successful event.
A staple in the Des Moines system from its inception in 1915 until it shut down in 1978, Riverview Amusement Park used to be a place to create memories. Those memories will be coming back in 2021 when the newly revamped Park officially opens. This park now has a completely ADA accessible playground as well as a concert stage. Our Department worked along side the Parks Area Foundation for years to get to this point. Prairie Meadows and Polk County also were integral in getting the funding to finish. With the grand opening coming up in June, we are looking for volunteers to help us get it in tip top shape beforehand. If this is something you would like to help with, please click the link below to get signed up.
We are looking for volunteers who want to come help us by knitting children hats and gloves for the winter. If this is something that you're interested in, please let us know.
A series of Bluebird boxes have been installed in some of our parks. Volunteers monitor the activities in boxes March - August and then record the information they gather on nesting and hatchlings. The boxes create nesting cavities for Bluebirds to utilize in locations that park visitors can easily enjoy their beautiful colors and cheerful singing.

If you are interested in learning more, you can join our Environmental Education Staff out at Gray's lake on Tuesday's at 11 in April. You will meet at the NW parking lot. For more information you can email below.
Woodland Cemetery is a vast treasury of our heritage and the many pioneers’ leaders who are buried there transformed our country. Cemetery historian/researcher/educator Archie Cook shares his wealth of knowledge about Woodland Cemetery during a 2 ½ hour walking tour. The stories told by the monuments and headstones combine to form the history of the city as it has passed through civil and world wars, epidemics and natural disasters as well as the normal course of birth, life, and death. Passing through the narrow drives of the cemetery, you see stone etchings of the names of many citizens from our past who helped build Des Moines. Names part of everyday life in our city's landscape, street, parks, schools, and building like Savery, Kenworthy, Ingersoll, Hubbell, Kaplan, Perkins, Teachout, Fleur, Redhead, Polk, and Sherman.

The tours are free, however a donation is suggested. All donations go towards Woodland Cemetery Restoration Project. Reservations are required and limited to 30 participants. Tour participants will have to follow safety precautions to keep everyone safe and healthy. Confirmation messages will include requirements and safety precautions.