Through the Darling Institute, environmental science students worked with the town of Perry, IA to conduct prairie restoration to grow the pollinator population for local beekeepers. Students also secured a grant to develop a tallgrass prairie and walking trail to enhance Perry’s Pattee Park.
Perry Community Orchard
The Perry Community Orchard project, led by DarlingCorps student Natalie Libbus has brought fresh growth and vitality to Perry, IA. This initiative transformed 8 acres of Perkins Park from an empty field into a thriving fruit orchard, addressing the town's fresh-food desert. With apple, pear, peach, cherry, and paw-paw trees, along with berry bushes and strawberry plants, the orchard began bearing fruit in August 2024—just in time to support the community during a spike in food insecurity following the closure of the Tyson plant on June 28, 2024.
PerryNext Strategic Plan & Branding Campaign
First-year student Allie Raines (right) and senior Annika Fredeen have been working on the PerryNext Strategic Plan and Branding Campaign to revitalize the community. Allie is creating fresh graphics and digital content to help Perry rebrand and move forward, while Annika is developing a toolkit to address the town's aging housing stock, drawing on successful strategies from other communities.
Together, these projects are not just about planting trees and designing campaigns—they’re about partnering together to nurture Perry’s future.