19 Trees
Completed!
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.
In the News
Spirit of Okoboji is excited to announce that it has expended the number of trees carved in the area to 19 as of June of 2025. The addition of seven trees this spring were completed by three carvers and range from a memorial of a cat at the Spencer Municipal Golf Course, to a guitar and keyboard welcoming guests to the Rock and Roll Museum in Arnolds Park. Learn more about the new trees on the tree page of this site.
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.
What is the Gold Seal of Transparency?
Our Gold Seal of Transparency from Candid demonstrates our commitment to openness about our programs and the communities we serve. Candid was formed in 2019 when GuideStar and Foundation Center merged. This certification helps donors and volunteers verify our credibility and you can trust that we've shared detailed information about our mission, programs, and impact—making it easier for you to confidently support our work.