In August of 2025, as a newcomer to Iowa, I set out to answer two questions:
-Why is everyone telling me that I should not swim in the rivers and lakes?
-Why are so many Iowans getting cancer?
This search has turned into The Iowa Prairie Documentary Project. It has resulted in a timely and comprehensive look at the fundamental ecological challenges facing the state. I also stumbled into a world where most people I interacted with refused to speak on the record for fear of job loss, harassment, or losing funding. Who knew that something as basic as conservation could be such a divisive topic?
Follow the search as I (Charlie Morris) explore these questions through interviews with folks from across the state of Iowa in the following multimedia formats:
1. Podcast
2. Videos
3. Substack articles
4. Feature length documentary film “IOWA: And The Broken Circle” (coming in September of 2026)
New Trailer (released: Nov. 23, 2025):
and here is my GoFundMe LINK
