The Iowa Environmental Council, as part of an initiative with the Harkin Institute at Drake University, will hold 16 listening sessions across the state to hear Iowans’ lived experiences with cancer.

IEC announced the partnership in April to explore the relationship between cancer and the environment with a review of research and community outreach.

“We know that our environment and our health are inextricably linked,” Sarah Green, executive director of the Iowa Environmental Council, said in a statement. “With so many Iowans’ lives touched by cancer, it’s important that we explore every link and find ways we can work together to mitigate all potential sources of risk and save lives.”

The council points to a growing need to understand other potential risk factors driving Iowa’s cancer rates. The latest Cancer in Iowa report from the Iowa Cancer Registry shows Iowa has the second highest, age-adjusted rate of cancers in the country, and is one of only two states with rising rates of new cancers.

The series of listening sessions kicked off with an event in Indianola on Wednesday, followed by sessions in Des Moines, Burlington, Davenport and Solon which are free to attend, though online registration is requested.

The sessions will have a presentation with county-specific health data and then allow attendees space to share how cancer has impacted their lives.

IEC has also announced dates and locations for listening sessions in July and August in Albia, Elkader, Decorah, Council Bluffs, Red Oak, Emmetsburg, Sioux City, Carroll, Waterloo, Tama and a virtual session. These sessions are not yet open for registration.

Iowans who can’t make it to one of the sessions can also share their stories virtually through a form on IEC’s website.

The Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors in Iowa initiative will result in a report and statewide campaign, with a goal of bringing Iowans “together around policies that will reduce environmental contamination as a factor in cancers in Iowa.”

Registration and more information can be found at the Iowa Environmental Council website.

This article first appeared in the Iowa Capital Dispatch.