Notes from Interview

Owatonna chapter meets once a month for dinner and then a meeting afterwords at the AFR Ed Center, chapter provides some food and the members pull together the rest by potluck, about 80% of those who go the meeting also eat dinner, atmosphere is polite discussion/debate, often a speaker is brought in

    Maintain their fish & wildlife display, sell popcorn and conduct a raffle at the Steele County Free Fair (mid August)
    Ahlborn Woods Wildlife Area - 21+ acres of woodland and restored prairie
    Operate the Alfred F. Reding Environmental Education Center
    Own and maintain public access to Oak Glen Lake & Minnesota Hwy. 218 Wildflower Route
    Adopt a Highway (Minnesota Hwy. 218) - 4 miles
    Cooperate with Owatonna College and University Center to restore 4 acres of prairie
    Host Rip Roarin' Rummage Sale in mid-September (outdoor items)
    Undeveloping 4 1/2 acres of native prairie at Ulrich Acres
    Adopt a River (MDNR), the Izaak Walton Creek and the Straight River (3 miles)
    Fundraise to purchase 45 acres of wetland to add to Somerset Wildlife Management Area (WMA) - the project is completed as of 9/2010 with help from Lessard Outdoor Heritage Funds ($180,000)
    Make annual contributions to the Minnesota Division Scholarship Fund and Legacy Fund and also the Izaak Walton Camp at Deep Portage Learning Center

Land Stewardship Involves invasive species removal, not just letting it sit

For Gary Schwarz, the ideal life is that of a farmer in the 1950s. That was how he grew up, as a hunter/fisher on a small farm, and he fit his own career and some facts about the IWL into a a framwork of society declining from that ideal lifestyle. As farms consolidated, you couldn't just hunt on your friend's farm, and people started to look for places to go hunting and fishing. In the East, the IWL bought up a lot of land, and people became members to have access to it. Here, the IWL helped the gov't acquire land, for example they donated Rice Lake to the DNR. Nowadays, IWL members have more diverse interests--there are many people who just like to go out and hike/canoe whatnot, and not necessarily consume anything, like anglers do. Also, there are a lot of people are interested in conservation practices, such as used less water/fossil fuels, or polluting less. When IWL people travel, they ask the hotel not to wash things, and other small practices that conserve resources. Also, women are now allowed to join and they often do

1975-friend signed him up, involved in earthy events in college, sustainability 1995 became more involved in IWL, these days a "national directer"
Board and membership meeting every month, newsletter, minutes, promoting events, respresenting national events to local

Save our Streams criteria for evaluating health, high school kids often use this for evaluating streams

Ikes local, could also be Izaaks or Waltonians, in term promotes camraderie
Albert F. Reding Environmental Education Center, instead of clubhouse, seats 100 people, kitchen, electricity, parking, etc, appx 20 acres of surrounding land, 1990s UofM built it for Agriculture and the Environment, program for 6th graders, when the program was shut down the center was given to the IWL

Land maintanence--woods for ed center donated by member in 1965, Buckthorne removed by Eagle scouts, prisoners and conservation corps hired by grant, Ike volunteers

Prarie restoraton--roundup till fallow 3x, plant prarie seed 

98% join because of recommendation from friend. They don't do a lot of highly active recruiting.

Members don't usually interact outside of meetings.

Chapter provides some food, members bring some item, 80% of those who come to meetings also come to dinner

Not a lobbying org, doesn't support candidates, does support issues


How have federal or state environmental policy changes affected your group (positive and negative affects)? No He didn't know a lot about legal issues, but in general supported increase regulation
More reporting to fed, out East people just looking to enjoys views have had to get invovlved, some chapters not filing paper work


He would like to see more members and have the current members more committed, working with kids is good publicity
Usually 50+, younger people usually busy, originally older, moved back, now moving forward, having trouble getting young people to join, not enough money, middle class is shrinking

"Change comes from the one person who wants change organizing and making it happen."

Email project when we're finished presike1@live.com