Izaak Walton League Cabin - Austin Chapter 10, Todd Park, Austin, MN - Photo by Al Layman 2006
Austin Chapter 10 has a rich history of local conservation.
1924 Organized - January
9, 1924
1925-26 Membership: 92
1928 Tree clusters planted
along Hwy. 218 between Austin and Owatonna
1929 Fair Article published, membership
at 130
1930-40 Fish rearing and planting in East Side Lake and Cedar River
1930
Log cabin loaned by Jay C. Hormel, remodeled by Ikes
1931-32 First cabin and traphouses built at Todd Park
1932
East Side Lake built with Ike's support
1933 MN State Division Convention held in Austin
1934
Membership: 480
1935 Grove of Fir trees planted in Todd Park
1936
Trees provided by Ikes were planted in every school yard in Mower County
1948 Membership:
175
1955 Lena Larson Wildlife Area trees planted
1956
Membership: 225
1957 Ike's Cabin destroyed by fire, Ike's furnish garbage cans
for the City of Austin
1959 Red Cedar Chapter Lady Ikes chartered
1969
Membership: 135
1986 Lady Ikes Chapter merges with Austin Chapter 10
1989-90
Austin Chapter 10 coordinated and implemented the Non-Point Source Pollution Pilot Project
(NPSP) in Mower County Schools
1990 Membership: 98
1991 The NPSP
Learning Stations and hands-on program were displayed and demostrated at the 20th
Annual Conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education held in St.
Paul, MN.
1993-95 Demonstated the NPSP program at the Nebraska State Childrens Groundwater Festival.
1994
In cooperation with the Iowa IWLA Chapters along the Cedar River, Austin Chapter 10 began the
first phase of the Cedar River Restoration Project. This phase identified sources and causes of
pollution that have harmed the river biologically and inhibited the recreational use of the river.
1995
Land owned by Austin Chapter 10 along the Cedar River sold to DNR
1996 Provided $3,000 for
intern at the Hormel Nature Center, provided financial support for the Banfield
School Green Planting Project
1997 Financial support for Southland/Rose Creek School Planting,
began yearly financial support for
the Ellis
Middle School Wetbug Project
1998 Funding for Hormel Nature Center Programs
1999
Spearheaded a $13,000 project that replaced all the fish display tanks and electrical service at the
Mower County Fairgrounds Game and Fish Building. Contributed $1,000 towards the purchase of
a
Truax seeder for the Mower County Soil and Water District.
2000 Cedar River monitoring program
in conjunction with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Supported Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center.
2002 Donated $1,000 to Hormel Nature
Center Land Expansion Project, supported Ellis Middle School
Biome Project, began yearly financial support to Take-a-Kid Fishing Program
2003 Contributed
$1,500 to Hormel Nature Center Land Expansion Project, donated $3,000 to
Pheasants
Forever for land purchase, provided teacher environmental education stipends, and
contributed $1,000 to National Ikes for Wetlands Clean Water Act action.