The Des Moines Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America

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Izaak Walton League – A Century of Conservation Leadership

About the Des Moines Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America
Founded in 1922, the Des Moines Chapter of the Izaak Walton League is one of the four oldest chapters still active in the nation. We’re part of one of America’s oldest and most respected conservation organizations. With a powerful grassroots network of more than 250 local chapters nationwide, the League takes a common-sense approach toward protecting our country’s natural heritage and improving outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans. We invite you to learn about our work and to join us in supporting important conservation initiatives in your community.

Help us protect America’s outdoors. Join Online to Become a Member of the Des Moines Chapter of the League or Renew Your Membership!

Des Moines Chapter House
4343 George Flagg Parkway
Des Moines, Iowa, 50321
(515) 244-3773

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You’ll receive or chapter newsletter with news, stories, and events; Plus chapter updates as they happen!

Meetings are held every Tuesday beginning at 6 p.m. Dinner is served until 6:30 p.m., with programs starting at 6:45 p.m. There are lots of great programs and delicious meals coming up on Tuesdays at the Chapter House! Check out our Menus and Programs page to find out more! Note: Beginning January 2025 we will have only one main menu item on members nights, rather than offering alternatives. This is to save on costs and food waste, and to allow us to again offer desserts. Thank you for your understanding!

Iowa Project AWARE’s Jeff White will speak at the Des Moines Izaak Walton League Tuesday, May 6 at 6:45 pm! 4343 George Flagg Parkway (intersection of Flagg and Park), Des Moines 50321. Jeff will talk about Project AWARE’s mission, history, goals, and this year’s project (July 13-18) to clean-up 61.5 miles of the Winnebago & Shell Rock Rivers! Jeff is a long time Story County Conservation volunteer and winner of the Olav Smedal Conservation Award, retired IDNR Corrective Action Specialist, a leader of the Skunk River Paddlers, and serves on the City of Ames Parks and Recreation Commission. Admission to Jeff’s talk is FREE and Open to the Public, with dinner at 6 available for purchase. You cand find out more about Iowa Project AWARE and volunteer for thus year’s clean-up at https://www.iowaprojectaware.org/ Photo by Tom Scherer.

Dr. Adam Shriver, Interim Director of Wellness and Nutrition Policy at The Harkin Institute, will present a talk Tuesday, May 13, 6:45 pm, at the Des Moines Izaak Walton League. Adam will explain how the Institute provides opportunities for students and citizens to engage in bettering our public life and community in a nonpartisan environment. 4343 George Flagg Pkwy (intersection of Geo. Flagg & Park), Des Moines 50321. The Harkin Institute was founded on the premise that good public policy is best achieved when policymakers have access to high quality information, political processes are open and well-understood and citizens are informed and active participants. They believe that good public policy requires communication, collaboration and courtesy from everyone involved. This belief underlies The Harkin Institute’s five core values of Inclusion, Education, Respect, Accessibility and Opportunity. The Institute’s action areas include Labor and Employment; People with Disabilities (ADA); Retirement Security; and Wellness and Nutrition. Dr. Adam Shriver holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Iowa State University as well as a Ph.D. from the Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology program at Washington University in St. Louis, and has held postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of British Columbia, and Oxford University. The Harkin Institute has recently held conferences on Industrial Farm Animal Production, the Environment, and Public Health and The Future of Clean Water and is now starting a new project looking at Iowa’s High Cancer rates and the potential connections to agricultural chemicals. Admission to Adam’s talk is FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Doors open at 5:30 with a Pulled Pork Sandwich dinner at 6 available for purchase.

A fun day of fishing for the whole family is coming at CarpFEST 2025! Join the Des Moines Izaak Walton League, Des Moines Parks and Recreation, and the Iowa DNR Saturday, May 31 at Gray’s Lake Park in Des Moines! Try your hand at Carp fishing, and you might win a prize! Admission is FREE! Prizes will be awarded for LONGEST Carp, with Buffalo excluded. Gear, bait and instructions are available. Licenses are required for contestants 16 and over. Carp caught may be kept by the fisherman or donated onsite to the wildlife rehabilitation organization S.O.A.R. (Saving Our Avian Resources). All ages are welcome. Enter the park from Fleur at the North West Entrance to the park. Onsite Registration begins at 8:00 am; Fishing begins at 9:00 am and stops at 11:30 (a horn will sound). Awards will be given out after all the fish have been measured. The Izaak Walton League was founded by anglers over 100 years ago. We are dedicated to healthy waters in the United States. There are too many Carp in Gray’s Lake. Removing some will improve the lake and the fishery.

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