This is our 5th year preparing a Year-in-Review report for our members. We hope this newsletter finds all of you healthy and adjusting to the pandemic twists and turns! IAFI has generally shifted from in-person to on-line activities to ensure the safety of our members and presenters. That also meant fewer activities in community social settings like county fairs, school programs, working with other organizations, etc. We hope to be able to return to more in-person activities (lectures, field trips, hikes) when it is safe to do so. We very much appreciate your continued understanding, support and membership. Gary Ford, IAFI President, January 2022
INSTITUTE MEMBERSHIP
We began with 11 members in 1996. At the end of 2021 we have 632 members (453 memberships) from 19 states, 2 Canadian provinces and 2 European countries. Our members provide most of our support and are a key reason for the various activities, events and materials we provide. We appreciate your loyalty and thank you for your continued support.
INSTITUTE FINANCES
The IAFI is a non-profit organization. For 2021, our total income was $15,183, mainly from membership dues, donations, and Institute Store sales. For 2021, our total expenses were $11,972, mainly for contract labor (our membership manager) and liability insurance. At the end of 2021 we have reserves of $32,459 which are available to cover unplanned expenses, printing informational brochures and to pursue new opportunities related to telling the floods story.
OUTREACH PROGRAMS
Outreach to inform and educate the public about the Ice Age Floods and their long-lasting impact on our area is a key part of the IAFI mission. Our local chapter programs, especially lectures and field trips, are possibly the most effective way we meet this challenge.
Lectures – Most of our activities during 2021 were on-line presentations, with approximately 32 on-line lectures viewed live by over 1470 people, and hundreds more viewers when they were posted on YouTube.
Hikes and Field Trips – Our chapters hosted several field trips and 2 hikes with 30 participants.
Online Media – We significantly increased our online outreach to thousands of viewers each week through interesting articles, features and videos on our website, Facebook page, newsletters and YouTube channel.
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES
We are continually developing new ways of communicating information to help people learn about the floods. Here are some examples from 2021.
IAFI Information Booth at the GSA Annual Meeting – the IAFI booth with displays and information had a nearly constant stream of visitors from nearly every state and many foreign countries.
Lake Lewis Chapter – George Last and Steve Riedel shared 8 different virtual field trip guides on the IAFI website Geology Corner.
Coeur du Deluge Chapter – published a two-sided North Idaho Glacial Geology and Shaded Relief map in commemoration of Dr. Roy Breckenridge’s dedication to geology, education, and his commitment to our chapter and IAFI. Chapter president, Tony Lewis, made a presentation and led a field trip for Southside Elementary School from Cocolalla, Idaho.
Cheney-Spokane Chapter – partnered with Spokane Riverfront Park personnel to provide interpretive narratives for the Ice Age Floods themed Playground that opened in April 2021.
Glacial Lake Missoula Chapter – continued installing high water indicator rocks at the Clark Fork fishing access near Garrison, one each at the I-90 rest stops at Gold Creek, and one in town on the new Dean Store-Point Six hiking Trail. The chapter also continued work on making high resolution copies of Pardee lantern slides as regular photos and negatives to be loaned out without risking the original glass plates.
Columbia River Gorge Chapter – designed, prepared and manned the IAFI booth at the Geological Society of America annual convention, co-led 4 field trips for OSU’s Columbia Gorge Master Naturalist Program, and made 2 presentations and led 2 field trips for 4th and 8th grade students.
Palouse Falls Chapter – hosted a STEAM night information booth at Lacrosse School and another at Wheatland Fair, and led two field trips highlighting flood deposits as much as 800,000 years old.
Lower Columbia Chapter – with the Tualatin Ice Age Foundation and Tualatin Historical Society, installed a rare 2,000 pound rhyolite erratic at the Tualatin Heritage Center. Discovered the previous month at the Lakeridge Middle School in Lake Oswego, Oregon, the relocation of the erratic became an exciting local and national news event, with Dr. Scott Burns giving a talk on the Ice Age Floods to the students at the school.
Education committee – The IAFI Education Committee will work with Inspired Classroom of Missoula, Montana to develop a 4th grade curriculum of the Floods story, including a 10 minute video, lesson plans, maps, etc. for 3 sections, entitled “The World’s Greatest Natural Disaster”, to help educators teach how the Floods force and pathways still affect us today. There will also be adaptive materials and lesson plans for teachers of children who learn in non-traditional ways. Stay tuned for progress on this exciting project that everyone will enjoy!
COLLABORATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
We regularly work with other organizations, recognizing that is a great way to share resources and knowledge.
Regional IAFI – working with the National Park Service on the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail
Wenatchee – Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, Port of Quincy, Othello Sandhill Crane Festival
Coeur Du Deluge – Idaho Master Naturalist Program
Lake Lewis – Friends of Badger Mountain, Benton County Parks, Hanford Reach Interpretive Center, Visit Tri-Cities, East Benton County Historical Museum, Franklin County Historical Museum
Cheney-Spokane – Spokane Riverfront Park board, Ice Age Floods Playground, VISIT Spokane
Palouse Falls – Whitman County Library, Lower Columbia Libraries, Lacrosse Community Pride
Lower Columbia – Tualatin Heritage Center, City of Tualatin, Tualatin Chamber of Commerce, Tualatin Ice Age Foundation, Friends of Vista House
Columbia River Gorge – Oregon Master Naturalist Program, Columbia Gorge Discovery Center , Friends of Vista House, Geological Society of America, Eastern Washington University
Glacial Lake Missoula – Montana Natural History Center
Lower Grand Coulee – Coulee Corridor Consortium- Coulee Corridor National Scenic Byway; Coulee Corridor Area State Parks; Columbia Basin Trails Association