INSTITUTE MEMBERSHIP – Our members provide most of our support and much of the reason for the various materials, activities and events we provide. In 1996, we started with 11 members. At the end of 2025, we have 583 members (446 memberships). Our members come from the following states: Washington (67%), Oregon (15%), Idaho (7%), Montana (5%) with smaller amounts from CA, NV, AZ, WY, TX, AK, NM and OK, Canada and Germany.
INSTITUTE BOARD ACTIVITIES – IAFI work activities that occur at both the Institute Board of Director level and at the Chapter level generally benefit the entire organization. Listed below are some of these activities.
- The Board works closely with the National Park Service Program Manager for the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. We have a formal partnership agreement and work cooperatively to further the missions of both organizations.
- The Education Committee, in partnership with IAFL-NGT and Engaging Every Student, has developed a curriculum program for our 4 state region, “Ice Age Floods Detectives”, of 4 one-hour lesson plans focused on a 4th grade audience.
- The Education Committee also developed a K-12 Grant program to provide funding to teachers and students for field trips, lab supplies, and to provide funds for other ancillary needs that will enhance implementation of the curriculum.
- The Cheney-Spokane Chapter established a Student Research Grant program that covers the entire institute area. It recently awarded its first grant
- The Membership Committee created a Floods Photo of the Week program which provides photos of features throughout the four-state area for all our members.
- Our webmaster keeps the website (iafi.org) fresh and stimulating. He also, with support from the chapters, issues the Pleistocene Post Newsletter four times a year.
- Our Membership Manager provides quarterly reports on member/memberships for all chapters and the institute. She responds to membership queries, resolves problems and keeps records current.
- Our IAFI Treasurer works with our Certified Public Accountant who maintains all our financial records and provides monthly reports to the Board.
- Our IAFI Store Manager provides service to our members by stocking and processing orders for the most recent books, maps, etc related to the ice age floods.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING – This year the annual IAFI membership meeting and field trip was held hosted by the Columbia River Gorge Chapter and there. Approximately 146 people attended the event. Click here for a reflective review of the event.
2025 CHAPTER 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 are possibly the most effective way we meet this challenge. Three of the more important ways we help people learn about the Ice Age Floods are with lectures, field trips and hikes.
- LECTURES – In 2025 we had 37 lectures attended by over 1549 people. Many more people viewed lectures when they were posted on YouTube.
- FIELD TRIPS- In 2025 we conducted 22 field trips with 735 attendees.
- HIKES – In 2025 three chapters sponsored 7 hikes with 106 attendees.
- PRESENTATIONS TO K-12 STUDENTS
- Columbia River Gorge chapter – talk and 2 field trips for Hood River New School and a talk for Hood River Elementary 4th grade classes
- Cheney–Spokane Chapter – Jefferson Elementary School STEM Expo requested that the IAFICS Chapter staff an educational booth on the Ice Age floods. The booth was so popular with the kids and their parents that our chapter was asked to participate in a follow up at the Westview Elementary School STEM Expo. The IAFICS Chapter was contacted by Spokane City Councilman Zack Zappone, requesting a talk and short hike for the North Central Middle School.
- Lake Lewis Chapter – A number of members helped with education programs at The Coyote Canyon Mammoth Site (MCBONES) near Kennewick.
- Palouse Falls Chapter: talk and presentation to Pomeroy Home School.
- Lower Grand Coulee Chapter: Assisted with a presentation at the Ice Age Floods Fest at Dry Falls aimed at educating children on the Ice Age Floods story (350+ attendees).
- INVOLVEMENT WITH PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND UNIVERSITIES
- Cheney–Spokane Chapter – Dr. Isaac Larsen (Univ. Massachusetts), accompanied by a graduate student, requested a three-day field trip to collect flood ice-rafted erratics and in-situ exposure for exposure dating of the glacial floods in the Spokane and Vantage areas. Drs. Jim O’Connor and Lydia Staich (USGS) requested a two-day research field trip to look at historical till and flood sites on the Spokane Indian Reservation southeastward to Reardan and Spokane-Mica area.
- All chapters routinely recruit knowledgeable speakers from universities or state/federal agencies to ensure we are presenting the most current scientific information to our members.
- PRESENTATIONS AT COMMUNITY EVENTS
- Cheney-Spokane Chapter – Great Outdoor Sports Expo requested that the IAFICS Chapter staff an educational booth on the Ice Age floods. Don Chadbourne and nine enthusiastic chapter volunteers manned the booth which had heavy traffic on both days. Over 100 people stopped by the booth to get information on our upcoming events and pick up brochures providing information on local flood features and the National Geologic Trail.
- For the second year the Spokane County Library System asked the Cheney-Spokane chapter to provide speakers for four library branches. All four talks filled the rooms. The Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge asked the chapter to staff a booth and lead a hike.
- Columbia River Gorge Chapter – Gorge History Museum talk. Nature Conservancy talk at Rowena Crest . Co-led a number of field trips sponsored by the Columbia Gorge Naturalist Program.
- Coeur Du Deluge Chapter – Again led programs for the Idaho Master Naturalists. Interviewed for Sandpoint Magazine (Summer 2025).
- Ellensburg Chapter: had information booths at two Ellensburg Farmers Markets. Spoke with about 150 people.
- Lower Grand Coulee Chapter: Had a booth at the Quincy Farmer Consumer Awareness Day with IAFI talks and tours, videos and information displays. 200+ attendees. Developed a 3-D topographic model with lights of the floods area for use at community events.
- Palouse Falls Chapter: Presented a lecture on the floods and conducted a tour at the Sandhill Crane Festival. Wheatland Fair Booth, Palouse Empire Fair Booth.
- Wenatchee Chapter: Co-led a tour at the Sandhill Crane Festival and participated in FCAD Farmer Consumer Awareness days in Quincy.
PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS – We are always looking for other organizations to work with. This is a great way to share resources and knowledge. Listed below are some of the organizations we work with on a regular basis.
- National Park Service (formal partnership agreement)
- Wenatchee – Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, Wenatchee Valley College, Port of Quincy, Othello Sandhill Crane Festival
- Coeur Du Deluge – Idaho Master Naturalist Program, Farragut State Park, Idaho Native Plant Society
- Lake Lewis– MCBONES Mammoth Site, Friends of Badger Mountain, Benton County Parks, The Hanford Reach Interpretative Center, Visit Tri-Cities, East Benton County Historical Museum, Franklin County Historical Museum
- Cheney-Spokane – Spokane County Library District, Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, Cheney Railroad Depot
- Palouse Falls – Whitman County Library, Mid-Columbia Library, Lacrosse Community Pride, Sandhill Crane Festival, Ritzville Library
- Lower Columbia – Tualatin Heritage Center, City of Tualatin, Tualatin Chamber of Commerce, Tualatin Ice Age Foundation, Friends of Vista House
- Columbia River Gorge – Gorge Naturalist Program, Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, Vista House, local schools, Troutdale CofC, local libraries
- Glacial Lake Missoula – Montana Natural History Center, National Bison Range, Ravalli County Museum and Library, Paradise School, Missoula City/County Parks and Recreation
- Lower Grand Coulee – Coulee Corridor Consortium- Coulee Corridor National Scenic Byway; Coulee Corridor Area State Parks; Columbia Basin Trails Association.
- Ellensburg -Central Washington University Geology Department (Nick Zentner) and Geography Department (Karl Lillquist), Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility
- Puget Lobe – University of Washington, Bellevue College, Burke Museum, Pacific Science Center
INSTITUTE FINANCES – The IAFI is a non-profit organization. Our main sources of income are membership dues, donations, profit from field trips and Institute Store sales. Our main expenses are contract labor (our membership manager), and insurance. At the end of 2025 we had $175,124 in our treasury. Of this $74, 451 was managed by the Institute board and the eleven chapters managed the remaining 100,673 These funds are available for new and existing educational programs related to the floods story as well as to cover unplanned expenses.
WE NEED YOUR HELP! – While we have around six hundred members most of the work is done by a small number of people. All of your institute and chapter leaders are volunteers. We are always looking for people willing to work with us to help develop and conduct chapter programs. If you think you might be interested, please contact your chapter president or board members. All help is appreciated both small and large.
BENEFACTORS, SUSTAINERS, DONORS – We greatly appreciate and want to recognize those who contribute extraordinarily to support our efforts
