A summary for our members and other interested people
By Gary Ford, IAFI President, January 12, 2024
This is our 7th year preparing a Year-in-Review report for you, our members. We appreciate your continued support, friendship and membership.
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 2023, as we continue to recover from the pandemic, we have 648 members (489 memberships) from 20 states, British Columbia, Canada and Germany.
INSTITUTE BOARD PROJECTS
IAFI work activities occur at both the Institute Board of Director level and at the Chapter level. Projects at the Institute board level generally benefit more than one chapter or do work that all chapters might not be able to do by themselves. Listed below are some of the recent projects the Institute Board of Directors has worked on.
The Education Committee is working with a contractor to develop three 20-minute floods videos for a 4th grade audience
The Membership Committee is developing a catalog of speakers for the chapters to use for their member programs. A new membership tracking system has been developed which makes it easier to take care of our members.
The Trail Advocacy Committee works closely with the National Park Service (NPS) Program Manager for the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. The intent is to help the Trail Manager with projects related to the development of the Trail. We assisted with three NPS Sponsored Teacher Workshops this year: two in the Tri-Cities area and one in Spokane.
Website and Newsletter: Our webmaster keeps our website (iafi.org) fresh and stimulating. He also, with support from the chapters, issues the Pleistocene Post Newsletter four times a year.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
This year we had our first annual membership meeting and field trip since the pandemic started back in 2020. It was sponsored by the Puget Lobe Chapter with major assistance from the Lower Grand Coulee Chapter and was held in the Sun Lakes State Park area. Click here for a summary.
2023 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 – As we have moved beyond the pandemic, we have been able to again offer more in-person lectures with some viewed Zoom presentations. We had 50 in-person lectures attended by over 1642 people. Many more people viewed these lectures when they were posted on YouTube.
Field Trips – We conducted 21 field trips with 586 attendees.
Hikes – Three chapters sponsored 13 hikes with 163 attendees.
CHAPTER PRESENTATIONS TO SCHOOL GROUPS AND SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATIONS
Lake Lewis Chapter: A number of people from the Lake Lewis Chapter help with education programs at The Coyote Canyon Mammoth Site (MCBONES) near Kennewick. Between April and October 2023, McBones hosted school classes or home school groups on 58 days, participated in 12 STEM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Math) events at elementary, middle and high schools, conducted 40 group tours, hosted 12 public tours, and did 7 youth group tours. That means that 1853 adults and 2242 kids were exposed to the story of MCBONES’ Coyote Canyon Mammoth Site and the ice age floods in 2023.
Each presentation included the story of the floods usually including the IAFI map of the floods region. The connections between the floods and the mammoth are that the mammoth was buried in several layers of floods sediment (Touchet beds). There are erratic pebbles buried among the bones and the elevation of the bone bed is just over 1000 feet above sea level (about 650 feet higher than the Columbia River at the Tri-Cities). The calibrated radiocarbon date of death of the mammoth is approximately 17,449 years before present. We are studying the death and burial of a Columbian mammoth. We can’t tell people about that without including the floods story. This is a “Who Done It” story, and we have a suspect.
Cheney-Spokane Chapter gave a talk to 84 sixth graders at Jefferson Elementary School in Spokane, WA. Also, conducted a program at STEM in March with 367 students.
Glacial Lake Missoula Chapter helped with a Bozeman Science Camp. Had a day of classroom activities that discussed glaciers, ice ages, landscapes, climate change. Field trip day featuring Lake Missoula impacts to modern landscapes.
Palouse Falls Chapter hosted the Geological Society of Oregon Country for three lectures and three days of touring about 600 miles of the channeled scablands. Had an information booth at STEAM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Arts/Math) night at Colton School.
Lower Grand Coulee Chapter assisted with a geology presentation at the Ice Age Floods Fest at Dry Falls aimed at educating children on the Ice Age Floods story (350+ attendees)
CHAPTER PRESENTATIONS AT COMMUNITY EVENTS
Cheney-Spokane Chapter talked with 102 people at Spokane Outdoor Expo. Talked with 128 people at the Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival, Medical Lake, WA.
Glacial Lake Missoula Chapter presented program to Five Valleys Land Trust banquet. Took Wildlife Film Festival Film makers on eastern loop. Featured lake Missoula Story at all stops. Featured Glacial country scenery shots.
Columbia River Gorge Chapter made presentations to visiting Polish and German Marshall Fund delegations and led donated field trips for Bingen-White Salmon Rotary and Skyline Health Foundation.
Lower Grand Coulee Chapter had a booth at the Quincy Farmer Consumer Awareness Day with IAFI talks and tours, videos and information displays. 250+ attendees.
Palouse Falls Chapter conducted a tour at the Sandhill Crane Festival, had a booth at both the Wheatland Fair and the Palouse Empire Fair.
Wenatchee Chapter participated in FCAD Farmer Consumer Awareness days in Quincy; also made a presentation at a Master Gardener Conference, 89 attendees.
CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP APPRECIATION EVENTS
Our members are an essential part of our organization. Indeed, we would not exist without them. Listed below are some of activities chapters conducted to show their appreciation for their members.
Palouse Falls – Picnic at Lyons Ferry, short hike and car caravan.
Cheney-Spokane – Picnic and hikes, Camp Caro, Spokane Valley
Coeur du Deluge – Three Lakes and A Fjord was the title of a member appreciation field trip focused on Ice Age Flood Features on the Sagle Peninsula along with a Picnic Lunch
PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION 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 have worked with.
Wenatchee – Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, Port of Quincy, Othello Sandhill Crane Festival
Coeur Du Deluge – Idaho Master Naturalist Program
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 Riverfront Park board, Ice Age Floods Playground; VISIT Spokane
Palouse Falls – Whitman County Library, Lower Columbia Libraries, Lacrosse Community Pride, Sandhill Crane Festival
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, Vista House
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. This year we penned a letter of support for the Soap Lake Conservatory on a grant for conservation of the Lake with DOE.
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 2023 the main Institute had a balance of $45,562. The eleven chapters have a total balance of $93,806. These funds will be used to pay for new and existing educational programs related to the floods story as well as to cover unplanned expenses.
WE WELCOME AND APPRECIATE YOUR HELP!
While we have over 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.
List of Sustainers, Benefactors, Major Donors
| 2023 Sustainers | 2023 Benefactors | 2023 Donors | |||
| Don & Christine Barnes | John & Dian Adams | Antonio & Jean Snider Jover | John & Mary Hartman | Richard & Judy Hademan-Frith | Carmen Almodovar |
| Gary Rudgers | Dorene Bendickson | Alice & Rob Bowie Kaseberg | Gary Rudgers | Debbie Asakawa | Victor Richenstein |
| Jan Strobeck | Nancy J. Biggerstaff | Dick Kleinknecht | Mary R. Lewis | Larry McClure | John & Kathy Ludders |
| Harriet Van Wyck | Sandra (family) Bowman | George Last | Brian G. Holmes | Cynthia Schraer | Gerald R. & Patricia Bayonne-Johnson |
| Jeff Schmelzer | Van Brinkerhoff | Ron & Denise Zembryki Mamajek | Susan Langsley | Mark & Janet Warren Schmidt | Keith & Donna Dunbar |
| William Buckley | Russell & Sue Carlisle | Clark & Joyce Markell | Melanie & Bob Bell Gibbs | Nira and Randall Moss Walters | Phil Faris |
| Greg Whitehead | David Carstens | Glenn Marquardt | Alex & Linda McGregor | Brent & Vickie Cunderla | Jean Greene |
| Randy Roth | Kristen & Josie Chapin | Alex & Linda McGregor | Ronald Cocchiarella | Judy & Steve Meyer | Robert J Leingang |
| Steven N. Trautwein | Cynde & Alan Chatham | Mary & John Bolles McGregor | John Perkins | Mary & John Bolles McGregor | Connie C. McCauley |
| Paul Osmanson | Catherine & Daniel Speth Clemens | Mark Mease | Lola Helen Kemp | E. Parnelli Sharp | James G. & Susan A. Rigby |
| Lindsay Henning | Yvonne & Liam Turnmire Daley | Jack & Anne Middleton | Eric Thorsen | Sandra (family) Bowman | Alison Gooding |
| Sue & Tom Ring Billings | Dave Daugharty | P. Erik & Kari Angell-Petersen Mikkelsen | Lindsay Henning | Samuel W. McNary | Jerry Smith |
| Gary Marlow | Steve & Mary Davis | Michael G. Millsap | Sandra Jackson | Krystyna Wolniakowski | Michael Zanol |
| Mary R. Lewis | William & Julie Engstrom | John Robert & Sharon E. Moody | Pam Cahn | Paul Osmanson | Steve Sullivan |
| Don & Christine Barnes | Gary & Barbara Ford | Chris & Carla Chiotti Murray | Craig Smithson | Pat Jamieson | Lee Ann Blankenship |
| Susan D. Freiberg | Richard & Judy Hademan-Frith | Lori & Dave Obbie | Laird & Shawna Parry | Carrie Gordon | Shirley & Jack Sonnichsen |
| Jay Beach | Daniel Fritz | Shawn Pare | Shell Oil Co. | Jill & Scott Eckberg | Susan Bracken |
| Dean Wheelon | Ron & Carolyn Gooley | Laird & Shawna Parry | Carol & Irv Jenkins | George & Marlene Fox | Fred & Jeri Fischer |
| Donald Burnham | Carrie Gordon | Nancy & Dennis Rieger | Susan D. Freiberg | Andy McGregor | Wayne Williams |
| Brian McClure | Erika & Curtis Hennings | Ron & Kathy Stefan Shuler | Gary Marlow | William & Julie Gibbs | Marcia Knadle |
| Michael Teegarden | Jeff Herrmann | Roger Stevenson | Mary Lynne Poole | David Daugharty | Rita Westbrook |
| Donald Chadbourne | Patrick Horgan | Tom A. Stokes | Jack Mynatt | Bob & Caroline Hamlin | Martin Wells |
| Ray Redd | Gary Horinek | Gerald & Nancy Tays | Charles L. Dotson | Phyllis Thayer | Wayne Johnson |
| Jena Gilman | Chuck Hosack | Eric Thorsen | Eugene Kiver | Victor R. Baker | Dick Jensen |
| Douglas Huber |
Jim & Ann Warrington Trivelpiece
|
John C. Howell | Thomas Ott | Zev Siegl | |
| Paul, Nancy, John, Olivia, Clara & Uriah Hutton | Robert Vallem | Lorin&Janni Hills | Gregg Herrington | Mike Karsted | |
| Jim Jacks | Richard Walton | Douglas Ladwig | Catherine D. & Patrick Eakin | William Buckley | |
| Pat Jamieson |
Steven L. & Lynn Washington
|
Diane & Dorvan Breitenfeldt | Paul Herman Harder | Joyce & Jim Preston | |
| Bruce Jividen | Krystyna Wolniakowski | Robert Vallem | Rick Kammer | ||