Since 2017 we have been giving out awards to our members and others for their outstanding contributions to the Chapter and conservation. Below is a list of the awards, the award winners, and their contributions.
Bush Lake Chapter IWLA Awards 2022
1) Chapter Volunteer of the Year Award- for member with outstanding contributions to the chapter in 2022.
Susan Van Baerle has been a member of our Chapter and on our Board of Directors for several years. Paul E. "I can’t remember when I first met Sue, but it was years ago, and we immediately hit it off with our shared interest of plants and wildlife. I finally got her to join the Chapter- and shortly after that, our board. In the last few years, she has been indispensable in our efforts to restore the Chapter property, as well as our education and outreach events. She is always quick to volunteer and contribute when asked. Sue and her husband, Robin, constructed new mallard hen houses after the other ones were destroyed by flooding- something that had been on the list of things to do for some time. They risked life and limb installing them in East Bay Pond this past spring, and there may have been some breaking through the ice and into the muck during the installation. We thank Robin, for his efforts and for the support he gives to Sue. For her outstanding contributions to the Chapter, the Volunteer of the Year Award goes to Sue Van Baerle. Thank you, Sue, for all of your great work!"
2) Gordy Bratsch Award- This award is named after our old neighbor, Gordy Bratsch, who was the “unofficial caretaker”- he was committed to keeping Bush Lake clean and the Chapter running smoothly. This award is given to a member that contributes to the chapter and the environment, year after year.
No two individuals have contributed more to the ongoing viability and betterment of the Bush Lake Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America during the last decade than Elizabeth and Paul Erdmann. The Erdmanns have been our Chapter’s caretakers for the last 12 years. During that time, they helped transition our Chapter from an emphasis on the beach to a focus on environmental sustainability. For the last 12 years they have been the eyes, ears, and heart of our property.
Through the years Liz and Paul have organized a host of member work projects. They have led buckthorn removal and the painstaking replacement of invasive plants with thousands of native plants. They set up the Chapter fall and spring clean ups, supervised Eagle Scout projects, and led and participated in workshops, such as aquatic invasive species identification. Paul and Liz perform water sampling on Bush Lake every 10 days, spring-fall. Recently they went beyond the call of duty to remove a concrete block from the bottom of the lake, which had detached from the swim raft.
Paul has been the Chapter board secretary for many years. He authors the Chapter newsletter, Lake Winds. He manages our Facebook and Instagram accounts. Paul handles new member orientation and manages lodge reservations. Paul’s responsibilities extend well beyond the Chapter’s borders. He has served as a delegate for the Minnesota Division Izaak Walton League for many years. Paul’s career is also conservation related, working for the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.
Liz has also chosen a life of service. She is a high school English teacher at Jefferson High School in Bloomington. There she started and continues to advise the Jefferson HS Earth Corps. The group received the Bush Lake Chapter 2021 Youth Conservation Award.
We thank Liz and Paul for all of their hard work on behalf of our Chapter and their courageous forward-looking leadership in saving this planet. And they are just really great people!
3) Public Good Award- Award given to non-profit, city or public staff or elected officials for their outstanding contributions to water quality, conservation, and the environment.
This year’s Public Good Award goes to Bill Grant
Jill C.: "It has been my pleasure to know Bill and support his work to advance our government’s renewable energy policy and action from dependency on polluting and climate warming fossil fuels to embracing energy efficiency and wind, solar and other renewable energy sources. Getting legislation such as the Clean Water, Safe Drinking Water and Clean Air Acts passed was a challenging first step. Climate Change solutions demand action!
Bill Grant has been a strategical mastermind at taking on the daunting tasks to identify the barriers (such as Utilities and Fossil Fuel Companies) and develop the infrastructure of colleague organizations and allies with MEP member organizations, scientists, and other Taskforces working on a Clean Air agenda and facilitate their collaboration. Success required setting priorities, making hard decisions that impacted disgruntled colleagues, recognizing that funding sources were finite and focusing on efforts that would yield the most return to establish renewable standards, programs and goals. Sounds like days of heartburn!
An essential part of this daunting challenge was 10 years of negotiations with decision-makers at Xcel Energy.
Internally within the Izaak Walton League Bill ran the Midwest Office out of St. Paul, hired exceptional staff, and worked with Chapters and the National staff and Ike leadership. As the Windsource program was made available to allow Xcel Energy consumers to sign up for renewable sources for their electricity, Eric Jensen, Midwest Office Staff, participated in a program to ensure there actually was a new independent wind source for each person who signed up. This was critical to document the program’s accountability.
Bill gained the trust of MN legislators and worked with them to push for state legislation. These relationships were key to advancing Renewable Standards in MN.
Education to raise awareness and address the perceived barriers from utility companies was ramped up through Windustry Conferences in early 2000s, The Utility Companies felt it was impossible to predict and integrate variable energy sources into the grid as well as for consumer and business demand. The Conferences brought presentations by experts reporting on solutions in calculating those probabilities. CERT (Clean Energy Resource Teams) Conferences educated interested members of the public and enabled students to be engaged and talk about ways they reduced energy. Several MN Ikes attended these two-day informative bi-annual conferences. At other events Tribal nation members told their stories of the mercury impacts on their health from eating mercury contaminated fish, a staple of their diet. Another important partner was MN CEE (MN Clean Energy and Environment) with knowledgeable staff to work with businesses to add energy efficiency and become LEED buildings.
Bill was a major contributor to the Prairie Island negotiation which helped advance renewable energy options in MN. He secured $300,000 to fight the building of the Big Stone II coal power plants and supported litigation to prevent importation of energy into MN from coal plant sources. He secured approval from the National IWLA office to accomplish this.
He enlisted the help of Ikes to testify at hearings and fight proposed coal plants in their communities. He helped chapters like Bush Lake Ikes to draft resolutions to build IWLA renewable energy policy and provide a basis for his work on the State and National levels."
4) Bush Lake Commitment to Conservation Award- Given to an individual or organization inside or outside the organization that has contributed to restoration, habitat, and conservation in Minnesota.
Brad Pierson is a waterfowl expert, especially, a wood duck expert. He was a huge help to the Chapter when we decided to install 17 wood duck houses on Normandale Lake- replacing houses that were supposed to be there but were lost to neglect many years ago. Brad found the wood duck house kits for us, and Brad and several of us gathered together in this very spot, during peak Covid- masks outdoors and all- to put the houses together. There’s now a bunch of wood duck houses on Normandale Lake, providing nesting opportunity for wood ducks for years to come. Brad is also a major volunteer with the Three Rivers Park District. He has updated and installed hundreds of wood duck boxes while following the latest box design and management protocols. Since 2013, he has been the primary volunteer responsible for the installation, maintenance and reporting of wood duck boxes in the Park District. It is one thing to just put up a bird house- it is another thing- a conservation thing- to monitor and maintain a bird house for success. For example, in 1968 Three Rivers reported that of the 60 wood duck boxes that had been placed in the parks, only five of them were successful- an 8% success rate. Thanks to the efforts of Brad and other volunteers, this has turned around. In a recent year- they checked 115 boxes. Seventy-six boxes were successfully used – a 66% success rate. This is a great improvement over the 8% success rate in 1968. We want to thank Brad for his commitment to conservation and the great work he has done for wood ducks and other birds through the years. Brad couldn’t be with us today; he is on a fishing trip in Canada- but you can honor his great work by purchasing a Duck Stamp which provides funding for waterfowl habitat- or get involved with our wood duck house monitoring program.
5) Youth Conservation Award- Awarded to youth for their outstanding contributions to the Chapter, conservation, or the environment.
2 Awards
The Kennedy RoboSharks solar boat regatta team designed, purchased, configured, and raced a solar powered boat that won 3rd place in the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society’s 30th annual solar boat regatta at Riley Lake on May 21st 2022…. One of the coldest May days on record.
The team members include Halima Girled, Amber Balczewski, Zhoujinyi Wen, and Emily Kwon. They competed against 9 other teams in a sprint, a slalom, and a 1-hour long endurance race. The girls took turns running the boat. What made it very impressive was that 3 of the 4 girls had never steered a boat before our test run on Bush Lake a couple nights before the competition.
All of these girls are veterans of the Kennedy Robotics Team, which consists of kids from both Kennedy and Jefferson. They finished 13th in the state robotics competition in 2022. The solar boat team advisors are Ron Balczewski, Paul Lindemann, Sharon Rauenhorst, Pdon Pinkham, and John Crampton.
Ron Balczewski was our real leader. He provided the 14 ft. Alumacraft boat and the electric motor. The Bush Lake Chapter provided the money to buy the solar panels, controller, and brackets designed to tilt and turn the solar panels directly at the sun.
In 2023, the Robosharks may again compete with the goals of build the boat from scratch and also integrating many robotic functions in these solar boats that these girls are so skilled at designing.
The Kennedy Green Club designed, dug, planted, and maintained a huge rain garden located in an area between the school back door and the Kennedy Activity Center. In this process they worked with the school administration and building and grounds staff. The design process went on throughout the winter and spring of 2022. The digging and planting of the rain garden took place on Saturdays May 7th and May 14th. It took place on some very hot days…. It involved over 50 students from both Kennedy and Jefferson working in 2-hour shifts.
The rain garden was funded by Nine Mile Creek Watershed District under the leadership of Gael Zembel. Other funding came from the Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter.
Bush Lake Chapter IWLA Awards 2021
1) Chapter Volunteer of the Year Award- for member with outstanding contributions to the chapter in 2021.
Nancy Carlson has been a member of our Chapter and on our Board of Directors for several years. She is a go-getter and can always be counted on to lend a hand and contribute to improving the Chapter. As our Youth Activity Director, Nancy has put together several fun educational programs for kids. During this pandemic time, with help from Paul Raymaker, she starred in the “Nature Drawing With Nancy” video series, where she demonstrated how to draw and conserve some of our most treasured wildlife species. She recently put together our Little Free Nature Library, which can be found in the lodge. She also helps with member canoe rack storage, a job nobody wants but Nancy does it with spirit. Nancy is also an accomplished and award-winning children’s book author and illustrator who has published more than 60 books. Nancy believes that life should be fun for everyone, but especially for children. This optimistic message permeates her books and her work here at the Chapter, and we are very lucky to have her. The Bush Lake Chapter thanks Nancy for her excellent work!
2) Gordy Bratsch Award- This award is named after our old neighbor, Gordy Bratsch, who was the “unofficial caretaker”- he was committed to keeping Bush Lake clean and the Chapter running smoothly. This award is given to a member that contributes to the chapter and the environment, year after year.
Gregg Thompson became caretaker here in the early 2000s. Gregg, along with John Crampton and Jill Crafton, found a conservation organization that was not so much a conservation organization as it was a private beach club. They worked together to turn the Chapter around and get us back to our conservation mission. As John Crampton says “Our chapter was mowing down to the water’s edge and many of us didn’t know the difference between garlic mustard and lady slippers.” Gregg quit mowing many areas to protect the water quality of Bush Lake and leave some more room for nature and wildlife. He started our restoration work by removing buckthorn and planting native plants. He worked to stabilize the shoreline that was eroding due to all the mowing. He started implementing water smart landscaping practices and taught others on how to do the same in their yards. Over the years, he’s educated hundreds of people on how to save water, money, time and actually help the environment with their home landscaping practices. He also does this great work at his day job with the City of Eagan, where he works to protect and restore the water resources there. Gregg also spearheaded our communication efforts with a new website and social media presence. Because of his work and the work of others, our Chapter has, by far, the best online presence of any IKE chapter in Minnesota. This has helped us attract members who really care about the environment. Gregg was also involved on the state level with the Minnesota Division, where he served as secretary and brought new ideas and new blood to the organization. He also helped Jill and others in getting the annual Watershed Summits at Normandale College off the ground in 2007. Gregg’s work continues today serving on our Board and as Membership Director, Website Administrator, and helps manage the canoe racks. We thank Gregg for all his efforts in bringing our organization into the 21st century, and for his commitment to conservation these many years. We would also like to thank his wife Rachael and children, Addie and Luca, for all of the support they give Gregg.
3) Public Good Award- Award given to non-profit, city or public staff or elected officials for their outstanding contributions to water quality, conservation, and the environment.
The City of Bloomington Water Resources Department works to protect and improve Bloomington’s surface waters- the Minnesota River, Nine Mile Creek, and our many lakes, ponds, and wetlands. They work collaboratively with Watershed Districts, residents, and others to ensure water and the many ecosystems it supports stay healthy. In recent years, the Water Resources Department has collaborated with the Bush Lake Chapter on a number of projects, including the installation of wood duck houses on Normandale Lake. The Department also replaced the outlet structure that connects East Bay Pond to Bush Lake with the installation of a beaver-proof structure. This project protects Bush Lake’s water quality and allows beavers to inhabit the area. The Department also implemented water quality best management practices in West Bush Lake Park to further protect the lake. They also provide funding to maintain native vegetation around Bush Lake, and we are excited they are now planning to manage the invasive cattail around the lake- a win for wildlife, water quality, and recreation. All of this, in addition to the many water quality projects and initiatives the Department is working on throughout Bloomington, makes the Department deserving of this Award. The Bush Lake Chapter would like to thank the Water Resources Department staff- Bryan Gruidl, Steve Gurney, Jack Distel, Dave Gunderson, and Derek Cable- for all their great work!
4) Bush Lake Commitment to Conservation Award- Given to an individual or organization inside or outside the organization that has contributed to restoration, habitat, and conservation in Minnesota.
Carrol Henderson served as the Minnesota Nongame Wildlife Program supervisor from 1977 to 2018 when he retired. The work he has done for wildlife in our state and beyond is too extensive to list here today, but here are some highlights. He launched the “Loon Checkoff”- the nongame wildlife checkoff on Minnesota tax forms. Since 1981, state taxpayers have contributed more than $30 million to support projects to benefit native nongame species, such as songbirds and butterflies, frogs and toads, minnows and mussels, snakes and turtles, loons and ospreys. He helped many other states start non-game wildlife programs, and also helped them with endangered and threatened species. Here in Minnesota, when you hear the loud honk of a trumpeter swan, see a peregrine falcon or bald eagle fly overhead, or see river otters frolicking in the Minnesota River, you can thank Carrol for the work he did to reestablish these once endangered species. He also worked to reestablish common loons, bluebirds, blue herons, egrets, sandhill cranes, purple martins, frogs, turtles, bats, ospreys, snakes, and many other species. He also facilitated the acquisition of thousands of acres of land for wildlife and outdoor recreation. Carrol has authored 13 books and donated the proceeds to the non-game program. His work and his books Woodworking for Wildlife and Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality have inspired all of the work we have done here at the Bush Lake Chapter.
Carrol’s work continues today advocating as a private citizen for wildlife, including working to Get the Lead Out of hunting and fishing and leading bird trips around the world.
Carrol will be our featured speaker at our Get the Lead Out virtual program on October 6th, 2021, we hope that you can join us. The Bush Lake Chapter would like to thank Carrol for his commitment to conservation and for all his is outstanding work!
5) Youth Conservation Award- Awarded to youth for their outstanding contributions to the Chapter, conservation, or the environment.
The Bloomington Jefferson High School Earth Corps, founded in 2019, is a student-led environmental club. The primary goal of Earth Corps is to take meaningful actions to raise climate awareness, reduce solid waste, and encourage members of the school and city to live more sustainably. This year, during the pandemic, the Earth Corps went through many trials and tribulations and spent hundreds of hours to successfully install the Unity Garden on the grounds of Jefferson High School. This beautiful native plant garden was installed in a sea of turfgrass, and now provides habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, improves water quality, and serves as an outdoor classroom and a place for peace and reflection, to be enjoyed by the entire community. In just a couple of years, the Earth Corps has also worked to improve composting and recycling at the school, and to reduce waste. They have been active in advocating for real solutions to climate change by meeting with legislators and attending climate action events. Perhaps most importantly, they have worked to engage the student body and the community on environmental issues and getting students outdoors in nature. Special recognition goes to Maya Hidalgo, Yan Yan Zeng, Katrina Moberg for their work on the Unity Garden, as well as this year’s leaders, Kelsey Bechtold, Amal Mohamed, Micah Draxler, and Megan Zeng. Additionally, we must thank their advisor, our very own Elizabeth Erdmann. The Bush Lake Chapter would like to thank the Earth Corps for their dedication and commitment to improving our shared Earth. Keep fighting the good fight!
Chapter Awards 2020
1) Chapter Volunteer of the Year Award- for member with outstanding contributions to the chapter in 2020.
Duayne Wincell, with help from his wife Cindy, spent numerous hours repairing the Chapter’s informational kiosks by constructing new roofs for them. He donated all his time, materials, labor, and travel costs. This was a significant donation and contribution by Duayne and Cindy. The kiosks look better than ever, and Duayne plans to continue improving them. Duayne and Cindy are long time members of the Chapter, and frequently attend our events and support the Chapter. In the past, Duayne made some pollinator houses for the Chapter and has helped with other Chapter improvement and activities, such as the canoe race. He is also the undefeated (in modern times) Annual Canoe Race champion. Due to Covid, we are not having the canoe race this year- so we are happy to give Duayne this award instead! Thank you Duayne for all of your great work, and Cindy, for your support.
2) Gordy Bratsch Award- named after our old neighbor Gordy Bratsch that was the unofficial caretaker- he was committed to keeping Bush Lake clean- this award is given to a member that contributes to the chapter and the environment, year after year.
John Crampton has been involved with the Bush Lake Chapter for many years. He, Jill, and Gregg were part of the “new guard” that came to the Chapter some 20 years ago to find a board of directors that didn’t recite the pledge/our commitment to conservation “because they didn’t believe in it.” Through John’s determination and leadership, the Bush Lake Chapter became a conservation organization again.
John has advanced our conservation mission in many ways. In recent years, his focus has been on climate change, and he came up with the Clean Energy Grant for the Minnesota Division Izaak Walton League that is used by Chapters to implement practices that help combat climate change. He has been an integral part of our Annual Watershed Summit and helps with planning and videography. In 2019 he and Jill Crafton put together the Watershed & Climate Summit, which brought together people from around the state and beyond to discuss protecting our water resources while also combatting climate change. John is also active with environmental advocacy at his church, Oak Grove Presbyterian, creating environmental programs and implementing green infrastructure such as solar panels and raingardens. Thanks to John, the Church has hosted several Izaak Walton League events and a semi-annual Electric Vehicle Expos.
John is always quick to volunteer and help the Chapter and our cause. He comes to most of our volunteer events, and last year he put on our first KidsWind event- which brough kids out to the Chapter to build mini-wind turbines and taught them all about renewable energy. The current board considers John as an “honorary board member” as he attends many of our long meetings and helps to remind of us our mission and what is at stake. John is also good at spreading our environmental message to the public that he does with both passion and a sense of humor. He has a “fire in the belly” that is contagious with all that interact with him. John has served as both Chapter president as well as Division president. We thank John for his commitment to the Izaak Walton League and our environment. We would also like to thank John’s wife, Mary, for all the support she provides John to allow him to do these things- and for keeping him from going off the rails!
Paul Raymaker Thanks to Nancy Carlson, Paul and his family joined the Chapter a few years ago. Also, thanks to Nancy, Paul soon joined our board of directors and has been an integral part of our Chapter ever since! Paul is our official chapter photographer- his incredible images have allowed us to spread our conservation message more effectively on social media and beyond. He runs our Instagram page that is full of awesome content about nature and why it is important to protect. Along with Nancy, Paul plans and manages most of our youth programming, and getting kids outdoors in nature is more important than ever. Paul also put together an excellent virtual Chapter orientation video that we will be unveiling soon. He attends most Chapter events and is not afraid of getting his hands dirty. A busy husband and father of two boys- Paul is always quick to lend a hand and has been a tremendous help to Paul Erdmann the caretaker, and the Chapter in recent years. We thank Paul for his dedication and all his great work! We of course also thank his wife Jackie, and sons Wesley and Waylon for all the support they give Paul!
3) Public Good Award- Award given to non-profit, city or public staff for their contributions to water quality, conservation, and/or the environment.
Patty Acomb represents Minnetonka, Plymouth, and Woodland in the Minnesota House of Representative. She is the leader of the Minnesota House Climate Action Caucus which has 59 members. As chair she has led the drive to pass 100% Clean Energy in Minnesota by 2050 mandate along with other clean energy transportation, renewable energy, carbon sequestration, and public health initiatives in the 2020 and now the 2021 Minnesota House of Representatives. Patty has served on the Park Board and City Council of Minnetonka as a staunch advocate for sustainable land and water conservation practices. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in natural resources. Patty presented at our Watershed and Climate Summit back in March. We thank Patty for her contributions to conservation and the great state of Minnesota!
4) Bush Lake Commitment to Conservation Award- Given to an individual or organization inside or outside the organization that has contributed to restoration, habitat, and conservation in Minnesota.
Lisa McEntire is a one-woman army, defending Tierney’s Woods, Hyland Park, and other Bloomington parks and open spaces from alien invaders. Each year, Lisa spends countless hours pulling and managing garlic mustard, narrow leaf bittercress, and other invasive plants to ensure they do not take over our most important wildlife habitat areas. She also reports new invasions of invasive plants, so the proper authorities are aware. She also educates the public on invasive species issues and collaborates with others to protect our natural areas. She monitors bluebird houses and helps wildlife and our natural world in numerous other ways. We thank Lisa for all her great work!
5) Youth Conservation Award- awarded to youth under the age of 21 for their outstanding contribution to the Chapter, conservation, or the environment.
Yanyan (Xiaoxin Zeng) (pronounced “Yan Yan Zeng”) is a co-founder and president of the newly re-envisioned Jefferson High School Earth Corps. This was once called HOPE (Help Our Planet Earth) Club, but the group said it is too late for hope--that people need to actually get to work. Yanyan is not afraid to do the work. She has continued to serve on the City of Bloomington Sustainability Commission, focusing on climate, getting youth involved, and asking the hard questions. Yanyan's interest in the environment is thoughtful and passionate. She spends her time fighting for climate justice and social justice, behind the screen of her computer or with boots on the ground, even in a pandemic. She practices what she preaches in her diet and daily routines. She was recently recognized as an Earth Action Hero and featured in a City video. She continues this work as she plans for college and her future. She wants her future to be healthy and happy, and she is not going to wait for someone else to make the world a better place. She is going to change the world for herself.
Bush Lake Chapter IWLA Awards 2019
Chapter Volunteer of the Year Award- for member with outstanding contributions to the chapter in 2019.
1- Paul Cress- Paul has been a member for several years and has been a huge asset to the Chapter. He built the paddleboard rack several years ago and always turns out for volunteer events and takes on special projects. He almost single-handedly prepped the South Woodland Restoration in 2019- as others have said “He’s a beast!” He’s been an integral member of the Dock Team as well as the Beaver Dam Team! His attitude, skills, and demeanor are exemplary, and we thank him for all of his great work!
2- Bush Lake Board of Directors- for their outstanding contributions and volunteering the last several years. Special recognition should go to: Paul Raymaker (photos, signs, Kids Crafts, Instagram- Check It Out!), Nancy Carlson (Canoes, Kids Crafts, Graphic Design), Rafael Bustos (signs and lodge/grounds help), Gregg Thompson (website, membership, Canoes, outlet, caretaker assistance/therapy and more), Louise Segreto (newsletter articles, history research, advocacy), Jill Crafton (treasurer, advocacy, watershed summit), Doug Claycomb (AIS monitoring, advocacy, education) Rick Wheeler (leadership, calming the ship, Chapter work), Tim Olish (Neighborhood Watch) and Paul Erdmann (misc).
Gordy Bratsch Award- named after our old neighbor Gordy Bratsch that was the unofficial caretaker- he was committed to keeping Bush Lake clean- this award is given to a member that contributes to the chapter and the environment, year after year.
Marilynn and Tom Torkelson. They have been members of the Chapter for a few years and are always willing to help. Marilynn has been active with our Plant Posse, this summer she helped out in the South Woodland Restoration, single-handedly removing a patch of non-native/invasive lily of the valley. Marilynn is the President of the Wild Ones Prairie Edge Chapter in the west Metro. Wild Ones works to educate others on native plant landscapes and gardening. Marilynn and Tom have a beautiful yard in Eden Prairie that is almost entirely (if not entirely) native plants that also features rain gardens to improve water quality. They frequently hold tours to educate others on how they can implement environmental practices in their own yards. They are active in their community, advocating for conservation. Marilynn is also a Master Water Steward who works to improve water quality in her community. She is also on the Citizens Advisory Committee at the Riley Purgatory Creek Watershed District, where she has been working on a restoration project at the Scenic Heights Elementary School, involving students and community members in this process. Tom, I'm sure, helps Marilynn with all of this stuff and provides great support! There are also probably quite a few other great things that they do that we don’t know about. Please thank them for being great Defenders and all they do for conservation!
Public Good Award- Award given to non-profit, city or public staff for their contributions to water quality, conservation, and/or the environment.
Three Rivers Park District Natural Resource Staff and Richardson Nature Center Staff who are involved with restoration activities and prairie maintenance at Hyland Park/Richardson Nature Center as well as environmental education in our community. Our Chapter caretakers frequently hike and bike in the park (as a nice get away from work at the Chapter) and are always excited and inspired by the beauty and diversity of the prairie and other lands in the park. They have been especially impressed with and happy to see lots of work being done in the woodlands and with buckthorn removal in recent years. Other Chapter members enjoy Hyland and the Nature Center as well. The Bush Lake Chapter is fortunate to have this wonderful oasis of habitat not far from the Chapter, as it acts as anchor and conservation corridor for wildlife and helps to protect water quality. Additionally, Nature Center staff provide excellent nature and natural resources education to our community year-round, another very important asset for conservation! We thank them for all of their great work!
Bush Lake Commitment to Conservation Award- Given to an individual or organization inside or outside the organization that has contributed to restoration, habitat, and conservation in Minnesota.
Ron Erdmann He has played a huge role in restoring the Chapter property, from removing buckthorn and tree work and building and maintaining wildlife structures. For our Chapter’s wildlife he has built and donated bluebird houses, Great crested flycatcher houses, wren houses, bat houses, and even woodpecker bongos! In the summer he works for the MN DNR doing similar work at St. Croix State Park, and has worked throughout the state restoring the land, putting conservation in the ground, and creating wildlife habitat. He’s planted thousands of trees, shrubs, and native plants, and has killed just as many invasive plants. We often offer to pay him for his great work at the Chapter, but he always refuses and says that he is working for “Ike”- Izaak Walton. Ron has been an inspiration to his brother, Paul, our caretaker, and without Ron, Paul would probably be an accountant or shoveling coal somewhere, and not our caretaker. Let’s all thank Ron for his great contributions to the Chapter and to conservation!
Youth Conservation Award- awarded to youth under the age of 21 for their outstanding contribution to the Chapter, conservation or the environment.
Sam Hodges, whose family belongs to the Chapter, who repaired and renovated the Chapter playground for this Boy Scout Eagle Scout Project. He has been a good communicator and took the initiative to approach the board and propose the idea. This project was really, really needed. He and his crew have did an excellent job on the playground in a very expedient fashion. We thank Sam for his contributions and hope that he remembers the Chapter and conservation in his future plans. Thank you, Sam!
Claire Carlson- Claire is a recent Jefferson High School graduate. She served on the Bloomington Sustainability Commission and recently worked to revive Jefferson's Environmental Club. She came to our planting day and brought friends with! She worked on recycling and solid waste issues at both the Commission and at Jefferson, making some cool videos that teach people the importance of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repurpose. She is a good communicator and has a contagious passion that makes others want to get involved in environmental issues. It’s encouraging to know that there are young people that are working to protect our planet and all of its creatures. Let’s thank Claire for her great work!
Bush Lake Chapter IWLA Awards 2018
1) Chapter Volunteer of the Year Award- for member with outstanding contributions to the chapter in 2018.
Rafael Bustos- he is a new member, but was quick to offer a hand and work on tasks around the chapter.
Worked on bathouses- woodpeckers had pecked holes in all of them, he put aluminum sheeting on all of them.
This is good because Paul and Liz counted 30 bats come out of 1 bathouse this year!
(DOCK STORY)- Paul
He’s more than happy to help any time we ask. Members that are always willing to help and spring into action is exactly what we need!
2) Gordy Bratsch Award- named after our old neighbor Gordy Bratsch that was the unofficial caretaker- he was committed to keeping Bush Lake clean- this award is given to a member that contributes to the chapter and the environment, year after year.
Louise Segreto- Kick started our fundraising campaign, serves as delegate to the State Division, serves as State Director alternate, is our Chapter historian, has written many great articles for our blog/newsletter, serves as our Wilderness advocate- has been working on the Utah Red Rocks Wilderness issue, and has put together a great Ikes Green Reads Book Club.
Donated the historic sign.
Jill Crafton- Jill Crafton is the treasurer of the Minnesota Division-Izaak Walton and Bush Lake Izaak Walton in which she has served for 15 years....hundreds and hundreds of hours every year.
She is a National Director in the National Izaak Walton League. She served on the Executive Board E-Board of National for several years. And she is a leader in the "progressive" wing of the IKES (the people who actually believe in conservation) .
She is on the board of the UMRI Upper Mississippi River Initiative, funded by MN IKEs and McKnight Foundation.
She is the organizer and champion of the annual Izaak Walton Watershed Summit held every year at Normandale College, which attract the region's top ag water quality experts as presenters.
She serves on the boards of the Riley Purgatory Watershed District in W. Bloomington and Eden Prairie, and BWSR, Minnesota Bureau of Water and Soil Resources, a state agency that has done much to protect Minnesota's waters.
Jill is on the board of the Great Lakes Committee which is fighting against the introduction of invasive species into the Great Lakes.
She also serves on the board of Green Step Cities, a coalition of over 130 Minnesota cities that are pledged to becoming more sustainable. She is also in the leadership of the Minnesota Division Energy and Climate Committee.
Jill has a beautiful prairie in her front yard, and is working on restoring her backyard to provide habitat for birds, pollinators and other wildlife. She has solar panels on the roof of her house, and drives a Prius. She walks the talk and leads by example.
From John Crampton- Above all, she is a warm and loving grandmother of beautiful grandkids in Michigan, the oldest of which she took to Camp Izaak Walton at Deep Portage a year ago. And Jill is a dear friend of mine and has been since we urged the Bush Lake board to say the Izaak Walton pledge at the meeting many years ago..... When they refused, we got rid of them. And Jill went on to replace them all by her work ethic and tremendous passion for protecting our earth.
3) Public Good Award- Award given to city or public staff for their contributions to water quality, conservation, and/or the environment.
Bloomington Sustainability Commission- (being accepted by Steve Flagg who is on the commission and is a member of our chapter) this is a new commission for the City of Bloomington that has made great strides within the city on sustainability issues (Energy, Solid Waste, Water Quality/Conservation, and Ecological Land Stewardship). Here’s a few of the commission’s initiatives it has worked on in less than 2 years-
Created the organics dropoff system- residents of Bloomington are able to drop off their organics at 3 sites across the city- this material is recycled into mulch instead of going to the landfill or being incinerated.
Created an Energy Action Plan- this is a plan that works to reduce energy consumption across the City and reduce our carbon emissions
Working on Water Conservation and Water Quality- the Commission is working to reduce water use across the City- because Bloomington’s water is too great to waste! They are also working to improve water quality in our lakes, creek, wetlands and ponds.
Working on restoring the MN River Valley and other parks and open spaces within the City.
The Bush Lake Chapter would like to thank the Bloomington Sustainability Commission for all of their great work!
Commission Members:
Mary Hurliman- City Staff Liaison
Rob Bouta, Claire Carlson, Paul Erdmann, Steve Flagg, John Jaimez, Dwayne Lowmann, Bob Reid, Tim Sandry, Joe Strommen, and Deanna White.
4) Bush Lake Commitment to Conservation Award- Given to an individual or organization inside or outside the organization that has contributed to restoration, habitat, and conservation in Minnesota.
Heather and Brent Holm- Heather is an author and educator that has educated hundreds across the country on native pollinator decline and conservation. Her two books have won awards and are revered by both experts and newbies alike. She leads our pollinator field days and has helped us with our pollinator habitat restoration. She has identified several unique pollinator species that live at our chapter. She is one of the founding members of Wild Ones, Prairie Edge chapter, which is a native plant landscaping advocacy group in the West Metro. Heather of course couldn’t do all of this great work without a great partner- Brent was just here for our planting event last weekend. Heather and Brent are members of our chapter and have helped us kill buckthorn and restore habitat. They also volunteer on their own time to restore forgotten City parks in Minnetonka- (story about big hill and other project). Over the last 10 years, Heather and Brent have restored their home landscape by removing invasive species and impervious surface and planting native plants and creating habitat for wildlife. We thank Heather and Brent for their Commitment to Conservation!
2017 Chapter Awards
1) Chapter Volunteer of the Year Award- for member with outstanding contributions to the chapter in 2017.
Esau Underhill, for his work on the lodge, commitment to the board, and other activities
2) Gordy Bratsch Award- given to a member that contributes to the chapter and the environment, year after year.
Dick Duerre- Dick has turned out for many events, has worked on the lodge, and has worked on his own to protect the environment
3) Public Good Award- Award given to city or public staff for their contributions to water quality, conservation, and/or the environment.
Nine Mile Creek Watershed District- (Erica Sniegowski, Gael Zembal, Randy Anhorn)
4) Bush Lake Commitment to Conservation Award- Given to an individual or organization inside or outside the organization that has contributed to restoration, habitat, and conservation in Minnesota.
Bill Bartodziej- Bill is one of the leading restoration ecologists in the metro, has played a leading role in the Lake Phalen shoreline restoration and numerous other restoration and water quality improvement projects (and is a potential new member!)
5) Youth Conservation Award- awarded to youth for their outstanding contribution to conservation or the environment.
Camille Jones- Camille is one of the few young people that regularly turn out for volunteer events. She is on the Environmental Club at Jefferson High School
