Animal Trail: Spring Scavenger Hunt
Visit the Bush Lake Chapter table at this fun event!
Registration Required-Click for More Info 

Search for beautifully painted wooden animals hidden along the trails and keep track of what you find to earn tasty prizes. Enjoy signs of spring while learning about the amazing colors and patterns Minnesota animals use as camouflage. Play a life-sized board game, make a craft, explore a story stroll provided by Hennepin County Library and meet animal ambassadors, and learn about conservation with the Bush Lake Izaak Walton League. This program is mostly outdoors. Please plan to walk the trail close to your registered start time. Other activities can be done either before or after your hike time. Allow approximately one hour to participate in all activities. Trails are turf and woodchipped with moderate hills. Reservations required. Both adults and kids pay; includes beverages and snacks for all participants.

Celebrate Earth Day by cleaning up Bush Lake and area parks!
Volunteers needed to pick up litter in and around Bush Lake and clean up storm drains. Please arrive promptly before 10 am to participate.  

Open to the public. Registration is required. Children must be accompanied by an adult. 

ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST SIGN A WAIVER BEFORE PARTICIPATING. CHILDREN UNDER 18 MUST HAVE AN ADULT SIGN THE WAIVER. PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS NOT THE CHAPTER CLEAN UP. 

What to bring: Dress for the weather (rain or shine), sturdy shoes/mud boots, buckets, trash grabbers, snacks, water, sunblock, bug spray.  The Chapter will provide garbage bags and inspiration. We have some gloves, trash grabbers and buckets participants may use. 

Join us for the Less Garbage Celebration after the event for snacks, drinks, photos and our "Most Interesting Piece of Garbage" Contest. 

Interested Chapter members are encouraged to use/bring their canoes or kayaks to pick up trash from the shoreline. Please bring life jackets if you are interested in this task.

Please walk, carpool or ride bikes if you can, to help with parking. 

PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS NOT THE CHAPTER GROUNDS SPRING CLEAN UP, THAT WILL BE HELD ON MAY 10TH. 

If you need some inspiration, check out this video from our Earth Day Clean Up in 2023!

The Chapter address is 7515 Izaak Walton Road W, Bloomington, MN 55438. Click here for a map.

Please contact the caretakers if you have any questions. 

Celebrate migratory birds on World Migratory Bird Day by having a big day! Global Big Day is a yearly event put on by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where birdwatchers from all over the world team up to see how many different bird species they can spot in just one day. This year's spring event is May 10th, right about peak time for migration in Minnesota. Help us look for warblers, vireos, thrushes, sparrows, and much more!  Help us add to our list of bird species documented at the Bush Lake Chapter, currently at 84 species. 

The event is open to everyone regardless of your level of birding experience. Beginners are welcome. We will walk around Bush Lake and our chapter property, identifying bird species. Participants are also welcome to sit and identify birds!

Saturday, May 10th: meet at the Bush Lake Chapter Lodge at 7:30 am (sharp!) for instructions. Bird count begins around 8:00 am. Event will be held rain or shine. Come to bird, stay for the Chapter Clean Up at 10am. 

No Dogs Please - Dress For the Weather - Bring Binoculars - Camp chair - Sun Protection - Insect Repellent - Water - Snacks - Bird Books (if you have any) - Camera with good zoom - Photographers welcome! 

Chapter Spring Clean Up- New Member Orientation

Saturday, May 10th
Clean Up 10:00 am-Noon
New Member Orientation/Tour - 11:30am (start at Lodge)

Please Register if you can attend - it helps us to plan.

It's time once again to get the Chapter ready for summer! Meet some of your fellow members and enjoy the beautiful grounds. Things to do: Clean the lodge, split/move firewood, put out the dock, general clean up, weeding, raking and more. Please bring WHEELBARROWS and any tools that might be useful for those tasks. NO LEAFBLOWERS! Contact us with any questions @ bushlakeikes@gmail.com. 

New Member Orientation & Tour at 11:30am (starting at Lodge).  

Are you a new member that just joined in 2025? Did you join in recent years but never received an orientation? All new members are asked to attend orientation. Learn the "ins and outs" of the Chapter, what to do and what NOT to do. Orientation and tour will last about 1 hour.  "Old" members are welcome to join for the tour and orientation.