INHF 25th Anniversary Event #2
Clear Lake Earth Week

Celebrating Mother Earth doesn't last only one day in Clear Lake--it's a week-long festivity!

Event details

Clear Lake Earth Week has a little bit of something for the whole family. Thanks to a joint effort by local volunteers and businesses, the week is full of events.

Saturday, April 10
1- 3 pm: Artist reception and demonstration with Delores Frederick, Clear Lake watercolor artist at Clear Lake Arts Center. Purchase raffle tickets at Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, Clear Lake Arts Center, and Clear Lake Public Library for her watercolor of Miller Marsh (protected by private landowners with INHF assistance) on Clear Lake's South Shore. $1/ticket; 6 for $5. Proceeds go to the CLEAR project (Clear Lake Enhancement and Restoration), a watershed alliance organized with INHF assistance.

Friday, April 16th
7 pm: Mark Ackelson, INHF president, will open the program with a short talk on how Clear Lake protection efforts fit into "the big picture." Next Army Corps of Engineer, Carnie Knollenberg, will give an update on lake restoration project in the Community Room at City Hall. At 7:30 p.m., the event's keynote speaker, Charlie Wittmack (the first Iowan to climb Mt. Everest) will entertain audiences with his story and experiences.

Saturday, April 17th
8-11 am: 7th Annual Community Clean Up: Bags for the cleanup are available beginning at 8 a.m. in the city park. Call the Clear Lake Chamber office at 641-357-2159 for your site assignment or just show up.
9 am: 2nd Annual Earth Day 5K run begins in city park. Watch here for more details.
10 am - 1 pm: A community celebration in the city park offers prizes, free food and refreshments, crafts for children, informational displays in the Lakeside Room (behind band shell), and a climbing wall with slide activity (age 6-adult).
11 am: Brief program, lunch (including Niman Ranch Ham), and another chance to visit with adventurer Charlie Wittmack (keynote speaker on 4/16)
11:30 am: Everyone who participates in the 7th Annual Community Clean Up is eligible for a drawing to win a one-person Ocean Kayak "Frenzy" with accessories provided in cooperation with Wayne's Ski and Cycle. Note: You must be present to win!

Monday, April 19th
9:30 - 11:30 am: Clear Lake Arts Center will host an "Experiencing Watercolor" workshop for adults, which focuses on natural landscapes and is taught by Delores Frederich. Call (641) 357-1998 to register.
6:30 pm: The Clear Lake Public Library offers storytelling with an environmental theme for the whole family.

Tuesday, April 20th
7 pm: Osprey Reintroduction to Clear Lake program by Pat Schlarbaurn of the DNR in Lakeview Room (in city park behind band shell).

Wedneday, April 21st
9:30 - 11:30 am: Clear Lake Arts Center will host an "Experiencing Watercolor" workshop for adults, which focuses on natural landscapes and is taught by Delores Frederich. Call (641) 357-1998 to register.
12 noon: Roundtable at the Other Place on alternative fueled automobiles & alternative fuels.

Thursday, April 22nd
7- 8 pm: the Central Gardens of North Iowa will host a program called "The Utmost About Compost" in the Lakeview Community Room.

Friday, April 23rd
9:30 - 11:30 am: Clear Lake Arts Center will host an "Experiencing Watercolor" workshop for adults, which focuses on natural landscapes taught by Delores Frederich. Call (641) 357-1998 to register.
12 noon: Learn-n-Lunch program with Anita O' Gara, INHF vice president, at the Clear Lake Public Library. The program will center around INHF's experience with individuals who make a difference in protecting their land and wildlife and information about landowner's options. (Bring your own lunch, beverages provided.)

Saturday, April 24th - Arbor Day in Clear Lake!
9 am: Walk around the lake, beginning and ending at City Park.
10:30 am - noon: Short hike and program near prairie restoration project at Woodford-Ashland Lone Tree Point on Clear Lake's South Shore, one of INHF's most significant conservation easements.
12:30 pm: The Clear Lake Arts Center will give members of the whole family an opportunity to be creative with the "Natural Wonders" family art workshop. You can discover the art of Andy Goldsworthy and then create a sculpture using natural materials. There is a fee of $10. To register, please call (641)357-1998 or e-mail clac@netins.net.

The Clear Lake Earth Week was started by Clear Lake volunteers in 1997 as a way to help foster awareness and community involvement in enhancing and protecting the environment. This event's planning began with a small committee of volunteers, but it has grown to into a broad-based community project.

The mayor has challenged businesses to be involved in past years by agreeing to do such things as kiss a pig and jump in a pile of compost if enough businesses sign-up -- each year the challenges have been met.

The Clear Lake schools play their own role in earth week. Some teachers include environmental education in their curriculum, older students participate in cleanup activities and elementary students have an environmentally eductional skit.

The story behind this place
Clear Lake is Iowa's third largest natural lake and one of the state's most popular recreation lakes. It must remain attractive with good water quality so that future generations can enjoy it as much as previous generations have.

The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is one of the 21 coalition members of the CLEAR project (Clear Lake Enhancement and Restoration), which drives a variety of education and action projects to improve water quality in this 8,487-acre watershed. In 1996 INHF dedicated an intern to assist CLEAR communications, and we have advised or assisted fundraising for other CLEAR projects.

INHF is best noted for assisting permanent land protection and wetland restoration in the watershed. One of our most prominent projects is Woodford-Ashland Lone Tree Point Nature Area. The Connell family donated a conservation easement to INHF in 1992, permanently protecting 4,600 feet of natural shoreline from development and allowing limited public use. (The property remains in family ownership.) The easement further restricts any use of the property that would be detrimental to the natural features of the area. Further wetland restorations now underway at Lone Tree Point will benefit lake water quality even more.

INHF advised four families in 2003 as they purchased 110 acres at Miller Marsh. The families will protect the natural wetlands there and restore wetlands that had been drained--which will filter sediment and farm chemicals from water entering Clear Lake.

Partner Information
The Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce is organized for the purpose of promoting the success of its members and the Clear Lake area. The organization provides leadership and assistance in the areas of commercial development, tourism, quality of life enhancement, economic achievement and community development.

The Clear Lake Earth Week Committee is appointed by the Chamber and is in charge of planning the weeks events. The Committee's goals are to create awareness of the importance of environmental stewardship and provide opportunities for residents to participate in cleaning up and helping protect the environment.

The CLEAR Project (Clear Lake Enhancement and Restoration) is a community-led initiative to improve the water quality of Clear Lake. Currently it is working with researchers, local leaders, citizens and water quality experts to determine and implement the best restoration options for the lake.

Site Map
http://www.clearlakeiowa.com/html/comm.html

Driving Directions
Most of the activities will take place in Clear Lake City Park and its Lakeview Room in the bandshell. Take Interstate 35 to the northernmost exit of Clear Lake, drive west on Highway 18/218 a few miles to a traffic light and turn left on North 8th Street. At the intersection of 8th Street and Main Avenue, turn right onto Main Avenue and follow it to the lake. City Park will be on your right.

Visitor Info
Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
(800) 285-5338
www.clearlakeiowa.com
chamber@netins.net


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