ICNC Guild’s 50th Anniversary

Published in the Autumn 1975 ICNC newsletter:

“The Nature Center Guild has been formed to aid the Nature Center through several fund-raising events each year. The Guild has 35+ members and hopes to have many more enthusiasts in the very near future. They will be sponsoring a fall event, the “Harvest Fest,” a nature art contest for children, a flea market and plant sale, and will be staffing and managing the gift counter at the Nature Center. One of the committees will be making nature crafts to be sold at the gift shop and is having craft sessions now. Newly-appointed officers of the Guild are Mary Erickson, President; Barbara Binhammer, Vice President; Carleen Grandon, Secretary; and Pat Swarzentruber, Treasurer.”

A History of The Guild’s Early Days by Nancy Lackner

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the formation of Indian Creek Nature Center’s Guild, now called Friends of the Nature Center. In honor of this milestone, we pay tribute to the Guild and its roots. 

Barb Perkinson (formerly Binhammer), who served as vice president in the Guild’s first year, recalls that ICNC’s first director, Curt Abdouch, said ICNC needed to establish a guild, because a similar auxiliary group worked well at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center, his previous employer. The ICNC Guild began with a “no dues” policy that continues today. All who were interested were invited to join. Barb shares, “Although the Guild was primarily ladies, we had wonderful support from male spouses, friends, etc. They – and sometimes even whole families – would come at the most challenging times and pitch in.” 

Thanks to longtime Guild and ICNC stalwart Gladys Bock (deceased), we have an early history of the Guild. Gladys wrote, “For many years over 100 people annually gave time and talents to raise money [for the Nature Center]. Camaraderie and a spirit of cooperation has made it possible for the group to be the largest single contributor to the Center for many years!”

The Guild’s first event was a Harvest Fest dinner, held in September 1975. Gladys shared, “Over 300 people were served a delicious meal featuring oven-pit roast beef and unusual vegetables and salads. The kitchen was almost non-existent. The electrical transformer had to be upgraded to accommodate the electric roasters and coffee makers. Much food preparation was done in the First Congregational Church kitchen. Bluegrass music set the festive mood.” She added, “You might say we promoted the Center through food!”

Among other initial Guild offerings were a nature art contest for children, and a flea market and plant sale. The early Guild also staffed and managed the gift shop, and one of its committees made nature crafts that were offered for sale in the shop. The next major event, held on two days in early December, was initially called WASSale, for “What A Special Sale,” and the fact that free, hot wassail was served at the event. But the Gazette objected to the word “Sale,” so the name was changed to “Wassail.” Beth Allsop (1981 Guild President) picks up the story: “Then a prominent Cedar Rapidian, who contributed, refused to (continue to) contribute if we served real wassail (with alcohol), so we changed the recipe to a fake (non-alcoholic) wassail and later named the event “Holiday Happenings,” and most recently “Nature’s Noel” (the name 1988 Guild President Sue Oglanian devised, which has stuck).

Besides Harvest Fest, other notable early events included Chuck Wagon Dinners. Beth recalls working with her husband, Bob, and Norma and Lumir Newmeister (all deceased) to host some of those events. “I think now how much work that was, but all who participated had a grand time even if we did have a person have an asthma attack on the trail.” Char Burton (1982 Guild President) and her husband Clarence also shared hosting duties for these dinners. They recall that for Chuck Wagon dinners, participants were given bandanas to wear for the occasion, and transported in a flat wagon along the Sac & Fox Trail to a grassy area for a picnic. Hay bales provided seating both in the wagon and at the picnic site.

Char remembers that after one of the Guild’s dinners, due to the lack of hot water and kitchen space in the barn, she and Beth bagged and transported used dishes and cutlery to Char’s house, Beth  dumped everything out on the Burtons’ front lawn, and they used a hose to “pre-wash” everything. Sturdier items then went in the dishwasher, and they retrieved what they could re-use. Char and Clarence, who were new to the neighborhood, well remember acquaintances honking while driving by, and interested neighbors emerging from their homes who wondered what was going on.

Water also features prominently in two memories shared by Beth and Barb. They may or may not have occurred during the same dinner. Beth recalls during a Harvest Fest, which took place behind ICNC’s barn, she waded through ankle-deep water (from rain the night before) between where the meat was being prepared and the tables she was serving. Barb remembers during one of the Guild’s dinners, the low section of Otis Road flooded, and it was a challenge for some to get home. It was appropriate, then, that the Guild’s first cookbook was named “God Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise.”  

Beth shared, “The [Guild] presidents I followed were wonderful, innovative and creative, and always supportive. The people that work [with] the ICNC Guild are great in a special way – loving nature, plants, flowers, and our present and future environment. These relationships made all of us grow in knowledge.” And this spirit continues to today, in the Friends of Indian Creek Nature Center.

The Friends of the Nature Center host two annual events at Indian Creek Nature Center. On the first Saturday in May they host the Spring Plant & Art Sale. On the first Saturday in December they host Nature’s Noel. The proceeds from both events are directed to support Indian Creek Nature Center’s environmental education programs and land restoration projects. In 2021 the Friends of the Nature Center were recognized for their philanthropic impact with the Benjamin Franklin Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Eastern Iowa Chapter.