History of the Lois Green-Sligo Chapter, IWLA

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	To strive for purity of water, the clarity of air, and the wise stewardship of the land and its resources; to know the beauty and understanding of nature, and the value of wildlife, woodlands and open space; to the preservation of this heritage and to man's sharing in it, I pledge myself as a member of the Izaak Walton League of America.

The charter members of the Lois Green Chapter Chartered in 1949 as a women’s chapter, the membership of the Sligo Chapter, as it was originally known, was made up primarily of the wives of members of the Wildlife Achievement Chapter, which was then located in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The Sligo Chapter was one of several chapters that made public efforts to eliminate litter along the Patomac River. The ladies of the chapter quickly adopted fighting litter and the education and involvement of children in conservation matters as their top priorities. but they were actively involved in a wide array of concerns and activities, such as joining in the successful fight to prevent road construction along the C&O canal and hosting fishing trips for disabled veterans.

In July of 1973 the chapter was given a generous donation of 63.5 acres of beautiful rolling countryside in rural Gaithersburg, Maryland by Mrs. Lois Green, a conservationist in her own right. In appreciation of this wonderful gift the Chapter members voted to change its name to the Lois Green-Sligo Chapter. Shortly after that, the Chapter voted to welcome men, now mostly the members’ husbands, into their ranks.

In 1980 the property grounds were dedicated as the Malcolm E. King Conservation Park, in recognition of “Mac” King, who’s untiring efforts were responsible for securing the donation of the Lois Green property. Mac’s continued dedication as a conservationist led to many improvements of the property, which transformed the land into a laboratory of methods of land conservation. Soil stabilization, water controls, tree planting and the construction of a one acre pond all contributed to the health and vitality of the land and resident wildlife, while acting as a showcase of conservation methods to other organizations, agencies, and private landowners.

The pond was dug in 1980. Chapter members have always been involved in a variety of conservation efforts. In the early 70’s the Chapter assisted Mac King, then the Executive Secretary of the Maryland State Division of the Izaak Walton League, in establishing and implementing the “Save Our Streams, Adopt One” program. This endeavor has since grown into a nation-wide effort to reclaim our streams, and to keep our waterways ecologically healthy.

In recent years the Chapter has focused on a variety of local conservation efforts, including participation in the “Adopt a Road” program along Airpark Road in Gaithersburg, and a long standing aluminum recycling drive, the proceeds of which went to the purchase of nesting boxes for owls, bats and bluebirds. Currently Chapter members are engaging the public in an effort to conserve water by harvesting rain water.

Today, the majority of the Chapter’s efforts go to maintaining the wildlife oasis and conservation park that our property has become, ensuring that the original landscape and habitat of our corner of Montgomery County will never completely disappear.

Several Chapter members plant grasses on a dirt bank.
Early members plant vegetation to shore up a bank after new construction at the Chevy Chase School.

Chapter members and children exhibit their birdhouses.
Some of the entries in a 1953 bird house building competition.

1960 IWLA/Boy Scout anti-litter badge.
Similar ideals led to endeavors with the Boy Scouts, as exhibited by this 1960 badge.

Program from the 1964 National Convention.
The annual National Convention is always attended by Chapter members, as was the 1964 convention in Davenport, Iowa.