The words of the League’s founders in 1922 could not be more clear: the Izaak Walton League of America will protect woods, waters and wildlife so future generations can experience the transformative powers of the great outdoors.
Those first members could not tolerate the idea that the loss of wild places or pollution would keep their children and grandchildren from discovering the great outdoors. So for more than a century, the League has hosted programs with meaningful stewardship and leadership opportunities that connect youth with nature. The League partners with many groups, including Scout units, 4-H and newer programs like the Green Crew, which connects Scouting America Venturing with Izaak Walton League chapters to tackle challenges like climate change, habitat restoration and water quality. The Green Crew was profiled in the New York Times in May, 2025, in a story titled, “Minnesota Teens Are Fighting Climate Anxiety with Shovels.”
The League’s volunteer science programs that focus on water monitoring, like Salt Watch and Save Our Streams, provide another way to engage youth. For instance, the program Creek Critters offers a way to understand stream health by discovering what type of aquatic life lives in local waterways.
The League’s local chapters typically offer a variety of ways to introduce youth to outdoor recreation, conservation, and the great outdoors. The Engaging Youth In The Outdoors Manual provides members with the resources that chapters need to strengthen their youth programs.
An annual youth convention is held in conjunction with the League’s national convention. It offers an array of outdoor and educational experiences designed to spark interest in conservation and love of the outdoors and is an opportunity to identity young conservation leaders.
Many chapters offer scholarships to college-bound high students who intend to study conservation or environmental majors. While National Conservation Scholarships recognize future natural resource conservation leaders and are available to support undergraduates from recognized conservation or environmental-related degree programs.
The Izaak Walton League, our chapters, and our members across the country strive to play a positive and meaningful role in reconnecting children and their families to the natural world.
Your kit will include a bottle containing 25 nitrate test strips which you can use to test your water source(s) throughout the year. You’ll also receive postcards explaining how to use your nitrate test strips and how to share your Nitrate Watch results on the Clean Water Hub.
Your kit will include four test strips so you can test your waterway throughout the season. You’ll also receive a chart to help you interpret your results and a postcard with instructions for completing a Salt Watch test and reporting your findings.