May 23, 2023: A Look Back...

 ...ten years ago looking northwest over the southwest wetlands and south lake to the bluff. The amount of vegetation has changed dramatically.  (Kevin Kane, 5/13/13)

July 5, 2022: Faces in the Stones

 

Jim Pease kicked off the Summer Programs at Ada Hayden Heritage Park series with “The Faces in the Stones of Ada Hayden” (Paul Domoto, 6/30/2022).

Feb 3, 2022: Twenty Years Ago: Open House at Halletts

 

Twenty years ago the Friends of Hallett's Quarry (the precursor to the Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park) held an open house at the quarry to educate Ames citizens to the benefits of having a large park on the property instead of a housing development as was originally planned.  In this photo, looking west over the isthmus between the two lakes and what will become the iconic bridge, visitors are welcomed before the tour in front of a large map of the proposed park.  (Kevin Kane, 10/21/2001)

August 29, 2020: The Rock of Ada Hayden Heritage Park - Erv Klaas

 

One week ago, on Saturday, August 22, 2020, the City of Ames and the Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park honored Erv Klaas with the dedication of the10th heritage stone at the park for his "contributions to conservation in Iowa," and his "efforts in getting the park established and his continued effort in renovating the park to its native habitat." Below are several links that help document Erv's leadership and legacy in establishing the jewel of the Ames park system.

City of Ames press release

 Photos of the dedication

Video of the dedication

Ames Tribune dedication article 

 History of Ada Hayden Park with Erv

A 2013 Interview with Erv at Ada Hayden Park

 

 

July 19, 2017: People of the Stones

Thirteen people attended Jim Pease's talk and walk on the "People of the Stones".  Due to heat and humidity we only visited 2 stones, but Jim provided information on 4 Iowa conservationists.  During the walk between the stones, Jim identified prairie plants, both native and invasive.  This photograph shows us by the John Madson rock. (Wolf. Oesterreich, 7/19/17)

August 13, 2014: AHHP History, 10/27/2000

Friends of Hallett's Quarry volunteers host an open house days before before the Nov. 6, 2001 referendum vote. This photo was taken on the northeast corner of the south lake looking southwest toward the water tower.  The gate in the background led to an ishmus between the two lakes (the lakes were not connected) to what is now the bridge.  10/27/2001 (Kevin Kane)

June 8, 2012: AHHP Hydrology

Bill Simpkins orients the audience to the immediate surroundings of the park, 6/7/12 (Kevin Kane)

Thursday's interpretive program on the hydrology of Ada Hayden Park drew about 25 people.  Bill Simpkins from Iowa State Universtiy talked about the history, current, and future water issues of the park, Ames, and the surrounding regions.

More photos here.

May 31, 2012: Invasive Plants Interpretive Walk Today

The red 2-story Page dragline was the most visible symbol at Hallett's sand and gravel extraction site. 1992 photo from Ames Historical Society.

It's not hard to see where so many invasive plant species may have come from at Ada Hayden Heritage Park after understanding the history of the site and how manipulated the landscape was during mining operations.  To understand more about the long history of the site we've come to know and love, see http://www.ameshistoricalsociety.org/exhibits/hallets/hallets1.htm at the Ames Historical Society site.

Feb 16, 2012: Ada Hayden: Prairie Preservationist Pioneer

This article originally appeared in INHF's Winter 2007 magazine.
http://www.inhf.org/ec22-ada-hayden.cfm

By Teresa Beer Larson
One hundred years ago, Ada Hayden was a botany student at what was then called Iowa State College (now Iowa State University). In addition to taking classes, Hayden was honing her passion for prairies and native plants—an interest that persisted throughout her career.
Described as both “eccentric” and “emotionally dedicated to the prairie effort,” this early Iowa conservationist’s legacy to future generations can be spotted in prairie preserves throughout the state—where graceful, tall native grasses bend in the wind and brilliant prairie flowers bloom.
See full article here.

Photo from:
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~herbarium/adapage.html

Feb 10, 2012: History

An early email from Erv informing the community of the opportunity at Hallett's Quarry, Nov 18, 1999.

Dredging equipment at Hallett's Quarry (Ames Historical Society)

As you may know,  the lake created on the abandoned Haletts Quarry on the north side of Ames is an important alternative water supply for the City of Ames during drought periods.  The water there is presently of relatively high quality.  A recent proposal to develop the land around the abandoned quarry raises questions about the effect of this development on water quality in the quarried lakes.  If surface water runoff from housing developments is allowed to enter the lake it could cause eutrophication and degradation of this important water supply.  In my opinion, this whole watershed should be protected by placing it in a city park and allow only uses that would protect and maintain the quality of the water entering this lake.   Stone Brooke and Bloomingtion Heights developments already are probably having some effect and the agricultural land to the west is being eyed by the developers. 

See the full document.

Jan 26, 2012: 40 years of change, 1970-2010

Dave James, local outdoorsman and map maker extraordinaire, produced this animated aerial photo of the changes in the lake boundaries at Ada Hayde Park over the past 40 years exclusively for Reflections:. The blue lines represent the outline of the lakes in 1970. Click on the map above to see the animation.

Jan 21, 2012: Pic of the Day

From the archive: Erv Klaas & Kay Berger address an Ada Hayden Park master planning meeting, Sept. 20, 2001, Ames Public Library - Kevin Kane

All pics from this meeting

Jan 14, 2012: Now and Then

   Left: Bing Maps & K. Kane 2010, Right: Ames Historical Society, 1992

After posting yesterday's 1992 photo of Hallett's Quarry, I was thinking about how the park had changed in the same over time.  So I went to Bing Maps to see if I could find a Birdseye photo of the same area.  After a little manipulating I came up with the photo above.  The four red lines in the image show how the same four spots looked in both 1992 and 2010.

Jan 13, 2012: Happy 10th Anniversary Ada Hayden Park

 We missed an anniversary that took place earlier this week.  It was January 8th, 2002 that the City of Ames took over Hallett's Quarry and the transformation to Ada Hayden Heritage Park began.  A lot has happened over those 10 years and we have a lot to be grateful for - our city has become a better place because of it.

Hallett's Quarry ca. 1992 (Ames Historical Society)

http://www.ameshistoricalsociety.org/exhibits/hallets/hallets1.htm