Ames community remembers Erwin Klaas, who helped create Ada Hayden, outlaw DDT

Central Iowa is mourning the loss of a beloved community leader whose conservation efforts left a lasting mark on the city of Ames.

Erwin “Erv” Klaas, 88, a former professor emeritus of animal ecology at Iowa State University, founder of Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park and a one-time Story County Citizen of the Year, passed away on Saturday, July 6, 2024.

Klaas's passion for the environment, combined with a dedication for civic duty, helped power Ames into the future.

He was president of Friends of Ada Hayden from 2010 until 2018 and served on the board of Prairie Rivers of Iowa, a conservation nonprofit in Ames.

Jim Pease, current president of Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park, said Klaas was the "model of an involved citizen."

"He believed if you were going to be a citizen, you couldn't just sit back and moan and groan like a lot of us do," Pease said. "If you want change, you have to help make it, and that's what led his passion to become such an active participant and important part of the community."

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Klaas never hid his love for nature

Dan Haug remembers Klaas leading a driving tour of the Ioway Creek Watershed shortly after he joined the Prairie Rivers of Iowa Board of Directors in 2017.

Haug was impressed with how much Klaas knew and his general enthusiasm about the land.

"I remember him having such a deep knowledge of the land, pointing out the good things that farmers were doing and bad things," Haug said. "At one point he had me pull over because he saw a flock of birds, and he got out his binoculars and identified a horned lark."

Klaas played a key role in getting Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, or DDT, outlawed in the 1970s. The synthetic insecticide caused suffering to bird populations like eagles and trumpeter swans and was banned outright.

Klaas was working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the time, researching the effects of DDT on birds. Haug said seeing the impact humans can have on wildlife and the rebound of bird populations after getting perilously low really supported Klaas' land ethic.

Klaas's love for nature, gathering knowledge and sharing it, rubbed off on others. A similar work ethic is common among members of Prairie Rivers of Iowa today, Haug said.

"I think that Erv's appreciation for people and his desire to make connections with the community, the way of working has become second nature to us," Haug said.

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Driving force of Ada Hayden city park

Klaas' might be best known for his role in establishing Ada Hayden Heritage Park on the north side of Ames, formerly known as Hallett's Quarry.

It's his most prominent community influence, Pease said.

"I think it's reasonable to say that the park probably wouldn't be there in its current, wild form if it wasn't for Erv," Pease said. "It really is a living legacy to him."

Klaas and his colleagues did the original vegetation surveys, discovering remnants of prairie and savanna communities in what had been an industrial gravel mining site for nearly 50 years. He also discovered Ada Hayden's family connection to part of the property and succeeded in getting the park named after the former ISU professor and conservationist.

A bond issue was eventually passed in 2001, enabling the city to purchase the land. Ames took ownership in 2002, and Ada Hayden opened two years later.

Klaas also created “Faces in the Stones," which honors Hayden and other important Iowa conservationists. Ames presented Klaas with a “Faces in the Stones” rock in 2020, and his stone can be found in the northwest corner of the park.

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Volunteer work honored with 2017 award

Klaas was named the 2017 Story County Citizen.

The award is given to a Story County resident who performs community citizenship above and beyond what is expected. Recipients' efforts will demonstrate their leadership by providing service to programs that positively affect the county and its citizens.

Klaas was a recipient of the Olav Smedal Conservation Award in 2000. The award was initiated in 1988 by the Ames Tribune to honor individuals involved in the conservation of natural resources. It is now sponsored by the Ames Chapter of the Izaak Walton League.

He was also recognized for his conservation efforts in 2001, fellow wildlife professionals in the Iowa Chapter of The Wildlife Society with his election to elected him to the Iowa Hall of Fame in the Iowa Chapter of The Wildlife Society. The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation awarded him the Hagie Award for service to conservation in 2008, and he also received the Haige Heritage Award in 2008.

Adored among ISU grad students

Klaas joined the U.S. Fish & Wildlife’s Co-op Unit at Iowa State University in 1975, where he served on the faculty in Animal Ecology. He was assistant leader of the Fish & Wildlife Unit from 1975 to 1992, and leader from 1992 until his retirement in 1999.

During those 25 years of mentoring the university's graduate students, Klaas built strong relationships with them, Pease said.

"His grad students loved him and worked with him in the field a lot because he was so giving of himself in every way," Pease said. "He was a great person to be around; that's why he was so popular among students."

Human nature leaves its mark

Pease remembers Klaas as a "terrific person" with a good sense of humor and willingness to put himself out there for others.

"He was very down to earth, giving and very open with his affections and his knowledge," Pease said. "He was easy to be around, and a great storyteller. When I visited him in Hospice, we reminisced about some great stories together that were great fun."

Haug also remembers Klaas as talker who liked being around people.

His kind nature is what really stood out to Haug. A significant memory he has of Klaas is when he ran into some difficulties with a project at Prairie Rivers of Iowa, and the board said his findings weren't ready yet.

"The next day (Klaas) gave me a call, encouraging me what I was doing was important and to try different things and stick with it," Haug said. "Just a kind word, that really makes a difference."

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Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Iowans mourn loss of Ada Hayden co-founder, Erv Klaas