Olav, Vivian and their two children, Karsten and Kären, lived at 1131 Northwestern Avenue in Ames.  Beginning in 1952, Olav exercised his considerable woodworking skills on a project to convert the attic of this home to livable space.  His remodeling effort was so successful it inspired others in Ames, including the knotty pine basement renovation done by fishing buddy, Con Wendell.

In the fall of 1947, Olav photographed the traditional wild rice harvest by the Chippewa Indians at Mud Lake, Ball Club, Minnesota.  Rice harvesting by a pair of Chippewa Indians is shown in the above photo.  One person propels a 13-foot flat-bottomed boat with a push pole.  The other bends the heads of grain over the edge of the boat, then lightly taps them with a 30-inch tapered stick to remove the grain.

As instructive and engaging as the series was in documenting the rice harvest, this portrait became the iconic image from the photo documentary.

As a founding father and charter member of the Ames Chapter of the Izaak Walton League, Olav was actively involved in a variety of projects for many years.  An ambitious undertaking of the Ikes was the annual Field Days beginning in 1952.  For this event, Olav created a souvenir program and solicited ads from local businesses.

On June 18, 1954, Olav joined the Iowa State Highway Commission, now the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT), and on December 1, 1957, he was named Information Director.  He retired from that position on May 29,1970, at age 65.

Throughout his outdoor-related career, Olav was a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers, the Izaak Walton League, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Iowa Wildlife Federation, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, and many similar organizations.  He frequently received recognition and awards from these groups for his informational and promotional efforts on their behalf.  He also was a member of the American Legion, the Iowa Historical Society, the Ames Historical Society, and Ascension Lutheran Church in Ames.

In recognition for his many long-term contributions in behalf of conservation on the local, state, and national levels, The Tribune established the Olav Smedal Conservation Award in 1988.  Presentations have been made annually, and Olav was able to participate in some of them until his death on November 27, 1993, at age 88.