Let's Get Hiking - and Learning!

Spring and summer hold a number of opportunities to learn while we hike. Programs abound. 

I find these expert-led hikes and field trips especially helpful in my work as a MN Master Naturalist volunteer. In order to maintain my certification, I need 10 training hours per year. It's a snap to get these hours through the many opportunities near and far. 

State parks, nature conservancies, nature and environmental centers, regional outdoor preservation and enhancement organizations and local municipalities all sponsor guided hikes that can become a rich source of learning for us.

On the Chippewa River looking for mussels, 
Natural Resources Foundation of WI 2022 field trip
Image - Marge Loch-Wouters

One of my favorite kinds of learning trips is field trips. The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin sponsors over 260 field trips from April through November around WI. They can be hikes, paddles, drives, hands-on  - no matter what, they are hands-on learning from local experts.

I recently went on one of their wildflower hikes along the Chippewa River Ice Age Trail segment. It was fascinating to see the difference in blooming wildflowers between the Driftless and Drifted areas. Last year, I went on a mussel finding/ID hike IN the Chippewa river. On Friday I will be hiking up a steep bluff at Rush Creek to explore/learn about the unique prairie environment atop that bluff with this group. There is still room in many of their field trips so check them out!

Wildflower learning on the Chippewa River segment of Ice Age Trail
 Natural Resources Foundation of WI 2023 field trip
Image - Lavon Court

Here are just a few upcoming things happening around the Driftless area that may pique your interest.

CITY OF LA CRESCENT NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY GROUP (MN)

Migratory Bird Banding Demonstration, Saturday, May 20, 7-10:00 am  Vetsch Park

A celebration will be held at Vetsch Park, 722 N. 2th St with a song bird banding demonstration by biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The event is open to all ages. Co-sponsors include the City of La Crescent’s Natural Resource Advisory Group and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biologists’ Banding Demonstration Team. In the event of rain, the event will be canceled with no rain date.

FRONTENAC STATE PARK (MN)

Walk with a Naturalist. Saturday, May 27, 10-11 a.m. 
A walk to open your eyes to wonders. Interpretive naturalist Bruce Ause, who for 30 years was director of the Environmental Learning Center in Red Wing, will lead the first of this year’s weekly nature walks in a high-prairie area of the park. Meet at the new restroom/shower building.

Sand Point Bird Walk. Saturday, May 27, 8 a.m. 
Meet at the Sand Point Parking Lot at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Walk through the riparian forest and along the beach to Sand Point. Hope to see spring migrating warblers as well as resident birds of the forest, waterfowl, terns, gulls, and shorebirds. Bring binoculars. The trail is well maintained and flat. It can be muddy following rain. The full loop is approximately 2 miles long. When birding, this can take 2-4 hours depending upon how many birds we are seeing, but you can leave whenever you would like. No need to register but if you have any questions, email janetmalotky@gmail.com.

--from the Frontenac State Park Association newsletter. You can subscribe, unsubscribe, or view this email online.

WHITEWATER STATE PARK (MN)

Guided Forest Bathing Walk, Sunday May 28, 1-3:00pm

Join park naturalist and certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide, Sara Holger, for our monthly forest bathing walk at Whitewater State Park. These gentle walks incorporate mindfulness activities and meet standards for the Walk with Ease program of the Arthritis Foundation. To sign up, email sara.holger@state.mn.us or call 507-312-2301.

Live Peregrine Falcon, Sunday, May 28, 6-7:00pm 

The Peregrine falcon has made a remarkable recovery. Jackie Fallon, with the Midwest Peregrine Society, will present this program, with a live Peregrine falcon, to help us understand the past, present and future of Peregrine falcons in Whitewater and the Midwest. Meet at the Whitewater Valley Visitor Center.

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CONSERVANCY (WI)

Wildflowers Wonder Walk, Sat, June 10,  10:00 am - noon, Borah Creek Prairie SNA

A rare glimpse of the rolling grassland and wildflowers that once carpeted much of this area can be seen on a free guided hike offered to the public by Mississippi Valley Conservancy(MVC) and The Prairie Enthusiasts. Gary Eldred, a founder of The Prairie Enthusiasts, and Chris Kirkpatrick of MVC will identify native grasses and flowers and show where prairie restoration efforts have created more habitat for pollinators such as butterflies and bees.

WILDCAT MOUNTAIN STATE PARK (WI)

Raptors Program,  Saturday June 17, 7-8:00pm 

Join Abbey Krumrie from River Valley Raptors for an interactive program about raptors. Meet some live raptors and learn about the differences between their adaptations. Please, no pets, because they may scare the raptors. This event is sponsored by Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park. Vehicle admission is required. Location: Amphitheater

Be sure to check local listings for your area preserves, reserves, parks and see what you can learn on the trail! And check out July-August 2023 field trips and programs here.