Let's Get Hiking - and Learning! February 2024

What's on tap? It's time to get these outdoor learning adventures and indoor opportunities on the February calendar. So many choices - what could be better? 

Click on the titles or brown-colored links to find more detailed info.

Guided Tree Identification Walk     

Goose Island County Park (WI)

Friday February 2    1-2:30 pm

Join our very own forester Bruce Henry on a guided tree identification walk at the Goose Island Interpretive Trail, La Crosse County WI, the first event of the 100th Anniversary Interpretive Series. Winter is the best time of year for observing tree structures and offers a unique glimpse into the inner workings of the Refuge's forested areas. As an experienced forester, Bruce will be leading a walk focused on the identification of trees using bark characteristics during winter conditions. All ages and experience levels are welcome Participants are encouraged to dress accordingly for weather. The terrain will be an unpaved trail of approximately 1 mile. The Goose Island Interpretive Trail is located as you enter Goose Island, take the first left off County Hwy GI. Sponsor: Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge at (608) 779-2398 for questions.

Winterfest  

Perrot State Park (WI)                   

Saturday February 3                     1:00-7:00 pm

Sledding, snowshoeing, s'mores, horse drawn wagon rides, warming fire, snow piles, light refreshments and snacks in nature center plus a candlelight evening hike (suitable for pulling children on a sled or bringing your leashed pet. Call the park office at 608 534-6409 with questions. Vehicle admission sticker required. Check out the Friends of Perrot Face Book page for updates

Sponsor: Friends of Perrot State Park

Snowshoe Saturdays 

Whitewater State Park (MN)        

Saturdays, February 3, 10, 17, 24         10 am-11:30 

Join us at the visitor center each Saturday in February for a winter walk. If there is enough snow, we'll snowshoe. Bring your own snowshoes or use the park's during the program. In the event of poor weather, check the on-line calendar for program cancellations. Sponsor: Whitewater (MN) State Park

Geocaching Adventure
Whitewater State Park (MN)
Saturday, February 3   12-2:30pm
Ever want to get out and explore? During this program we will be going geocaching, looking for things hidden in the woods. What will make this hunt even more exciting is that it will take us off the beaten path into a little used part of the park with some great views. So dress warm, grab your hiking boots, and let's go on an adventure! (Distance: 2 Miles, Elevation Gain: 300ft). To register call 507-312-2301 or email Jeremy.Darst@state.mn.us With adequate snow we will use snowshoes during this program. You can bring your own or borrow a pair of the parks.  Sponsor: Whitewater (MN) State Park

Winter Walk and Bonfire
Sidie Hollow County Park (WI)

Saturday February 3 3:00-4:00pm
This guided winter walk and bonfire are for friends and families of all ages. Meet at the Main Shelter. The walk begins at 3pm and will be approximately 1 hour long, with a bonfire and beverages to immediately follow. The Friends of Vernon County Parks encourages walkers to always dress appropriately for the walk and the weather and invite your family and friends. Sponsor: Friends of Vernon County Parks and Forests

WI Neighbor Weekend (free admission for residents of La Crosse, Trempealeau and Vernon counties)

International Owl Center, Houston MN

February 3-4 10:00am-4:00pm

Residents of Wisconsin's Trempealeau, Vernon, and La Crosse counties in Wisconsin, including college students, are specially invited to visit the International Owl Center for FREE on this Neighbor Weekend. There are also Neighbor Weekends for counties in Minnesota and Iowa (see link below). See live owls in person, check out the hands-on displays, and stay for the live programs at 11 and 2 each day. Please bring a driver license, student ID or other form of identification to verify your place of residence. Visitors from elsewhere are also welcome, but will be required to pay the regular admission fee of $9 for adults, $8 for seniors/veterans/military and $6 for children aged 4-17. Sponsor: International Owl Center

MN DNR Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Online Webinars

Learn about or sharpen your outdoor skills with these upcoming online webinars in our Minnesota outdoor skills and stewardship series. Each webinar begins at noon on Wednesdays and last less than an hour. These offerings are shorter than in-person opportunities, require no travel and fit into busy schedules. The website also gives you access to recordings of past webinars.

• Winter Deer Behavior and Feeding (online webinar)  Wednesday February 7  Noon-1pm
• White-tailed deer have fascinating behaviors and life cycles, but winter can be tough on them. We will be joined by DNR big game specialists, who will outline the Winter Severity Index (WSI) and discuss recent winters and their impacts on deer. They will also cover some adaptation’s deer have developed that help them to survive winter, and what you could do to help them out. Lastly, the specialist will discuss some of the negative effects of supplementally feeding deer in winter. Sponsor: MN DNR

• A Date with Nature  (online webinar)    Wednesday February 14                     Noon-1pm
• Environmental psychologists, Dr. Christie Manning and Dr. Elise Amel, will share with us how time spent in nature improves our mental health and provides many other benefits. We will also highlight several opportunities and programs available to “make a date” with nature and your significant other or family this winter. Sponsor: MN DNR

• Edible Mushrooms of Minnesota  (online webinar)     Wednesday Feb 21       Noon-1pm
• Mushroom foraging is a fun and healthy way to connect with delicious wild food and the outdoors. Join us for a webinar on the edible mushrooms of Minnesota, presented by the Minnesota Mycological Society. Learn about the wonderous world of mushrooms, their ecology, and foraging some of the best edible mushrooms the state has to offer. Sponsor: MN DNR

Valentine's Snowshoe Hike  

La Crosse River Conservancy (WI)     

Saturday, February 10                    1-3:00pm

You’ll fall in love with the beauty of winter as you explore the La Crosse River Conservancy on a Valentine’s snowshoe hike in Onalaska WI. Even those who’ve never been on snowshoes will have a chance to give it a try. There will be hot chocolate after the hike courtesy of Stoney Creek Inn as well as discounted rooms for those who want to stay over. It’s easy and fun for all ages. There will be a limited number of snowshoes in a wide range of sizes available to borrow.  Participants are advised to dress in layers, wear a hat, warm boots, and warm gloves or mittens. Walking sticks are recommended but not required. If there's not enough snow, we'll hike without snowshoes. For registration, directions and more details, please click the link above. Sponsor: Mississippi Valley Conservancy/Stoney Creek Hotel

Wilderness Weekends with Emily   

Holzinger Lodge, Winona      

Saturday February 10            9:30-11:30 am (registration required)

Join us for a snowy Saturday morning filled with exploration! We will hike along the beautiful Holzinger trails in Winona while learning about and identifying various animal signs we find along the way. This family-friendly event is a great way to get outside and learn during the winter season! Wilderness Weekends is a program led by environmental educator Emily Gorman, designed to explore and educate participants about the diverse ecosystems and environmental treasures surrounding Winona County, Minnesota. This program offers an exciting opportunity for nature enthusiasts, students, families, and anyone passionate about environmental education to engage with the natural world through immersive activities that invite us to dive deeper into our understanding of nature. Registration required. Sponsor: Winona Outdoor Collaborative                                             

Fur Trade Along the Banks of the Mississippi River in the 1800's 
Whitewater State Park (MN)
Wednesday, February 14         10:00 am - noon

Join Ed Lagace, former ranger with the US Fish and Wildlife Service on the Upper Mississippi Wildlife Refuge. He will be doing a presentation on fur trading in the upper Mississippi as part of the HOP (Healthy Older People) Into the Park series. Check the website nearer to the date for more details. Sponsor: Friends of Whitewater (MN) State Park

Animal Adaptations

Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge, W28488 Refuge Rd, Trempealeau WI

Thursday February 15               6:30pm

Join Scott Lee for an Animal Adaptations Program. Scott is a retired 5th grade teacher from Trempealeau Elementary School. He also taught Environmental Studies at UW La Crosse for 8 years. He will have a variety of animal mounts and talk about how animals have managed to survive from predators, extreme weather conditions and adapt to their environments. *This program will be at the Outdoor Wonders Learning Center at Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge. *This is a free program, suitable for all ages. *Reservations are not required. Sponsors: Friends of Trempealeau Refuge and the Refuge

Eagles of Red Wing
Lake City (MN) Public Library
Thursday, Feb 15                   6:00 pm
Lake City (MN) Public Library presents one in their winter series of birding programs. Cara Clark and Earl Bye, authors of Eagles of Red Wing, have been visiting Frontenac State Park (FSP) over the past six years to capture pictures of as many kinds of birds as they could find. So far, they have logged 140 bird species in iNaturalist for FSP. Many include extremely close shots showing feather details and beautiful backgrounds. Earl and Cara will share some of their favorite nature stories and pictures of birds seen at Frontenac State Park. Sponsors: Lake City (MN) Public Library and Frontenac State Park Association

Great Backyard Bird Count 

Wherever you are!

February 16-19 
It's easy to do. Join hundreds of thousands of observers across the world in observing birds during these 4 days. Stop here to get the scoop and learn how easy it is to participate and log your observations. Sponsors include: Audubon Society/Cornell ornithology labs

Winona Outdoor Collaborative February Meet-Up

Holzinger Lodge, Winona

Saturday February 17      9:00-Noon

Join Chelsi Low, WOC Board Co-Chair, for a fun morning exploring winter recreation! We'll have a mix of activities available from snowshoe hiking to sledding, craft activities, snow shelters, and so much more. This event is perfect for families or couples looking to spend some time outside in a new, unique way. The program is an open-house style event, so you're welcome to come at any time and enjoy whichever activities call to you most. This event is at Holzinger Lodge on February 17 from 9 am - 12 pm. You can register here.  Sponsor: Winona Outdoor Collaborative   

La Crescent Lions

Frozen Apple Candlelight Hike 

CANCELLED

La Crescent (MN) Saturday

Saturday, February 17             5:30-8:30pmEagle Bluff Access Trail will again be lit with over 450 candle luminaries. Start at Veterans Park for this out and back walk along our cozy wooded trail. Fire pits at each end of the trail will help keep you warm, along with hot chocolate and hot cider at Veterans Park. Distance out and back is less than a mile. Well-behaved leashed dogs are allowed. Winter conditions are unpredictable, so please dress appropriately - ice cleats are encouraged. Note: There are no restrooms in Veterans Park. This is a Free Event, but donations are appreciated for future events. Sponsor: La Crescent (MN) Lions Club

Winter Walk and Bonfire
Duck Egg County Park (WI)
Saturday February 24 3:00-4:00pm

This guided winter walk and bonfire on Lower Duck Egg Trail is for friends and families of all ages. Meet in the lower parking lot of Irish Ridge Road off County Y. The walk begins at 3pm and will be approximately 1 hour long, with a bonfire and beverages to immediately follow. The Friends of Vernon County Parks encourages walkers to always dress appropriately for the walk and the weather and invite your family and friends. Sponsor: Friends of Vernon County Parks and Forests

Luminary Hike
Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge, W28488 Refuge Rd, Trempealeau WI
Saturday, February 24           5:30-8:30 pm

Catch a glimpse of the refuge at night during this full moon luminary hike. Snowshoe or hike on a self-guided trail. This unique, after dark experience is free, entirely outdoors, and open to all ages. Trail will be open from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. *Snowshoes will be available to borrow for no charge at the refuge office on a first come first serve basis.*Refuge trails and grounds are closed after sunset beyond these special events. Sponsor: Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge 

Be sure to check often with local hiking groups, local parks, universities, naturalist-interest groups, nature conservancies,nature centers and their Friends groups, state parks, US Fish and Wildlife centers and others in your area to see what is on offer to help you understand the natural world around you better.