October Program

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Social 6:30 pm. | Program 7:00 pm

Wood Lake Nature Center, Richfield MN 

The Forager's Garden

Presenter: Tim Clemens

Foraging promotes connection to native species, the land, and water. Join Tim Clemens of Ironwood Foraging Co. to learn how participating in humanity's most ancient story can help you be a better steward of our world. 

Ironwood Foraging Co. was founded by Tim Clemens in 2017 to offer hands-on foraging workshops to the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. Tim is the Consulting Mycologist for Minnesota Poison Control, Past President of the Minnesota Mycological Society, a Minnesota Master Naturalist, and a Certified Wild Mushroom Expert. Tim holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota and Certificates in Nature Education and Environmental Education from Cornell University.

September Program

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Social 6:30 pm. | Program 7:00 pm

Wood Lake Nature Center, Richfield MN 

This hybrid program will also be available on online, but will not be recorded.

Click here to join the Zoom no earlier than 6:30 pm on Tuesday 9/17.

Monarchs & Migration

Presenter: Leah Darst 

Explore the lives of monarch butterflies with an overview of their life cycle, migration, and conservation.  Discuss their plant preferences and the best ways to help this charismatic flagship species.

Leah Darst is an Education Specialist, offering professional development workshops, public programs, and other outreach through Monarch Joint Venture.  She has been a naturalist for over 20 years: at seven nature centers across Minnesota, the Minnesota Zoo, and through her own business, Nature Enthusiations. She's been on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Dragonfly Society since 2018 and is also their Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator and current President. This 'bug lady' is an enthusiastic educator who loves finding connections with people to collaboratively learn and share about the natural world, with a special interest in invertebrates and conservation. 

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Habitat Tent at the Monarch Festival!

Here's our first annual COLORING PAGE to celebrate the Monarch Milkweed Connection.

TO BE RESCHEDULED DUE TO ILLNESS:

Chasing Minnesota’s Native Wildflowers

Meet Phyllis Root and Kelly Povo, authors of Searching for Minnesota’s Native Wildflowers; A Guide for Beginners, Botanists, and Everyone in Between. 

Lesser purple fringed orchid

Phyllis Root is a writer, Kelly Povo is a photographer, and they love searching for and learning about Minnesota's native wildflowers—the ones that have been growing here for centuries. They happily climb steep hills, wade streams, search in bogs and fens, and brake for wildflowers they see along the road.  Learn about the wildflowers they search for, why they search, and where they (sometimes) find some of Minnesota’s little-known native wildflower treasures. They will also share stories of their own adventures (and misadventures) that led to their first book, a Northeastern Minnesota Book Award finalist, and to their forthcoming book, Wildflower Chasing:  An Adventurous Guide to Minnesota's Native Wildflowers and Their Unique Habitats.

 

Well-dressed flowerchasers

Phyllis, an award-winning author, has written many picture books about Minnesota, including Big Belching Bog, Plant a Pocket of Prairie, One North Star, and The Lost Forest, all published by the University of Minnesota Press. Kelly, a professional photographer for over thirty years, has exhibited in galleries and art shows across the country. Her photographs have been published on posters, calendars, note cards, and in books.  

After their first book about wildflowers Kelly and Phyllis started a blog (flowerchasers.com), and they frequently send audio postcards of their searches to Minnesota Public Radio. They are still chasing flowers and love sharing what they learn with fellow wildflower lovers. 

Whatever they are doing, Phyllis and Kelly laugh—a lot.

16th Annual Monarch Festival – Festival de la Monarca

Join Wild Ones Twin Cities at the Minneapolis Monarch Festival!

Saturday, September 7, 2024

10 am - 4 pm

Lake Nokomis Park

Want to volunteer? Click here to sign up!

The Festival celebrates the monarch butterfly amazing 2,300 mile migration from Minnesota to Mexico with music, food, dance, hands-on art, native plant sales and plenty of opportunities to get up close with monarch butterflies, learn about their habitats, and what you can do to make a difference.

The Festival will be held just east of the Lake Nokomis Community Center in the area bounded by E. Minnehaha Parkway, Woodlawn Boulevard, and E. Nokomis Parkway. Map & Directions

Like Monarch Butterfly this time of year, we are busy! The festival is coordinating with our artist friends and science colleagues to bring you activities and learning opportunities at the 2024 Monarch Festival.