Events
Bird Language: Sat, Aug 5
Saturday, August 5
9:00 - 1:00 Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center 3815 American Blvd E Bloomington, MN 55425 Registration for these gatherings is encouraged, but not required. Feel
free to drop by--and it would be great to know that you are coming! Birds talk to each other. We can learn to understand it. And it's fun!As we move into high summer, the woods begin to quiet. The songs of spring, and even the incessant begging calls of early summer are fading as tired parents and naive fledglings do their best to feed themselves while staying safe from hungry juvenile raptors. The forest may seem more subdued than in the spring, but drama abounds. Come join us on the slopes of the Mississippi River Valley to see what the birds have to tell us about their day-to-day lives.What should I bring?Bring what you need to be comfortable sitting still, outside on the ground for an extended period of time—perhaps as long as an hour. You will also need something to take notes on. You do not need to have binoculars, but there is no harm in bringing a pair if you would like. Here are a few recommended and optional items to bring:Recommended: Note pad & pencil Ground cloth, blanket or camp-chair Sun protection Bug protection Poncho if it is raining Optional: Water bottle Snack Binoculars Sign me up!Registration is encouraged, but not required. Feel free to drop in and join us—and it would be great to know you are coming! If you have any questions, or to register for the event:
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Tracking Club: Bug Out
 Sunday, July 16 9:00am - 1:00pm We will gather at the Ft. Snelling State Park visitor center: Ft. Snelling State Park 101 Snelling Lake Rd West St Paul, MN 55111 Join us as we welcome entomologist Jessica Miller for an exploration of insect track & sign. Miller has specialties in aquatic insects and their relationship to water quality; and native pollinators. She is a wild bee technician at the University of Minnesota Bee Lab and has worked on many projects to promote healthy urban watersheds. This month, she will help us learn signs of these ubiquitous, vital members of our biotic community. This is an all-weather event and we spend time off trail, sometimes in very muddy conditions. Please bring appropriate footwear and dress for several hours outdoors in whatever weather we may have that day. We
will gather at 9:00 in the Visitor Center. We
will head out on the trail about 9:20 and return to the visitor center
about noon for wrap-up. If you need
to reach us the day of the outing, please call Jon's cell phone at
612-388-4700. Please note that cell reception is poor in much of the park. Note that you need a State Park pass to drive to the Visitor Center, but you can park for free at the Historic Fort Snelling visitor center. It is about a half-mile walk past the historic fort and down the hill to get to the State Park visitor center. The Historic Fort parking is located at 200 Tower Ave, St Paul, MN 55111
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Bird Language: Saturday, July 1
Saturday, July 1
9:00 - 1:00 Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center 3815 American Blvd E Bloomington, MN 55425 Registration for these gatherings is encouraged, but not required. Feel
free to drop by--and it would be great to know that you are coming! Birds talk to each other. We can learn to understand it. And it's fun!Kick off your Independence Day weekend eavesdropping on the birds along the wooded slopes of the Mississippi River Valley. As we move into the height of summer, we can expect to be surrounded by all five voices of the birds signing, screaming, begging, gossiping, jeering & tattling on each other like tiny, feathered fireworks.What should I bring?Bring what you need to be comfortable sitting still, outside on the ground for an extended period of time—perhaps as long as an hour. You will also need something to take notes on. You do not need to have binoculars, but there is no harm in bringing a pair if you would like. Here are a few recommended and optional items to bring:Recommended: Note pad & pencil Ground cloth, blanket or camp-chair Sun protection Bug protection Poncho if it is raining Optional: Water bottle Snack Binoculars Sign me up!Registration is encouraged, but not required. Feel free to drop in and join us—and it would be great to know you are coming! If you have any questions, or to register for the event:
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Spring Cedar Creek Wildlife Survey: June 17-18
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Bird Language: Sat, Jun 3
Saturday, June 3 9:00 - 1:00 Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center 3815 American Blvd E Bloomington, MN 55425 Registration
for these gatherings is encouraged, but not required. Feel free to drop
by--and it would be great to know that you are coming! Birds talk to each other. We can learn to understand it. And it's fun!Its a busy time of year for songbirds. Spring migration is wrapping up, nesting season is winding up, and all five voices of the birds are filling the woods. With the trees leafed out and the canopy filled in, we will once again need to rely more on our ears than our eyes to understand what is going on in the forest around us. Come join as we step into the birds' world along the slopes of the Minnesota river valley.What should I bring?Bring what you need to be comfortable sitting still, outside on the ground for an extended period of time—perhaps as long as an hour. You will also need something to take notes on. You do not need to have binoculars, but there is no harm in bringing a pair if you would like. Here are a few recommended and optional items to bring:Recommended: Note pad & pencil Ground cloth, blanket or camp-chair Appropriate clothing for sitting still outside Sun protection Poncho if it is raining Optional: Water bottle Snack Binoculars Sign me up!Registration is encouraged, but not required. Feel free to drop in and join us—and it would be great to know you are coming! If you have any questions, or to register for the event:
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Tracking Club: Growing Together
 Sunday, May 21 9:00am - 1:00pm We will gather at the Ft. Snelling State Park visitor center: Ft. Snelling State Park 101 Snelling Lake Rd West St Paul, MN 55111 Tracking can be a solitary activity, but as Pierre MacGillis points out in his beautiful article Looking for Sign in this month's Minnesota Conservation Volunteer, "The communal aspect of tracking accelerates learning, as multiple perspectives lead to Socratic questioning and a fuller, more accurate picture of what occurred." Come join us as we gather to explore the landscape, delve into natural mysteries and deepen our connection to the land, to each other and to ourselves. This is an all-weather event and we spend time off trail, sometimes in very muddy conditions. Please bring appropriate footwear and dress for several hours outdoors in whatever weather we may have that day. We
will gather at 9:00 in the Visitor Center. We
will head out on the trail about 9:20 and return to the visitor center
about noon for wrap-up. If you need
to reach us the day of the outing, please call Jon's cell phone at
612-388-4700. Please note that cell reception is poor in much of the park. Note that you need a State Park pass to drive to the Visitor Center, but you can park for free at the Historic Fort Snelling visitor center. It is about a half-mile walk past the historic fort and down the hill to get to the State Park visitor center. The Historic Fort parking is located at 200 Tower Ave, St Paul, MN 55111
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Bird Language Weekend: May 5-7
Friday, May 5, 5:00p through Sunday, May 7, 10:30a (with optional mid-day & afternoon activities)Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve 2660 Fawn Lake Dr NE Bethel, MN 55005 Total cost is just $75 Experience Life Through the Eyes of the BirdsBirds and animals share a common language. Their calls and alarms help them stay safe from danger. We can learn to understand this language. In fact, we are “hard-wired” to learn this, as countless generations of our ancestors depended on this ancient skill to survive, around the world. Largely forgotten by modern peoples, this understanding is sorely needed at this time of cultural upheaval and natureʼs shifting patterns.During
this weekend-long program, you will be immersed in a community of
nature connection mentors and learners. Through exercises, instruction,
games and lots of time sitting in the woods, the community setting
amplifies each individual’s learning journey. Together as a group we
will begin to uncover unique patterns of the local birds and animals,
and what they are telling us through their behavior and language. The ProgramThis program follows the principles of Bird Language shared by Jon Young in his book, What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World.
Our team of facilitators combine decades of experience in birding,
wildlife tracking, group facilitation, and nature connection mentoring.
We are one of the groups piloting Jon Young's Bird Language Leaders program
and have been running bird language programs across the state for the
past two years. Lead facilitator Jonathan Poppele has trained with Jon
Young since 1998 and is the Minnesota coordinator for Bird Language
Leaders. The weekend will include instruction, exercises, storytelling,
games, and lots of time sitting quietly in the woods observing and
connecting with nature.Schedule Check-in begins at 4:00p on Friday, May 5. The program starts at 5:00p. We will run all day Saturday, and wrap up before lunch on Sunday. All meals from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch are included in the program. After our formal wrap-up, there will be optional activities Sunday mid-day and afternoon for those who wish to stay longer. The FacilityCedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is a 5,400 acre experimental ecological reserve operated by the University of Minnesota. It is located about 35 miles north of Minneapolis and St. Paul, just east of Bethel. Cedar Creek lies at the boundary between prairie and forest. It is a mosaic of uplands dominated by oak savanna, prairie, hardwood forest, pine forests, and abandoned agricultural fields; and of lowlands comprised of ash and cedar swamps, acid bogs, marshes, and sedge meadows. The area was first set aside in the early 1940s to be kept in its natural condition for scientific and educational purposes. Much of the land remains pristine, and has never been developed for agriculture. The land is host to a wide diversity of terrestrial and avian predators including fisher, bear, owls, hawks and falcons. You can learn more at www.cedarcreek.umn.eduAccommodations Lodging
is double occupancy dorm rooms. If you have a preferred roommate,
please let us know that on the registration form. Bedding and towels are
available from Cedar Creek for an extra charge, or you can bring your
own. If you have any questions about the program, contact us:
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April Tracking Club: The Art of Trailing (Part II)
 Sunday, April 16 9:00am - 1:00pm We will gather at the Ft. Snelling State Park visitor center: Ft. Snelling State Park 101 Snelling Lake Rd West St Paul, MN 55111 In the Art of Trailing we don't focus as much on just one track or sign, but let our awareness pick up on a larger pattern of disturbances that provide clues of where an animal is going. Join us this month for more on the art of trailing. We will do a quick review on the five elements of perception and how it applies to seeing disturbances, then move on to recognizing fresh trails from old ones and practice some trailing exercises before trying our hand at a deer trail. This is an all-weather event and we spend time off trail. Please bring appropriate footwear and dress for several hours outdoors in whatever weather we may have that day. We
will gather at 9:00 in the fireplace room in the Visitor Center. We
will head out on the trail about 9:20 and return to the visitor center
about noon for wrap-up. If you need
to reach us the day of the outing, please call Jon's cell phone at
612-388-4700. Please note that cell reception is poor in much of the park. Note that you need a State Park pass to drive to the Visitor Center, but you can park for free at the Historic Fort Snelling visitor center. It is about a half-mile walk past the historic fort and down the hill to get to the State Park visitor center. The Historic Fort parking is located at 200 Tower Ave, St Paul, MN 55111
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Bird Language: Sat, Apr 1
Saturday, April 1 9:00 - 1:00 Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center 3815 American Blvd E Bloomington, MN 55425 Registration
for these gatherings is encouraged, but not required. Feel free to drop
by--and it would be great to know that you are coming! Birds talk to each other. We can learn to understand it. And it's fun!Great-horned owls have been nesting since February, and may be raising their chicks by now. We have gotten some reports of owl sightings near hillside trail over the winter and early spring--and may have caught a glimpse of one at our March gathering. Are there owls nesting near by? Do they have young? One things is for sure, the local songbirds know. Come join us as we eavesdrop on their neighborhood gossip.What should I bring?Bring what you need to be comfortable sitting still, outside on the ground for an extended period of time—perhaps as long as an hour. You will also need something to take notes on. You do not need to have binoculars, but there is no harm in bringing a pair if you would like. Here are a few recommended and optional items to bring:Recommended: Note pad & pencil Ground cloth, blanket or camp-chair Appropriate clothing for sitting still outside Sun protection Poncho if it is raining Optional: Water bottle Snack Binoculars Sign me up!Registration is encouraged, but not required. Feel free to drop in and join us—and it would be great to know you are coming! If you have any questions, or to register for the event:
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March Tracking Club: The Art of Trailing
 Sunday, March 19 9:00am - 1:00pm We will gather at the Ft. Snelling State Park visitor center: Ft. Snelling State Park 101 Snelling Lake Rd West St Paul, MN 55111 In track and sign identification we let our senses take in every detail of a track or other marking to learn about an animal's motion, behavior, and relationship with ecology. In the Art of Trailing we don't spend as much attention on just one track or sign, but let our awareness pick up on a larger pattern of disturbances that provide clues of where an animal is going. And if you can keep moving along the trial, you might just catch a glimpse of the animal. This month we will spend some time with exercises that can help you pick up on a fresh trail and follow an animal. This is an all-weather event and we spend time off trail. Please bring appropriate footwear and dress for several hours outdoors in whatever weather we may have that day. We
will gather at 9:00 in the fireplace room in the Visitor Center. We
will head out on the trail about 9:20 and return to the visitor center
about noon for a brief mapping exercise and wrap-up session. If you need
to reach us the day of the outing, please call Jon's cell phone at
612-388-4700. Note that you need a State Park pass to drive to the Visitor Center, but you can park for free at the Historic Fort Snelling visitor center. It is about a half-mile walk past the historic fort and down the hill to get to the State Park visitor center. The Historic Fort parking is located at 200 Tower Ave, St Paul, MN 55111
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