*All programming subject to change. Please refresh the page for the most up-to-date information. Check in frequently for updates. The Natural Areas Conference is hosted in a different part of North America each year to showcase the outstanding and diverse natural areas throughout the land. Field workshops are your opportunity to experience first-hand a small piece of what the upper Midwest has to offer.
Pre-registration for field workshops is required. We must have a minimum number of registrations for a workshop to be confirmed.
Field workshops with fewer than the minimum number of registrations will be canceled.
A Natural Areas Conference would not be complete without getting out of the conference center and on to the land. It is time to learn by doing, experience new terrain, and build relationships that can last a lifetime.
ALL FIELD WORKSHOPS ARE NOW SOLD OUT. THANK YOU!
All Field Workshops include lunch and transporation on chartered buses to and from the Holiday Inn, Duluth.
Biodiversity After Dark: moths & bats SOLD OUT
Tuesday, September 6, 2022
Cost: $50
PLEASE NOTE: This workshop takes place on Tuesday evening.
Field workshop will highlight techniques used to survey moths and bats, two ecologically important groups of nocturnal animals. Habitats include Great Lakes beach/dunes, and dry pine forest - very rare habitat in Minnesota with unique flora and fauna.
Locations visited: Minnesota Point Pine Forest SNA
Physical difficulty: Moderate
Physical activities: TBD; main event will include a less than 0.2 mile walk along sand beach.
What to being: A headlamp or flashlight. Lights and sheets will be provided.
Protecting Duluth's Natural Areas and Important Public Spaces SOLD OUT
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Cost: $75
About a quarter of the City of Duluth is open space with various states of quality found in native plant communities. City staff will take you to three sites and discuss land preservation, restoration, and the need for ongoing stewardship, as well as how partnership efforts help make this possible. The Magney Snively forest is of highest quality and is designated as a natural area in Duluth. Here we will discuss Duluth's planning and policies to protect and preserve open space. We will move next to the St. Louis River Estuary, another recently designated natural area and discuss restoration work from the estuary to the riparian zones. Finally, we will go to Hawk's Ridge, 235 acres of undeveloped land centered on the highest point along the eastern portion of Skyline Parkway. .
Locations visited: Magney Snively forest, Grassy Point, Hawk's Ridge
Physical difficulty: Moderate
Physical activities: Walking on trails up to two miles but space out with a one mile at site one and three.
What to bring: Snack and water bottle
St. Louis River Area of Concern: restoration to revitalization boat tour SOLD OUT
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Cost: $150
At 12,000 acres, the St. Louis River Estuary is the largest freshwater estuary in North America and is the headwaters of the Great Lakes. Estuaries support unique, productive, shallow water habitats. Over the past 100 years, a legacy of historic commercial uses of the estuary disrupted and altered these natural habitats as shorelines and near shore areas were dredged and developed. Because of this, the St. Louis River Estuary was designated an international 'Area of Concern' and a partnership of federal, state and tribal agencies is working together to restore the estuary. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is leading habitat restoration projects in the estuary. During this workshop, you will take a boar tour of the St. Louis Estuary to see a variety of restoration projects and learn about how the DNR and City of Duluth partner to combine habitat restoration with opportunities for community revitalization.
Locations visited: Perch Lake, Grassy Point, Kingsbury Bay, Radio Tower Bay, Wild Rice bays, Chambers Grove.
Physical difficulty: Light
Physical activities: Participants will need to be able to walk on a dock and on/off of a boat, and walk 0.25 mi.
What to bring: Snack and water bottle. Boats and life vests will be provided.
North Shore Ecological Inventory SOLD OUT
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Cost: $75
This trip is modeled on a day of field work in the Minnesota Biological Survey's statewide inventory of natural features. Participants will explore the ecology of the North Shore of Lake Superior, including ice-scoured bedrock lakeshore, high gradient streams, cliff faces, and highland old growth forest. Leaders will discuss the MBS inventory of rare species and quality habitats, and explain how this information is made available for conservation planning.
Locations visited: Two Harbors Lighthouse, Tettegouche State Park, Crosby-Manitou State Park.
Physical difficulty: Exceptional
Physical activities: Primary physical activity will be hiking a rugged trail for approximately 3 miles.
What to bring: Snack and water bottle
Friends of Sax-Zim Bog Properties Tour: non-profit work in a multi-stakeholder region SOLD OUT
This trip will explore the Sax-Zim Bog Important Bird Area through the lens of work done by the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog in the region. The Friends of Sax-Zim Bog is a 501(c)(3) was formed in 2010 in response to increased black spruce and tamarack logging and serves as a voice for the 147,000 acre+ area. This region is well known as a bird watching location, but has incredible biodiversity worth showcasing and protecting! Our trip will primarily explore bog habitats and what makes this region so special. We will learn about the organization, its mission and goals, and explore a few of the properties owned in the area by the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog
Lake Superior's North Shore Geology SOLD OUT
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Cost: $85
This is a multi-stop hiking tour of geological features found along the north shore of Lake Superior. You'll also take a scenic drive with stops along the north shore of Lake Superior to learn about the geology of this rugged coast. You'll hear about the volcanic origins in the striking rock formations here, how past glacial periods influenced the area, see how the largest of the Great Lakes continuously reworks the bedrock to form unique beaches, as well as enjoy beautiful waterfalls and time to soak in the scenery.
Locations visited: Flood Bay St Wayside, Gooseberry Falls State SP, Iona's Beach SNA, Tettegouche SP.
Physical difficulty: Light
Physical activities: Hiking stony beaches, rocky outcrops on both gravel and paved paths. Distances TBD.
What to bring: Snack and water bottle
Dune Ecology of a Lake Superior Baymouth Bar SOLD OUT
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Cost: $75
Participants will travel by bus to enjoy an overlook of Minnesota Point/Wisconsin Point followed by a hike along this Lake Superior baymouth bar out to the Minnesota Point Pine Forest SNA. Minnesota Point is a unique area in MN. It is the only place in the state that supports coastal dune features and biodiversity specific to this type of habitat. Along the way, participants will learn about coastal dune ecology, rare and common plant species, dune plant communities including old growth pine forest, and the ephemeral nature of natural resources on the Point. We will also discuss issues related to conservation of these natural features in an urban setting. We will be hiking approximately 3 miles on sandy trails through the dunes and on the beach. Trail conditions vary from packed to deep sand.
After a restroom and lunch break, we will hop back on the bus and venture over to the Wisconsin side of this landform. There, participants will tour several sites on foot and generally off-trail in upland areas of Wisconsin Point. Hikes will be fairly short in duration and walking surfaces similar to the Minnesota side - primarily sand. The focus of the tour on Wisconsin Point is to highlight several ongoing restoration projects that provide habitat for rare species of fauna such as piping plover, hairy-necked tiger beetle and black tern. There will also be a discussion on the importance of the area as a migratory bird stopover site as well as the cultural and historical significance of Wisconsin/Minnesota Point to the Ojibwe.
Locations visited: Skyline Drive Overlook, MN Point Pine Forest SNA
Physical difficulty: Moderate
Physical activities: Anticipate hiking approximately 3 miles on sandy trails and beach, trail conditions vary.
What to Bring: Snack and water bottle, and binoculars are suggested
St. Louis River Ravines Natural Areas Bike Tour SOLD OUT
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Cost: $150
Take this bike tour on paved and limestone trails to city and state natural areas, and a State Park. Firstly at Hemlock Ravine Scientific and Natural Area you‘ll see management tools in place to protect hemlock trees, at the extreme western edge of their U.S. range. Next we‘ll bike to Magney-Snively Natural Area where city of Duluth staff will guide us through a tunnel and outcrops where we will stop to discuss rock outcrop and forest communities, as well as the site‘s recreational facilities. The final stop at Jay Cooke State Park will allow for scenic views of the rugged St. Louis River, and a walk and talk about the Park's old-growth forests, river environment, hemlock planting, and management.
Locations visited: Hemlock Ravine Scientific and Natural Area, Magney-Snively Natural Area, Jay Cooke State Park.
Physical difficulty: Moderate
Physical activities: Bike a 24 mile out-and-back ride. Most biking on paved bike trail with a gentle grade. Hilly section
What to bring: Snacks and a water bottle. Bikes will be provided.
Join the people who protect and manage our natural areas.