With your help, we’ve protected over 25,000 acres of Bog for future generations!
We are excited for yet another field trip season in the Sax-Zim Bog! Accessibility notes are offered on the list of trips below. Carpooling during field trips will be done at the comfort level of participants. Field Trip attendance is free for members (those who have donated $25 or more within the past year). If you are interested in membership, the $25 fee covers membership and free entry to any field trip or program in a 12-month period!
Friday Afternoon Speaker programs do not require registration. Minnesota Master Naturalist field trips require registration through the Minnesota Master Naturalist online portal.
To give everyone better expectations of rigor for each field trip, we have included relative activity levels for each field trip this season. The approximate ratings are as follows:
Field Trip Activity Level Ratings
1- Easy (travel over even terrain on roadways/boardwalks or limited hiking up to ½ mile total)
2- Moderate (travel over even or uneven terrain, dry to wet conditions, or hiking over ½ mile total)
3- Average (travel over even or uneven terrain, hiking off trail possible, or hiking up to 1 mile total)
4- Difficult (travel primarily over uneven terrain, wet conditions, or hiking over 1 mile total)
5-Strenuous (mostly off trail with travel primarily over uneven and wet terrain or hiking up to 2 miles)
If you have any questions about any of the field trips listed, field trip registration process, questions about the accessibility of a field trip, or feedback on our activity rating scale please contact Head Naturalist Clinton Dexter-Nienhaus via email at naturalist@saxzim.org.
A Closer Look Series: Bumblebees
10:00- 11:30 am Meeting in the Lois King Education Center at the Welcome Center
Activity Rating- 1-2
Last winter, we added a couple of shorter, more intensive programs, focused on bird families. This summer, we will extend our deep dives into other species groups! Feel free to attend both talks consecutively or just choose one or the other. Our first program in the summer Closer Look Series will investigate Bumblebees!
Register for this field trip here: Closer Look Series: Bumblebees
A Closer Look Series: Frogs and Toads
12:30- 2:00 pm Meeting in the Lois King Education Center at the Welcome Center
Activity Rating- 1-2
Last winter, we added a couple of shorter, more intensive programs, focused on bird families. This summer, we will extend our deep dives into other species groups! Feel free to attend both talks consecutively or just choose one or the other. Our second program in the summer Closer Look Series will investigate Frogs and Toads!
Register for this field trip here: Closer Look Series: Frogs and Toads
A Closer Look Series: Warblers
10:00- 11:30 am Meeting in the Lois King Education Center at the Welcome Center
Activity Rating- 1-2
Last winter, we added a couple of shorter, more intensive programs, focused on bird families. This summer, we will extend our deep dives into other species groups! Feel free to attend both talks consecutively or just choose one or the other. Our third program in the summer Closer Look Series will investigate Warblers!
Register for this field trip here: Closer Look Series: Warblers
A Closer Look Series: Carnivorous Plants
12:30- 2:00 pm Meeting in the Lois King Education Center at the Welcome Center
Activity Rating- 1-2
Last winter, we added a couple of shorter, more intensive programs, focused on bird families. This summer, we will extend our deep dives into other species groups! Feel free to attend both talks consecutively or just choose one or the other. Our final program in the summer Closer Look Series will investigate Carnivorous Plants!
Register for this field trip here: Closer Look Series: Carnivorous Plants
Orchids of the Sax-Zim Bog Field Trip
10:00 am- 5:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 1-2
The Sax-Zim Bog is home to at least 20 species of orchid, including healthy populations of Pink Ladyslipper, Purple-fringed Orchid, and Minnesota’s State Flower: Showy Ladyslipper! This year’s field trip is about a week earlier than normal, which means we have the opportunity to see different species than the typical Orchid Field Trip! This trip will cover a lot of ground hoping to find orchids that represent the diversity of the Sax-Zim Bog. This trip will likely involve a little “bog stomping” so rubber boots are a must! We have the opportunity this year to see at least 2 species we seldom get to see on our usual Orchid Field Trip… this should be a fun trip!
FIELD TRIP IS FULL!
To be added to the waitlist, please email Head Naturalist Clinton (naturalist@saxzim.org) with the name and date of the field trip of interest.
Minnesota Master Naturalist Advanced Training: Aquatic Ecology and Biodiversity
Registration now open on the Minnesota Master Naturalist webpage: Aquatic Ecology and Biodiversity
Main event: 9:00 am- 2:00 pm
Family Friendly Field Trip: 12:00- 1:30 pm
Event compilation: 2:15- 3:00 pm
All events meet at the Lois King Education Center at the Welcome Center
The annual Sax-Zim Bog BioBlitz is one of our hallmark events that has been running nearly as long as our organization has! The goal of this event is simple: document species and learn with experts in the field! All ages and abilities are welcome.
Registration for this event is not required, but welcomed! Registration IS REQUIRED for the Pre-BioBlitz Mothwatching and Birding Field Trips. Links to register are below:
Pre-BioBlitz Mothwatching Field Trip Registration
Pre-BioBlitz Caddisfly Field Trip Registration
Pre-BioBlitz Birding Field Trip Registration
14th Annual Sax-Zim Bog BioBlitz Registration
Family Friendly Field Trip Registration
Full details regarding field trips, field trip meeting time, and more can be found on our BioBlitz portal here!
BogVenture Series: Alborn Fen
10:00- 3:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 3-4
Last year, the finale to our Lesser Visited Sites Series visited the Alborn Fen. This is a really unique site in our area, as it is really truly a fen on a landscape primarily featuring bog habitats. So far, this site has offered up some exceptional species for our area including Bog Copper, Spoon-leaf Sundew, Meager Sedge, Rose Pogonia, and Zigzag Darner! The goal of this field trip are to explore this amazing habitat, see some of the more rare or localized species found in the greater Sax-Zim Bog ecosystem, and show off the diversity of bogs, or in this case, fens!
Register for this field trip here: Alborn Fen Field Trip
Dragonflies and Damselflies Field Trip
12:00- 5:00 pm Meeting at the Welcome Center
Activity Rating: 1-2
Dragonflies and damselflies are an easily seen group of bugs and recently have become popular targets of cameras and nets! “Dragonflying” is becoming a popular hobby across the US and northern Minnesota has incredible odonate diversity. In the Sax-Zim Bog alone, we have documented 88 species of dragonfly and damselfly! This field trip will focus on seeing and catching adult dragonflies and damselflies. All ages and ability levels are welcome! Extra nets and hand lenses are available for use to those who would like to use them.
Register for this field trip here: Dragonflies and Damselflies Field Trip
Mid-season Sax-Zim Bog Butterflies Field Trip
12:00- 5:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 1-2
The Sax-Zim Bog is home to a diverse set of plants, most of which have a particularly close relationship to butterflies and moths. Through the seasons butterfly communities can greatly, with July being one of the most diverse months to see butterflies. This field trip will hope to encounter uncommon (to our area!) southern species like Black Swallowtail and Silver-spotted Skipper, wetland specialists like Baltimore Checkerspot, all the while sorting through fast moving Skippers and Blues! The Sax-Zim Bog offers a lot for the casual butterfly watcher, as well as the seasoned butterfly enthusiast! All ages and ability levels are welcome!
Register for this field trip here: Mid-season Butterflies Field Trip
Sax-Zim Bog Fungi Foray and Workshop
Workshop presented by Ariel Bonkoski, mushroom ID expert, author, and owner of Ariel’s Mushroom Co.
9:00 am- 3:00 pm, Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Cost: $85 FOSZB members and Minnesota Master Naturalists; $100 Non-members (includes FOSZB membership
Register here: Sax-Zim Bog Fungi Foray and Workshop
Experience the world of Midwestern mushroom foraging in-person! This experiential course will
consist of an indoor and outdoor portion. The goal of the course is to introduce the
fundamentals of mushroom foraging, including edible mushrooms, toxic mushrooms and
identifications. In the Lois King Education Center, we will begin by building identification skills
and foundational information needed to recognize important regional mushroom species.
Following this introduction, we will head outdoors to exercise our newly found skills and see a
few mushroom species to practice those skills through the Sax-Zim Bog! This on-the-trail foray
is great for beginners and will help equip participants to confidently begin making their own
mushroom identifications.
This course is open to all experience levels and for ages 16 and up. Plan on bringing a lunch,
water, note taking materials, and appropriate footwear. Much of our time will be spent on
boardwalks or trails, with the potential for off-trail exploration into the Bog. Dress for both
indoor and outdoor time. Additionally, bring along a basket or mesh bag if you wish to forage
your own mushrooms during the class!
Ariel Bonkoski is a mushroom identification expert and Author that resides in Duluth, Minnesota. She has been studying fungi since 2016 and is now one of the most active mushroom identifiers in North America. Ariel has taught mushroom identification courses and led forays for colleges, public schools, mycological societies, and nature centers all over North America. Ariel is best known for her friendly and enthusiastic approach to teaching about mushrooms and fungi. She is an active Minnesota Master Naturalist, with a passion for learning, giving back to nature, and connecting people to nature. Ariel spends much of her free time camping, hiking, and foraging. She aspires to become an exceptional naturalist and promises to never stop learning.
Hummingbirds: What’s not to love?
presented by Lori Walewski, Naturalist and Hummingbird Bander at Wolf Ridge Enivronmental Learning Center
12:00- 1:30 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Our Friday Speaker Series this summer starts of with a really interesting program on hummingbirds! We will be hearing from Lori Walewski about her work with and interest in hummingbirds! This presentation aims to educate and entertain people of all ages about the life history, behavior, attraction of and feeding of hummingbirds, with a focus on Ruby-throated Hummingbirds!
Lori Walewski is a naturalist at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center with a degree in biology. She first became involved with banding birds in 1988. For the past 33 summers she has co-run the MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) bird banding station at Wolf Ridge. In 2003 Lori received her master permit to band hummingbirds. While many hummingbirds are seen frequenting her yard, finding a lichen-clad nest in her yard has continued to escape Lori’s search.
(Hummingbird in photo handled with proper state and federal banding permits photo by Lori Walewski)
Carnivorous and Odd-ball Plants Field Trip
10:00 am- 3:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 2-3
The Sax-Zim Bog is a network of habitats, which allows for a large diversity of flowering plants! Some species are especially odd when you consider the ways that they have adapt to thrive in less-than-ideal ecosystems like bogs and the shallow, acidic soils of northern Minnesota. This field trip will place a special focus on the “plant weirdos” found within the Sax-Zim Bog, including pitcher plants, sundews, ghost pipe, pinesaps, coralroots, bladderworts, and more!
Register for this field trip here: Carnivorous and Odd-ball Plants Field Trip
Upland Forest Plant Community Investigation
10:00 am- 3:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 2-3
The Sax-Zim Bog is a network of habitats, but what makes those habitats so distinct from one another? Environmental conditions like precipitation and temperature help mold ecosystems, as do the soils and substrates that influence the plant communities. This field trip will seek out the uncommon (to this region!) upland forests in the greater Sax-Zim Bog ecosystem. Join us on this new field trip to learn how to define and better know Upland Forest Plant Communities.
Register for this field trip here: Upland Forest Plant Community Investigation Field Trip
Friday Speaker Summer Series #2
12:00- 1:30 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Our Friday Speaker Series continues into another Summer Season! Speaker dates are likely not to change through the season and talks will be updated as speakers are confirmed! If you are interested in being a speaker for our Summer (or Winter) Series, please contact Head Naturalist Clinton at naturalist@saxzim.org.
Moths and More Evening Field Trip
8:30- 11:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 1
At nearly 900 species, moths are the most species rich group documented in the greater Sax-Zim Bog! Even though they are one of the most diverse groups of insects in our region, moths don’t get the same attention as their day flying relatives: butterflies! Moths often surpass their cousins in color, pattern, behavior, and specialized relationships to plants. This field trip will serve as a good introduction to the moth diversity in northeastern Minnesota. We will also use some of our time waiting for moths to arrive by listening for night singing insects, birds, mammals, and more! Because this field trip is at night, and mostly stationary, plan on bringing a head lamp or flashlight and folding chair.
Register for this field trip here: Moths and More Evening Field Trip
Species Finding Field Trip: Lesser Rattlesnake Plantain
12:00- 5:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 4-5
A new year and a new set of specialized field trips! With all the biodiversity in the greater Sax-Zim Bog ecosystem, there is no way to see everything, especially the uncommon, rare, or difficult to find species that call this place home. Join us on this new field trip to focus on finding one of the most difficult orchid species to find in the greater Sax-Zim Bog ecosystem: Lesser Rattlesnake Plantain! This orchid is small, specialized, and a real stunner! This will be a strenuous field trip, with almost all the hiking done off trail in uneven conditions!
Register for this field trip here: Species Finding: Lesser Rattlesnake Plantain
Minnesota Master Naturalist Advanced Training: Bog Specialist Bugs
Registration now open on the Minnesota Master Naturalist webpage: Bog Specialist Bugs
Species Finding Field Trip: Subarctic Darner
12:00- 5:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 4-5
A new year and a new set of specialized field trips! With all the biodiversity in the greater Sax-Zim Bog ecosystem, there is no way to see everything, especially the uncommon, rare, or difficult to find species that call this place home. Join us on this new field trip to focus on finding one of the few odonates with special conservation status in Minnesota: Subarctic Darner! This is a large dragonfly of open peatlands, with a preference for areas with Buckbean. This will be a strenuous field trip, with almost all the hiking done off trail in uneven conditions!
Register for this field trip here: Species Finding: Subarctic Darner
Friday Speaker Summer Series #3
12:00- 1:30 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Our Friday Speaker Series continues into another Summer Season! Speaker dates are likely not to change through the season and talks will be updated as speakers are confirmed! If you are interested in being a speaker for our Summer (or Winter) Series, please contact Head Naturalist Clinton at naturalist@saxzim.org.
Lowland Conifer Forest Plant Community Investigation
10:00 am- 3:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 2-3
The Sax-Zim Bog is a network of habitats, but what makes those habitats so distinct from one another? Environmental conditions like precipitation and temperature help mold ecosystems, as do the soils and substrates that influence the plant communities. This field trip will seek out the beautiful lowland conifer forests the greater Sax-Zim Bog ecosystem is most known for. Join us on this new field trip to learn how to define and better know Lowland Conifer Forest Plant Communities.
Register for this field trip here: Lowland Conifer Forest Plant Community Investigation
Bog Bathing: Sensory Immersion in the Wetlands Workshop
Workshop presented by Amelia Chapman, FOSZB Host/Naturalist and Mental Health Practitioner
1:00- 4:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Cost: $30 FOSZB members and Minnesota Master Naturalists; $40 for Non-members (includes a FOSZB membership)
Register here: Bog Bathing: Sensory Immersion in the Wetlands Workshop
A 3-hour slow, sensory-rich immersion experience inspired by forest bathing principles, adapted specifically for the unique wetland ecosystem of Sax Zim Bog. Participants are guided through intentional practices to slow down, attune to the landscape, and experience the bog as a co-regulator for their nervous systems. This is profoundly slow and sensory-focused – not a typical nature walk. Participants might only cover a short distance, stopping frequently to truly receive what the bog offers. We explore how trees exist in relationship and communication with each other, and practice feeling our own capacity for co-regulation with the living world. All invitations are optional; participants practice listening to their own body’s wisdom.
Amelia is a somatic nervous system practitioner who teaches the foundations everyone else skips. She guides people back into reciprocal relationship with their bodies & their world by building the physiological capacity your nervous system needs to hold & process emotions, experiences, and navigate life rooted in nature’s rhythms instead of constant achievement.
Credentials: Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy • Somatics for the Female Nervous System • Fundamentals of Somatic Therapy & Nervous System Healing • Advanced Level 1 QNRT Practitioner • Water Calming Practitioner • Breathing Coach
Minnesota Master Naturalist Biome Course
Registration on the Minnesota Master Naturalist webpage: LINK WHEN AVAILABLE
They Might Be Giants: Salamanders of Minnesota
presented by Spencer Rettler, Nongame Wildlife Specialist with Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Nongame Wildlife Program
12:00- 1:30 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Despite their small stature, salamanders are heavy lifters in Minnesota’s ecosystems. Not only do they consume high volumes of invertebrates (including Minnesota’s abundant mosquito larvae), but they also convey this biomass and energy up the food chain as they become prey for various mammals and birds. Additionally, salamanders act as indicators of ecosystem health since they are highly sensitive to changes in water quality, habitat conditions, and temperature. Because of this sensitivity, Minnesota’s salamanders face multiple threats including habitat disturbance/loss, disease, and climate change. Please join this presentation to learn about Minnesota’s salamanders, the habitats they rely on, and what you can do to help support the conservation of these fascinating species.
Spencer Rettler is a Nongame Wildlife Specialist with the Nongame Wildlife Program at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. His work area covers most of northeastern MN and much of his focus is on the conservation of Minnesota’s reptiles and amphibians. He is currently leading a monitoring effort on four-toed salamanders (Hemidactylium scutatum) to understand the impacts of habitat disturbance on their local populations. If Spencer’s not looking for rare reptiles and amphibians for work, he’s doing so on his personal time.
Introduction to Mosses Field Trip
10:00 am- 2:00 pm Meeting at the Welcome Center
Activity Rating: 2-3
Mosses are all around us in the Sax-Zim Bog and make up an incredibly part in the creation and support of bog ecosystems. However, mosses and their bryophyte relatives can be incredibly hard to identify. With a group of species that is hard to identify, it is always important to start by learning the familiar and common species, which is what we will be doing on this field trip! Come and begin your journey into the wonderful world of mosses on this introductory field trip focusing on both natural history and identification of this diverse and difficult to identify group.
Register for this field trip here: Introduction to Mosses Field Trip
Tiger Beetles Field Trip
12:00- 5:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 2
Tiger beetles are a colorful, yet overlooked group of beetles that are becoming quite popular to amateur entomologists and naturalists. Often, you find these species very commonly in gravel pits or open sandy areas. Their large eyes, bright colors, and tenacious attitudes are something to experience! Come out to learn a little more about these colorful and fast predators. This field trip will likely encounter all 8 species of tiger beetle in our region, with a chance to document the final species present in our region!
Register for this field trip here: Tiger Beetles Field Trip
Minnesota Master Naturalist Advanced Training: Nighttime Neighbors: Minnesota’s Bats
Registration now open on the Minnesota Master Naturalist webpage: Nighttime Neighbors: Minnesota’s Bats
Spiders and Webs Field Trip
12:00- 5:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 1-2
Spiders are an interesting bunch: some have nothing but nice things to say about them, while others cannot bear to be within several hundred feet of these eight-legged wonders. The Sax-Zim Bog has over 130 species of spider, including several first state record and dozens of new county record species in the last few years. Come out to learn a little more about the different species of spiders in Minnesota and spend some time observing these misunderstood critters!
Register for this field trip here: Spiders and Webs Field Trip
Peatland Forests in Minnesota: Past, Present, and Future?
presented by Josh Kolasch, Master’s Student in Integrated Biological Sciences Program at University of Minnesota-Duluth
12:00- 1:30 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Peatland forest are wetland forest communities that play a crucial role in global carbon
sequestering, water regulation and biodiversity conservation. These forests host a unique
diversity of specialized flora and fauna, and are critical habitats for a number of species listed
on Minnesota’s Species in Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). In this presentation, we will
explore the natural history of peatland forest, the historical impacts of colonization and
industrial development, and the threats they currently face and the future outlook on this
incredibly important but highly threatened ecosystem.
Josh Kolasch (he/him) is an ecologist, naturalist and complete biodiversity nerd.
He is a 2nd year graduate student at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the Integrated
Biological Sciences Master’s program. He works for Dr. Alexis Grinde in the Avian Ecology Lab
out of the Natural Resources Research Institute. Josh has been fascinated with forest
communities and biodiversity since early childhood. He has worked across the northern
forested region and in primary tropical forest of Costa Rica on numerous ecology projects,
deepening his love for these ecosystems and how our human society has and is impacting these
ecosystems. His current research project is looking at how ecological succession impacts forest
structure in black spruce peatlands, and how forest structure impacts peatland bird specialist in
this forest community.
Late-Season Wildflowers Field Trip
10:00 am- 3:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 1-2
By late August and September, most of the plants you see have begun to get ready for next season: setting seed, dropping leaves, or putting out new growth. However, there is still A LOT of blooming yet to be done by a wide range of species, especially species that thrive in and near wetlands during the later parts of summer. This field trip will hope to encounter at least one orchid species, as well as suite of wetland species and spectacular fall blooming species like Greater Fringed Gentian!
Register for this field trip here: Late-season Wildflowers Field Trip
Galls and Leaf Miner Exploration Field Trip
10:00 am– 3:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 1-2
Over the course of the last two Bioblitzes, we have begun to understand the diversity in galls, leaf miners, plant diseases, and fungi through a couple of expert-led field trips. Those trips added over 100 new species of commonly seen species that no one takes time to notice! Join us for a new field trip offering an initial look into the weird world of flies, moths, mites, and the sign that they make on leaves, stems, and branches all around you. Hand lens will be helpful on this field trip, with extra hand lenses available for use during the field trip.
Register for this field trip here: Galls and Leaf Miner Exploration Field Trip
Friday Speaker Summer Series #6
12:00- 1:30 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Our Friday Speaker Series continues into another Summer Season! Speaker dates are likely not to change through the season and talks will be updated as speakers are confirmed! If you are interested in being a speaker for our Summer (or Winter) Series, please contact Head Naturalist Clinton at naturalist@saxzim.org.
Fall Migration Field Trip
8:00 am- 2:00 pm Meeting at the Welcome Center
Activity Rating: 1-2
Migration in the fall season offers some fun but challenging bird watching in northern Minnesota, as many breeding species start to head south. One of the main challenges in Sax-Zim Bog during fall migration is the sheer abundance of habitat for these en route birds. This is fantastic for the birds, but it can be quite difficult for the birders hoping to see them. This bird-focused field trip will hope to share some of what the Sax-Zim Bog has to offer and demonstrate how to best navigate the area during fall migration.
Register for this field trip here: Fall Migration Field Trip #1
Register for this field trip here: Fall Migration Field Trip #2
Embroidering Bogscapes Workshop
Workshop presented by Allie Aufderheide, artist, educator, and Sax-Zim Bog Summer Artist in Residence participant
11:00- 2:00 pm, meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Cost: $75 FOSZB members and Minnesota Master Naturalists; $90 for Non-members (includes a FOSZB membership)
Register for this workshop here: Embroidering Bogscapes Workshop
Learn the art of embroidery by stitching your favorite bog landscape! In this class, we will learn the basic skills of hand embroidery before diving into the process of composing a landscape, choosing floss colors, and beginning your artwork. Students will learn to use a basic split stitch or straight stitch to mimic brush strokes as they create their artwork.
Students will leave with a completed landscape (or a partially completed piece, with the materials needed to finish it later). No experience is necessary and all materials are provided! Basic comfort with sketching and hand-stitching is helpful, but not required. Students have the option to bring a reference image of a landscape they would like to depict, or use an image provided by the instructor.
This workshop will be led by Allie Aufderheide, a Friends of Sax-Zim Bog Summer Artist in Residence Participant. Allie is an artist and educator living in northern Minnesota, who creates primarily using textile mediums. She is inspired by nature and places she has traveled and/or called home.
Species Finding Field Trip: Grapeferns
10:00- 3:00 pm Meeting at the Lois King Education Center
Activity Rating: 2-3
A new year and a new set of specialized field trips! With all the biodiversity in the greater Sax-Zim Bog ecosystem, there is no way to see everything, especially the uncommon, rare, or difficult to find species that call this place home. Join us on this new field trip to focus on finding one of the coolest groups of ferns: Grapeferns! While this group might not be incredibly diverse, the species diversity in the Sax-Zim Bog is quite good. These cool ferns are somewhat sensitive, but oddly, prefer disturbed habitats! This field trip will require some hiking, but lots of time on your hands and knees searching for this small and delicate ferns!
Register for this field trip here: Species Finding: Grapeferns
Acrylic Painting: Tamaracks
Workshop presented by Lauren Hefty, GreyFoxArtworks
11 am- 3 pm, meeting at the Meadowlands Community Center
Cost: $85 FOSZB members and Minnesota Master Naturalists; $100 Non-members (includes FOSZB membership
Register here: Acrylic Painting Workshop: Tamaracks
Dive into acrylics and learn to paint the unusual but gorgeous Tamarack! A staple tree of northern Minnesota, the Tamarack is a deciduous conifer that turns a flaming golden color in late fall. During class, students will further their painting skills by painting dynamic, vibrant landscapes of this fall favorite. Students should have some knowledge of water-based paint prior to class. Plan on bringing a lunch, snacks, water bottle, etc for this course. All materials for the course will be provided by the instructor!
Lauren Hefty is an illustrator and painter who specializes in natural landscapes, surrealism, and birds. The simple beauty of the outdoors is what inspires her to create. From the cold silence of a winter landscape to the warm, vibrant colors of a spring warbler, Lauren’s work is meant to showcase the diversity of nature in a way that moves the viewer to a sense of nostalgia. She currently creates in her home town of Star Prairie, WI. Lauren is a member of the St. Paul Artist Collective, a board member for Frederic Arts and an Arts Educator for the White Bear Center for the Arts, Glädje Gallery, and Frederic Arts. Lauren’s artwork is currently on display at Glädje Gallery in Lindstrom, MN and at One10 Gallery in Frederic, WI.
*** Field trip list subject to updates and changes! ***
ADDRESS: The address is Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center 8793 Owl Avenue, Toivola, MN 55765
[NOTE: THIS IS NOT A MAILING ADDRESS…but put this address into Google Maps or Apple Maps.]
Directions from Cotton, MN on US HWY 53:
*Go West from Cotton on CR52/Arkola for 11 miles
*Turn South (left) on Owl Avenue
*Go 1.75 miles (second curve) to Welcome Center
Directions from Meadowlands, on CR133…
*Go East on CR133 to CR229/29
*Turn North (left) on CR229/29
*Go North to T at Correction Line Rd
*Turn West (left) on Correction Line Rd
*Road curves North and becomes Owl Ave
*Go North on Owl Avenue for 2.5 miles to Welcome Center
