Field Trips & Programs Winter 2019-2020
The Friends of Sax-Zim Bog is continuing to build and offer diverse programming for all of the seasons! All of the field trips are FREE for members who have donated over $25 in the last year. If you are not a member, the $25 Field Trip fee includes a membership and 12-months of free field trips. If you have any questions about any of the programs, field trips, naturalist hikes, or workshops, please contact Head Naturalist Clinton Nienhaus via email at naturalist@saxzim.org. Contact Sarah info@saxzim.org about membership questions. Field Trip dates are subject to change, but will typically be run rain or shine!
**RSVP is REQUIRED for attendance to programs or field trips**
REGISTER ONLINE HERE
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Winter Birding Preview Field Trip
8:00 am- 1:00 pm Meet at the Welcome Center
Limited to 20 participants
November in the Sax-Zim Bog sees the first of our winter visitors arriving and by the end of November these species are starting to show up in reliable locations. We hope to find some of our winter specialties like Rough-legged Hawk and Northern Shrike, as well as resident species getting ready for the winter, like Canada Jay and Boreal Chickadee. With luck, winter finches should be found as could the first Northern Hawk Owl(s) of the season. Join us on this field trip to see what other species could be find in the pre-winter season at Sax-Zim Bog!
Register for the Winter Birding Preview Field Trip
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Winter Raptors Field Trip
9:00 am- 2:00 pm Meet at the Welcome Center
Limited to 20 participants
Colorful winter finches often get lots of attention from visitors to the Bog in the winter months, but finches are not the only winter visitors to see! This field trip will search the open ag-land and roadsides of the Bog for visitors from the Arctic, such as Rough-legged Hawks, Northern Shrikes, Northern Hawk Owls, and more! This field trip will spend time looking for all manner of birds of prey and other winter visitors to the Sax-Zim Bog.
Register for the Winter Raptors Field Trip
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Winter Birding Field Trip
8:00 am- 2:00 pm Meeting at the Welcome Center
Limited to 18 participants
Warbler Wednesdays are a fixture for summer birding, but we don’t have a counterpart to winter birding… until now! Join us for a few winter birding field trips. The intention of these field trips is to give you an introduction on how to approach birding in the Sax-Zim Bog in the winter months. We will not be targeting owls, but will take a look at any we come across. This is a good field trip series for you to learn how to approach winter birding in the Sax-Zim Bog.
Register for the Winter Birding Field Trip
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Winter through a Hand Lens
10:00- 3:00 pm Meeting at the Welcome Center
Hand lenses are a great way to investigate something up close and personal! Naturalists tend to have a hand lens in their bags, whether or not they use them, as a good way to take a closer look at a subject. In the winter there are still things to look at: snowflakes, insect tunnels in wood, lichens, tree rings… the list goes on! Join us for a new field trip, which will focus on looking at things up close! Please bring a hand lens, and if you do not have one, we have a limited number to use at the Welcome Center (mention you would need a hand lens when you register).
Register for Winter through a Hand Lens
Saturday, January 4, 2020
FOSZB Property Snowshoe Hike: Fringed Gentian Bog
9:00- 1:00pm Meeting at the Welcome Center
Snowshoes are a great way to continue being active during the winter season and are a great way to explore hard to get to locations in the Bog. Join us for a leisurely hike through newly named Fringed Gentian Bog, and learn a little bit about boreal forests and animal sign present during the winter. Snowshoes are required and can be borrowed from the Welcome Center (Limited availability, please RSVP if snowshoes needed)!
Register for FOSZB Property Snowshoe Hike: Fringed Gentian Bog
Sunday, January 5
Tracking and Animal Sign Field Trip
9:00- 1:00pm Meeting at the Welcome Center
Often, when traversing the Sax-Zim Bog, tracks are encountered. But how do you know if you are looking at dog vs wolf tracks? What is the difference between a hole made by a Downy Woodpecker and a Black-backed Woodpecker? We will investigate the activity by critters in the Sax-Zim Bog through an investigation of the area around the Welcome Center.
Register for Tracking and Animal Sign Field Trip
Saturday & Sunday, January 11-12th
Boreal Birds Adventure Weekend
$345 per person [Refundable fully until one-month prior to weekend. After that, 50% refundable.]
Limited to 10
Join us for a multi-day, intensive birding experience and workshop, featuring presentations by Executive Director, Sparky Stensaas, and Head Naturalist, Clinton Nienhaus. Each day will feature birding through northern Minnesota in search of those special species that make the boreal forest home. Days will be long, and probably cold, but we will be in and out of the van. We will not be snowshoeing or doing any major bushwhacking. Most birding will be from roadsides, trails, boardwalk.
Click here for more information and to register for the Boreal Birds Adventure Weekend
Saturday, January 18
FOSZB Property Snowshoe Hike: Winterberry Bog
9:00- 1:00pm Meeting at the Welcome Center
Snowshoes are a great way to continue being active during the winter season and are a great way to explore hard to get to locations in the Bog. Join us for a leisurely hike through Winterberry Bog, and learn a little bit about boreal forests and animal sign present during the winter. Snowshoes are required and can be borrowed from the Welcome Center (Limited availability, please RSVP if snowshoes needed)!
Register for FOSZB Property Snowshoe Hike: Winterberry Bog
Sunday, January 19
Master Naturalist Advanced Training: Winter Birds and Birdwatching
More information and registration can be found on the Minnesota Master Naturalists Website coming soon!
Saturday, January 25
Winter Birding Field Trip
8:00 am- 2:00 pm Meeting at the Welcome Center
Limited to 18 participants
Warbler Wednesdays are a fixture for summer birding, but we don’t have a counterpart to winter birding… until now! Join us for a few winter birding field trips. The intention of these field trips is to give you an introduction on how to approach birding in the Sax-Zim Bog in the winter months. We will not be targeting owls, but will take a look at any we come across. This is a good field trip series for you to learn how to approach winter birding in the Sax-Zim Bog.
Register for the Winter Birding Field Trip
Saturday & Sunday, February 1st-2nd
Boreal Birds Adventure Weekend
$345 per person [Refundable fully until one-month prior to weekend. After that, 50% refundable.]
Limited to 10 (4 spots remaining!)
Join us for a multi-day, intensive birding experience and workshop, featuring presentations by Executive Director, Sparky Stensaas, and Head Naturalist, Clinton Nienhaus. Each day will feature birding through northern Minnesota in search of those special species that make the boreal forest home. Days will be long, and probably cold, but we will be in and out of the van. We will not be snowshoeing or doing any major bushwhacking. Most birding will be from roadsides, trails, boardwalk.
Click here for more information and to register for the Boreal Birds Adventure Weekend
Saturday, February 8
Master Naturalist Advanced Training: Winter Plant Identification
More information and registration can be found on the Minnesota Master Naturalists Website coming soon!
Sunday, February 9
Winter World of Lichens Field Trip
9:00- 2:00 pm Meet at the Welcome Center
Northern Minnesota is home to a diverse lichen community. These species cover nearly 8% of the terrestrial surface of the earth, yet are relatively unknown to most of us. Join us on this trip to get firsthand experience in lichen identification, as well as to learn a few of the more common lichens in our area. During the trip, we will be making small collections of lichens for the Welcome Center or personal use! We MAY utilize snowshoes for this Field Trip (Limited availability, please RSVP if snowshoes needed)!
Register for the Winter World of Lichens Field Trip
Saturday, February 22
Winter Birding Field Trip
8:00 am- 2:00 pm Meeting at the Welcome Center
Limited to 18 participants
Warbler Wednesdays are a fixture for summer birding, but we don’t have a counterpart to winter birding… until now! Join us for a few winter birding field trips. The intention of these field trips is to give you an introduction on how to approach birding in the Sax-Zim Bog in the winter months. We will not be targeting owls, but will take a look at any we come across. This is a good field trip series for you to learn how to approach winter birding in the Sax-Zim Bog.
Register for the Winter Birding Field Trip
Sunday, February 23
FOSZB Property Snowshoe Hike: Blue Dasher Bog
9:00- 1:00pm Meeting at the Welcome Center
Snowshoes are a great way to continue being active during the winter season and are a great way to explore hard to get to locations in the Bog. Join us for a leisurely hike through Blue Dasher Bog, and learn a little bit about boreal forests and animal sign present during the winter. Snowshoes are required and can be borrowed from the Welcome Center ((Limited availability, please RSVP if snowshoes needed)!
Register for FOSZB Property Snowshoe Hike: Blue Dasher Bog
Saturday, February 29
FOSZB Property Snowshoe Hike: Indian Pipe Bog
9:00- 1:00pm Meeting at the Welcome Center
Snowshoes are a great way to continue being active during the winter season and are a great way to explore hard to get to locations in the Bog. Join us for a leisurely hike through Indian Pipe Bog, and learn a little bit about boreal forests and animal sign present during the winter. Snowshoes are required and can be borrowed from the Welcome Center (Limited availability, please RSVP if snowshoes needed)!
Register for FOSZB Property Snowshoe Hike: Indian Pipe Bog
Sunday, March 1
Master Naturalist Advanced Training: Interpreting Nature in Late Winter
More information and registration can be found on the Minnesota Master Naturalists Website coming soon!
Saturday, March 7
Northern Owls Evening Program
4:00- 5:00pm Meeting at the Welcome Center with Owl trip following until 8:00 pm.
Limited to 20 participants
Most often, visitors to the Sax-Zim Bog are looking for owls, but do you really know “hoo” owls are? Come and learn a little about some of the owls that can sometimes be found in the Sax-Zim Bog and the surrounding area. Following a short talk, we will caravan looking for some owls at dusk!
Register for the Northern Owls Evening Program
Sunday, March 8
FOSZB Property Snowshoe Hike: Yellow-bellied Bog
9:00- 1:00pm Meeting at the Welcome Center
Snowshoes are a great way to continue being active during the winter season and are a great way to explore hard to get to locations in the Bog. Join us for a leisurely hike through Yellow-bellied Bog, and learn a little bit about boreal forests and animal sign present during the winter. Snowshoes are required and can be borrowed from the Welcome Center (Limited availability, please RSVP if snowshoes needed)!
Register for FOSZB Property Snowshoe Hike: Yellow-bellied Bog
Directions to Welcome Center on Owl Avenue
Open December 7th, 2019 – March 8th, 2020 10am-3pm daily
**Also marked on our Birding Map
Directions from Cotton, MN on US53…
*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
All field trips are free for members who have donated $25 in the last year. Membership is $25 and includes free entry to any field trip in a 12 month period! Contact Sarah info@saxzim.org about membership questions. If you have any questions about any of the programs, please contact Head Naturalist, Clinton Nienhaus, via email at naturalist@saxzim.org.