Weekends at Wolf Ridge: North Shore Native Plant Communities
September 27 @ 3:00 p.m. - September 29 @ 3:00 p.m.
$390
Spend a glorious fall weekend on the North Shore of Minnesota gaining hands-on experience and learning from experts in their field.
Workshops take place on the Wolf Ridge campus and surrounding areas, with lodging and meals provided. Whether you’re a seasoned naturalist or just a curious learner, the experience is designed for lifelong learners who have a passion for the natural world. Participants select a single workshop for the weekend but will have an opportunity to connect with other workshop groups during meals and evening programming.
Workshop: North Shore Native Plant Communities
Minnesota is the convergent point of 4 of North America’s major biomes: Aspen Parklands, Prairie Grasslands, Deciduous Forest, and Coniferous Forest; as such, it is home to a great diversity of native plants. These biomes are composed of a mosaic of distinct plant communities (groups of plants that interact with each other and their surrounding environment). Come along and explore a variety of these communities found in and around the Wolf Ridge campus, such as: fens, marshes, cliff and talus slopes, rocky shoreline and many more. Through hands-on exploration we will learn how the MNDNR classifies these communities, discuss the unique ecosystem services that they provide and why they are so important to us and all of the many fungi, mammals, reptiles, lichens, insects, birds, that inhabit them. In this workshop we will zoom in and focus on practicing plant identification skills. We will also zoom out and discuss the relationship between these plants and their environment. We will encounter many fascinating plants, some of them carnivorous, some of them mere inches tall at maturity, some with strikingly beautiful flowers, some of them are some of the rarest plants in the state!
Instructor: Jonny Tostenson
Jonny Tostenson is a naturalist and environmental educator working at Wolf Ridge ELC. He grew up in West-Central MN and has always had a fascination with plants and the vast array of insects that they support. For the past 6 years he has been living along the North Shore with plenty of time to explore and find some pretty cool plants and of course some amazing views. Recently he has really been getting into lichen identification and learning all about them and is especially interested in finding the many extremely rare arctic/alpine disjunct plants and lichens that are present in the North Shore area.
Weekend Workshop Schedule
Friday, Sep 27, 2024
- 3:00 – 4:45 pm — Registration and check-in at the Wolf Ridge office
- 4:00 – 4:45 pm — Tour of the Margaret A. Cargill (MAC) Lodge
- 5:15 pm — Dinner
- 6:00 – 6:30 pm — Orientation in MAC Lodge Weesner Commons
- 7:00 – 9:00 pm — 1st learning session
- 10 pm — Quiet time
Saturday, Sep 28, 2024
- 7:30 am — Breakfast
- 8:30-10:00 am — Continental breakfast for Owl Workshop
- 8:30-11:30 am — 2nd learning session
- 12:15 pm — Lunch and bag lunch
- 1:00 -2:00 pm – Naturalist program
- 1:30 – 4:30 pm — 3rd learning session
- 5:15 pm — Dinner
- 6:30 – 7:15 pm — Evening presentation
- 7:30 – 9:30 pm — Social hour & campfire
- 10:00 pm — Quiet time
Sunday, Sep 29, 2024
- 7:30 am — Breakfast
- 8:30-10:00 am — Continental breakfast for Owl workshop
- *check out of rooms by 10:00 am
- 8:30-11:30 am —4th learning session
- 12:15 pm — Lunch & check-out
- 12:30 – Owl workshop ends
- 12:30-1:30 pm — Optional: Use of designed rooms to shower before leaving
- 1:00-2:00 pm – Naturalist program
On Friday afternoon before registration or on Sunday afternoon you’re welcome to hike our trails and enjoy the fall colors.
Packing List
You should plan to venture out in rain or shine and the instructors may follow up with more information on specific details about your workshop if applicable. You can expect nighttime temperatures to range from 25°F to 50°F and daytime temperatures up to 65°F. Please be prepared so you can feel comfortable if it is cool or rainy. Most of the walking you will do is on nice graveled trails, but some trails are rugged. Photography will be a common thread throughout the weekend so we encourage you to bring a camera. If you do not own a digital camera, we can loan you one for the weekend.
- Rain suit with pants and hood
- Walking or hiking shoes
- Warm jacket
- Sweater or fleece
- Warm hat
- Light shirts
- Light pants
- Wool Socks (recommended for hiking)
- Soap, shampoo, other toiletries
- Personal water bottle
- Sunscreen, sun hat
Optional Items:
- Knee-high rubber boots
- Non-aerosol insect repellent
- Camera
- Sunglasses
- Alarm clock
- Small backpack for day use
- Snacks (space available in group refrigerator)
Wolf Ridge will provide linens, blankets, towels, and a pillow.
