Chik-Wauk Nature Center Program Ideas

Are you someone that is curious and enjoys learning about the natural world?

Do you enjoy hiking, bird watching, following tracks, or identifying plants?

Chik-Wauk Nature Center, is in the beginning stages of offering two types of new programs at our facility.

• The first program that would be offered is the Minnesota Master Naturalist course. Becoming a Minnesota Master Naturalist is easy! You can view the requirements by going to the Minnesota Master Naturalist website. This Master Naturalist Training focuses on the North Woods, Great Lakes (NWGL) biome found in northeastern Minnesota. You will gain valuable skills for exploring the animals, plants, geology, hydrology, ecology, cultural history and future of the NWGL area of Minnesota. Classes will meet for approximately eleven weeks (consisting of 40 hours, which include class time and 2 full day field trips) from June through mid-August 2018, and attendance is required to complete the requirements to become a Master Naturalist. Participants will also complete a group capstone service project.  Meeting times will be 5:00 to 8:30 pm on either Sunday or Monday (depending on the response). The program cost is $275 and includes course manuals and supplies. If the course cost is a hardship, there is a scholarship application that can be filled out.

• The second program Chik-Wauk Nature Center would like to offer is for folks who would like to be more involved in, Phenology. Last season we had a few of the volunteers and board members begin this easy-to-learn citizen science program called Nature’s Notebook. Nature’s Notebook is maintained by the National Phenological Network, and you can view a brief video here. The program offers an opportunity to observe and record seasonal changes of selected species located on Chik-Wauk property. The information that is being recorded is then entered into a national database. As the recorded data accumulates, the program provides for graphing those changes nationally and locally to reveal how climate change affects the plants and animals in our region.To continue Natures Notebook at Chik-Wauk, we need volunteers interested in participating in this program during the months of May through October.  We would be very happy for you to join us. An one-hour introduction/training course will be provided. There will be no fee for this program.

In order to offer these programs we need to hear from you, send your comments to info@chikwauk.com