What’s NEW!!
What’s new you ask at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center? Have you changed anything around or added any displays recently?
Well, there is plenty to talk about.
Some of the accomplishments that you will see when you come up to Chik-Wauk this season are actually very large. When you drive in past our gate on the left hand side of the road you will see the brand new timber frame building. This building has been a work in progress for years, and it finally has a home on the Chik-Wauk campus.
It started back in 2016, when 20 volunteer members of the Gunflint Trail Historical Society took part in a 10-day class. It was taught by instructors from the North House Folk School, Peter Hendrickson and Tom Healey. They fashioned the timbers for a 24 x 36 structure.
This past weekend, May 18 – 22 we had 22 volunteers, including 19 of the original class members come up to Chik-Wauk and with the direction of Peter Hendrickson, the timbers were assembled. What a great building this will be to display the historical watercraft of the Gunflint Trail. The next step of this building will be to have a roof put on and enclose it.
The Gunflint Trail Historical Society will celebrate this new structure on July 1 with an open house to include free hot dogs, cake, and ice cream. There will still be much to do on the Watercraft Exhibit Building. The Gunflint Trail Historical Society will be having special fundraisers throughout the season to raise enough funds to complete the displays inside the building.
Thank you to the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation along with the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) for the funding they have already provided to help with the funding of this structure.
The next accomplishment that some may see this summer will be a log interpretative cabin. This will be just up from the Museum on the Moccasin Trail. At the moment the logs are all sitting nicely stacked ready to be assembled. We will keep you informed on this project as the summer goes along.
Chik-Wauk has our local loons back for another season. The couple started sitting on the nest on May 14. We should start to see some babies around the 8 to the 12 of June. We have had success the last few years, we hope not to break our streak. You can view the loon on their nest on the Chik-Wauk website.
The Nature Center has added a Mason bee house this season. It is located on the building to help promote pollinators.
Keep an eye on our calendar of events page on Chik-Wauk website. You will see all the different speakers we have coming up for our Sunday afternoon presentations. You can even print out a monthly calendar of events from our website.