Outdoors and Recreation
Wednesday Night Sailboat Races
Duluth Yacht Club runs sailboat races every Wednesday night at 6:15 from mid May to early September on Lake Superior and the Duluth-Superior Harbor within approximately 10 miles of the Duluth Shipping Channel. Fitger’s Brewing Complex Courtyard and other stops along the Lakewalk offer particularly good vantage points.
[arve url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD4nrLin9Lw” /]
Introduction to Mosses Field Trip
Journey into the world of mosses on this introductory field trip discussing both the natural history and identification of this diverse and challenging group. Mosses are all around in the Sax-Zim Bog, and they make up an important part in both the creation and support of bog ecosystems. However, mosses and their bryophyte relatives can be difficult to identify. With a group of species that is hard to identify, it is always a good approach to start by learning the familiar and common species. This field trip uses this approach to help familiarize attendees with common mosses.
Field Trip attendance is free for Friends of Sax-Zim Bog members. The $25 membership fee covers free entry to all field trips and programs, excluding workshops, in a 12-month period.
Registration is required at saxzim.org. Registrants meet at the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center and Lois King Education Center at 10 a.m. The field trip concludes at 2 p.m.
Tiger Beetles Field Trip
Tiger beetles are a colorful, yet overlooked group of beetles that are becoming quite popular to amateur entomologists and naturalists. The species is often found in gravel pits or open sandy areas. Their large eyes, bright colors and tenacious attitudes are something to experience. Participants in this field trip learn a little more about these colorful and fast predators. The trip will likely encounter all eight species of tiger beetle in the region, with a chance to document the final species present in the region.
Field Trip attendance is free for Friends of Sax-Zim Bog members. The $25 membership fee covers free entry to all field trips and programs, excluding workshops, in a 12-month period.
Registration is required at saxzim.org. Registrants meet at the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center and Lois King Education Center at noon. The field trip concludes at 5 p.m.
Wednesday Night Sailboat Races
Duluth Yacht Club runs sailboat races every Wednesday night at 6:15 from mid May to early September on Lake Superior and the Duluth-Superior Harbor within approximately 10 miles of the Duluth Shipping Channel. Fitger’s Brewing Complex Courtyard and other stops along the Lakewalk offer particularly good vantage points.
[arve url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD4nrLin9Lw” /]
Spiders and Webs Field Trip
Spiders are an interesting bunch: some folks 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 more than 130 species of spider, including several first state records and dozens of new county record species documented in the past few years. This field trip is a chance to learn a little more about the many different species of spiders in Minnesota and spend some time observing these misunderstood critters.
Field trip attendance is free for Friends of Sax-Zim Bog members. The $25 membership fee covers free entry to all field trips and programs, excluding workshops, in a 12-month period.
Registration is required at saxzim.org. Registrants meet at the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center and Lois King Education Center at noon. The field trip concludes at 5 p.m.
Wednesday Night Sailboat Races
Duluth Yacht Club runs sailboat races every Wednesday night at 6:15 from mid May to early September on Lake Superior and the Duluth-Superior Harbor within approximately 10 miles of the Duluth Shipping Channel. Fitger’s Brewing Complex Courtyard and other stops along the Lakewalk offer particularly good vantage points.
[arve url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD4nrLin9Lw” /]
Late-Season Wildflowers Field Trip
By late August and September, many plants have begun to prepare for the fall season: setting seed, dropping leaves, or putting out new growth. However, there is still a lot of blooming yet to be done during the later parts of summer by a wide range of species — especially by species that thrive in and near wetlands. This field trip aims for an encounter with at least one orchid species, as well as a suite of wetland species and some spectacular fall blooming species like Greater Fringed Gentian.
Field Trip attendance is free for Friends of Sax-Zim Bog members. The $25 membership fee covers free entry to all field trips and programs, excluding workshops, in a 12-month period.
Registration is required at saxzim.org. Registrants meet at the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center and Lois King Education Center at 10 a.m. The field trip concludes at 3 p.m.
Galls and Leaf Miner Exploration Field Trip
This new field trip offers an introductory look into the weird, wonderful world of flies, moths and mites, and the often identifiable signs they create on plants. Explore and learn to start noticing the easily-overlooked evidence of these creatures on leaves, stems and branches. Hand lenses are available for use during the field trip.
Field Trip attendance is free for Friends of Sax-Zim Bog members. The $25 membership fee covers free entry to all field trips and programs, excluding workshops, in a 12-month period.
Registration is required at saxzim.org. Registrants meet at the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center and Lois King Education Center at 10 a.m. The field trip concludes at 3 p.m.
Wednesday Night Sailboat Races
Duluth Yacht Club runs sailboat races every Wednesday night at 6:15 from mid May to early September on Lake Superior and the Duluth-Superior Harbor within approximately 10 miles of the Duluth Shipping Channel. Fitger’s Brewing Complex Courtyard and other stops along the Lakewalk offer particularly good vantage points.
[arve url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD4nrLin9Lw” /]
Fall Migration Field Trip #1
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 seeks to share some of what the Sax-Zim Bog has to offer and demonstrate how to best navigate the area during fall migration.
Field Trip attendance is free for Friends of Sax-Zim Bog members. The $25 membership fee covers free entry to all field trips and programs, excluding workshops, in a 12-month period.
Registration is required at saxzim.org. Registrants meet at the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center and Lois King Education Center at 8 a.m. The field trip concludes at 2 p.m.
Fall Migration Field Trip #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 seeks to share some of what the Sax-Zim Bog has to offer and demonstrate how to best navigate the area during fall migration.
Field trip attendance is free for Friends of Sax-Zim Bog members. The $25 membership fee covers free entry to all field trips and programs, excluding workshops, in a 12-month period.
Registration is required at saxzim.org. Registrants meet at the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center and Lois King Education Center at 8 a.m. The field trip concludes at 2 p.m.
Species Finding Field Trip: Grapeferns
With all the biodiversity in the greater Sax-Zim Bog ecosystem, seeing the uncommon, rare or difficult-to-find species can require special, targeted effort. This is the fourth of this year’s new, species-focused field trip series. The trip is focused on finding one of the coolest groups of ferns: Grapeferns! These little ferns are somewhat sensitive, but, oddly, they prefer disturbed habitats. This trip explores the species diversity of Grapeferns in the Sax-Zim Bog. Attendees can expect some hiking and lots of time on their hands and knees searching for these small and delicate ferns.
Field Trip attendance is free for Friends of Sax-Zim Bog members. The $25 membership fee covers free entry to all field trips and programs, excluding workshops, in a 12-month period. Registrants meet at the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center and Lois King Education Center at 10 a.m. The field trip concludes at 3 p.m.
Free Park Day
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources offers free admission to all 75 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas on four days each year. On Free Park Days the DNR waives the requirement for a vehicle permit to enter state parks and recreation areas. The entrance fee waiver does not cover activities like camping, rentals or tours.
The goal of Free Park Days is to get all Minnesotans outdoors.
For more information, contact the DNR Information Center by emailing info.dnr @ state.mn.us or by calling 888-646-6367 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.