Nature Neighbors

06/10/2026

What an amazing day shared together in nature! 🍄🌻🌲🌞🐝🦋
Thank you, Bemidji Pioneer!

Alongside food and community camaraderie, several sites and scenes presented themselves as part of the second annual Nature Neighbors Festival, held at the Rail River Folk School.

06/07/2026

Extra shout outs to Let's Plant Trees for donating a tree for every family, and to Hill's Country Greenhouse for donating pots and soil for families to plant herbs, sunflowers, and squash. 💚 🤎

06/07/2026

Thank you for being our Nature Neighbors at our 2nd annual Family Festival! 🦋🌞🌲

Stay tuned for next year's plans!

Huge thanks to our local talent featuring Bemidji Community Theater's Kidz Clubhouse, Addie Dauner, Vince Noble, and Matt Lavrenz. 🙌

Our partners in planning this year were Lakeland PBS, Apple Blossom Village, Neilson Spearhead Nature Preserve, Bemidji Early Childhood Collaborative, and Pine Pals Intergenerational Learning Child Care and Preschool. 💕

Organizations tabling this year, joining our partners listed above, were Hubbard County Master Gardeners, Happy Dancing Turtle, Schoolcraft Learning Community, Beltrami County History Center, Bemidji Community Theater, student Conservation Crew representing Aurora Waasakone Community of Learners and Conservation Minnesota, Suitcases to Souvenirs, Light and Learn, LLC, Peacemaker Resources, Kids Count On Us, Leech Lake Early Childhood, Pumpkin Seed Farm Stand, Headwaters School of Music & the Arts, Minwaadizi Center, and Birds, Bees, and Butterflies. 🐦 🐝 🦋

06/07/2026

In 2025, a group of women in Bemidji looked at our beautiful Northwoods and saw an opportunity. We wanted to create a space where cost wasn't a barrier and where every family could feel the magic of our local ecosystem. 🌱

🦋 Nature Neighbors became a joyful celebration of connection with our natural world and our community organizations and individuals who pour their passion into creating experiences for families to get outside, get their hands dirty, and bask in the beauty nature provides to nourish our well-being.

Thank you to our event sponsors who helped us keep the event free, to all of our vibrant vendors, the food trucks, and to all of you who came out to enjoy hands-on projects, live music, and time together in nature.

More photos to come! 🤗

06/06/2026

Today is the Day!
Nature Neighbor's Event begins at 3:00 pm in the Outdoor Space at Rail River Folk School!

Ready to plan your day at the Nature Neighbors Festival? 🗺️🍂

We’ve packed the schedule with incredible experiences celebrating the beauty of our local environment. Bring the whole family out to enjoy a full day of community and conservation!
Here is a sneak peek at the schedule:
✨ Opening
🧸 Live Puppet Show
🎭 Performance by the Bemidji Community Theater Kidz Club
🎸 Live local music
🎨 Hands-on activity booths

A massive thank you to our incredible local sponsors who make free community events like this possible.

Drop a comment if we'll see you there! 👇

06/05/2026

🌿 NATURE NEIGHBORS SPOTLIGHT! 🦅✨
We are honored to welcome Sacred Bundle and the Minwaadizi Initiative at our upcoming festival!

Minwaadizi means “one who leads a good life” in Ojibwe, and their incredible team is dedicated to reconnecting our community with the land, traditional knowledge, and Anishinaabe culture. Be sure to connect with their team, learn more about their amazing community-led work in our region, and discover beautiful ways to honor and care for the natural world around us.

06/05/2026

Thank you for this coverage, Bemidji Pioneer! Tomorrow will be so much fun!

The second annual Nature Neighbors Festival will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, at the Rail River Folk School.

06/05/2026

2026 Nature Neighbors Family Festival is tomorrow! Although the online sale is over and shirts are ready, we WILL have a limited number of t-shirts available for sale at the event! See you there!

06/04/2026

🌿 NATURE NEIGHBORS SPOTLIGHT! 🐝🦉✨
We are so excited that "Birds, Bees, & Butterflies" will be joining us at Nature Neighbors! Erika Bailey-Johnson will be hosting a wonderful space for families to learn more about our favorite pollinators. 🌸

This booth is the perfect spot for young explorers to discover the amazing pollinators and winged friends that share our neighborhoods. Come say hi and learn how to connect with the nature in your own backyard! 🦋👀

06/03/2026

Looking for a fun, screen-free activity for the kids? Stop by and visit Suitcases to Souvenirs by Rachel O'Grady during the Nature Neighbors Festival! 🎒✨

Rachel specializes in planning personalized, unforgettable travel experiences for families and groups. At the festival, she’s bringing that same spirit of connection to the kids with a special interactive booth!

📝 The Activity: Kids get to design and write their very own custom postcards.

❤️ The Mission: Unplug from the digital world and share meaningful, screen-free messages with loved ones.
It’s the perfect way for little ones to disconnect from screens and connect through the joy of a handwritten note. 🌲✨