Wild Compass Environmental Education

08/10/2026

🌟 Sponsor Spotlight 🌟

A big thank you to Jackson Lions Club for supporting Wild Compass Environmental Education! 💚 Your generosity helps us inspire curiosity, foster a love of nature, and create hands-on learning experiences for children and families across our region.

We appreciate your partnership! 🌿

08/06/2026

The past couple of weeks have been full of adventure at our summer camps!

At Oh, the Nature You Will See Camp, campers built an eagle's nest, explored the trails on a bird hike, and spotted (or heard!) amazing birds like a great blue heron, robins, sedge wrens, and plenty of swallows.

Meanwhile, at Adventures in Art Camp, creativity blossomed as campers collected twigs, leaves, flowers, and other natural treasures to create beautiful nature art. They also made leaf prints and tried flower pounding on fabric to capture nature's colors in a whole new way.

We may have forgotten to snap many photos, but the smiles, laughter, and excitement made these camps unforgettable!

08/03/2026

Our Children's Garden Club is seeing the rewards of their hard work!

The kids discovered baby vegetables growing in the garden! From tiny tomatoes to little cucumbers and more, there's nothing quite like the excitement of watching something you planted come to life.

Every visit brings new discoveries, and we can't wait to see what grows next!

07/31/2026

See you at the Lincoln County Fair!

Swing by the Wild Compass Environmental Education booth for hands-on activities, nature exploration, and plenty of fun for all ages! 🌿🐞

💚 Cardinal Point Club members: Stop by to claim your exclusive Twist Art stencil—available only at our fair booth while supplies last!

We hope you'll stop in and say hello! 👋

07/30/2026

A big THANK YOU to Dewayne and Donna Hage for removing the fallen trees from the Lion's Club Bridge!

Thanks to their generosity, the bridge is open again for everyone to enjoy. We truly appreciate your support and willingness to help keep Sparks Park beautiful and accessible!

07/29/2026

🎡🧭 We're headed to the Jackson County Fair! 🌿

Be sure to stop by the Wild Compass Environmental Education booth while you're enjoying the fair! We'll have hands-on nature activities, fun discoveries, and friendly faces ready to welcome you.

💚 Cardinal Point Club members: Don't forget to pick up your exclusive Twist Art stencil while you're there! It's a special fair-only member perk, so be sure to stop by before they're gone.

We can't wait to see you at the fair! 🌞

07/28/2026

Curiosity

As a kid, you could rarely catch Logan wearing shoes.

Logan loved nature. He was always outside, chasing frogs, catching bugs, and exploring anything he could find. However, he didn’t know how much there was to learn from it. Being outdoors was fun, but it was mostly play. He had never experienced science outside of a classroom.

In third grade, Logan’s class took two field trips with Wild Compass Environmental Education. On the first trip, he explored prairie roots, tree leaves, and animal s**t. The second trip took place at Sparks Park where the class got hands-on with water quality testing. For the first time, learning felt like an adventure. These experiences opened up a whole new world.

After those field trips, Logan’s love for the outdoors grew into a passion for conservation. Today, he is launching the Burn and Bloom project in Jackson. “The inspiration for that started with Wild Compass, learning about the prairies,” Logan shared. “It’s definitely changed my life in a whole different trajectory.”

Thanks to Wild Compass, that barefoot boy’s curiosity has become a calling: to care for the land and inspire others.

Logan understands the importance of organizations like Wild Compass that nurture a passion for nature. “It’s a wonderful program and I’ve certainly gotten a lot out of it just as far as inspiration,” Logan reflected. “This kind of work has always been in the back of my mind thanks to Wild Compass.” Generous donors throughout southwestern Minnesota make this mission possible. Logan’s words to those amazing donors, “Keep supporting!” Thank you to all who allow Wild Compass to impact people’s lives.

07/24/2026

07/22/2026

🎡🌞 Mark your calendars—fair season is here! 🌽🎠

We'll be bringing hands-on nature fun to three county fairs this summer, and we'd love to see you there!

🧭 Jackson County Fair
🧭 Lincoln County Fair
🧭 Murray County Fair

Stop by our booth to explore, learn, and say hello!

💚 Wild Compass Cardinal Point Club members: Be sure to stop by and pick up your exclusive Twist Art stencil—available only at the fairs while supplies last!

We can't wait to see you at the fair!

07/20/2026

A common theme among neighbors is determining what is a w**d, where it gets to grow, and who's yard is a priority. So what exactly is a w**d? Let's break it down.

Dictionary definitions vary but the general theme is any plant competing against a desired plant or growing where it is unwanted. The three most common terms used with w**ds are noxious, invasive, and aggressive. Noxious and Invasive refer to non native species whereas aggressive can apply to native and non native species. Read below to learn more about what separates w**ds apart.