Minnesota Master Naturalist

06/05/2026

You can help protect bumble bees this summer by joining Nest Quest, a public participation science project aimed at finding bumble bee nests and describing their habitat. Researchers from the University of Minnesota Bee Lab are hosting a training on June 17th from 5-7pm at North Mississippi Regional Park. At this training, you will learn about how to participate in Nest Quest, get an overview of project protocols, ask questions, and meet other volunteers. Registration is available at nestquest.umn.edu/events

06/04/2026

Mark your calendar and save the date! The Gathering Partners 2027 Conference will take place at the beautiful St. John's Abbey Arboretum in Collegeville, MN May 21-23, 2027. We'll have a fresh batch of hands-on, expert-led concurrent sessions and field outings about Minnesota's natural environment for you.

06/02/2026

From June 26-28, join naturalists from across Minnesota for an immersive North Woods retreat with Wolf Ridge Naturalists.

Stay on the 2,000-acre Wolf Ridge campus and explore diverse habitats through guided sessions and self-directed adventures on campus, at the Lake Superior Field Station, and in the Superior National Forest.

Connect with fellow naturalists, share knowledge, and discover wetlands, upland forests, cliff communities, and the Lake Superior shoreline. Evenings feature presentations, astronomy, and moth light explorations. This retreat offers both structured learning and time to create your own explorations in one of Minnesota’s wildest regions.

Cost for the weekend is $350 and includes lodging and meals. Registration closes June 14th!

Sign up today by visiting wolf-ridge.org/event/naturalist-retreat/

05/29/2026

A parasitic prairie flower?! 😲

Meet wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis), one of Minnesota’s most unusual native prairie plants. It may look like a somewhat normal wildflower, but underground, it attaches to the roots of nearby plants to steal extra nutrients.

Wood betony is considered “partially parasitic,” meaning it still makes its own energy from sunlight while also tapping into neighboring plants for additional support.

Surprisingly, this relationship may actually help increase prairie diversity by keeping dominant plants from taking over.

Wood betony is blooming right now across Minnesota’s prairies.



Photo: Wood betony at Lost Valley Prairie SNA in Washington County, Minnesota.

05/29/2026

Female birds with confusing names.

05/26/2026

Welcome to the newest members of the Nerd Herd!

Congrats to the recent graduates of the Minnesota Master Naturalist - Wabasha class!

05/21/2026

Did you know you can check out FREE Minnesota State Park passes from participating libraries across the state? 🌲🥾

I LOVE this program. It’s open to everyone, helps remove cost barriers for families, and now includes nearly 200 libraries across all 87 Minnesota counties. 🙌

You can borrow a 7-day pass and explore Minnesota’s beautiful state parks without paying the vehicle entrance fee.

Thanks, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources!

I put together all the details, how it works, and where to find participating libraries here 👇

https://twincitiesfrugalmom.com/2024/06/free-minnesota-state-park-passes-from-participating-minnesota-libraries/

Have you used one of these passes yet? What’s your favorite Minnesota state park?

Image: Minnesota DNR

05/19/2026

Gathering Partners is a wrap! Minnesota Master Naturalists, AIS Detectors, The Bell Museum BIPOC Co-hort and a few other nature enthusiasts spent the weekend implementing the Naturalist Practices Framework as shared by Wolf Ridge Naturalist, Joe Walewski. We SLOWED DOWN, NOTICED OUR SURROUNDINGS, GATHERED INFORMATION and SHARED WITH OTHERS! It was an excellent weekend! Thanks to everyone who was there for making it a great experience.

If you couldn't be there, you can mark you calendar for next year's conference to be held at St. John's University in Collegeville, May 21- 23, 2027!

Joe W shared his thoughts, and resources on his blog! check it out at: https://fieldnotesjoewalewski.blogspot.com/2026/05/gathering-partners-practices.html