The inaugural meeting of the Twin Cities Chapter of Minnesota Master Naturalists took place at Fort Snelling State Park in September of 2009. A five-person Chapter Coordinating Committee along with at least eighteen committee and event volunteers set out to establish a officially-certified chapter, and to offer a full slate of meetings and events during 2010.
How did this go?
With the election of officers during our September business meeting, our chapter is now official! Our new President is Ilene Coon, our Vice President is Janie O'Connor, and Tom Hamel serves as our Treasurer. (The office of Secretary remains unfilled at this time.) Our chapter is sponsored by Fort Snelling State Park interpretive naturalist Linda Radimecky. Other milestones included the creation of this website, and an announcement mailing list hosted by Yahoo that currently boasts 49 subscribers. During our first full year as a chapter, we've kept to a busy schedule: five regular meetings, four field trips, five book club meetings, and several volunteer opportunities. Below is a quick recap of the year.
Meetings
In 2010 we met regularly on the second Wednesday of every odd-numbered month except May (the month of the MMN Annual Conference). All of our meetings were held at the Visitor's Center at Fort Snelling State Park.
At January's meeting we heard from Dr. Ann Kessen, the current President of the Minneosta Ornithologist's Union (MOU) and a professor of biology at Century College. Dr. Kessen spoke on the subject of global climate change and its possible effects on the flora and fauna of Minnesota.
In March, Anne Murphy of the Minnesota Land Trust presented an overview of the program and all of the good that it does in this state. She shared anecdotes and insights from her twelve years with the program.
Dawn Flinn of the Minnesota DNR spoke on the subject "Minnesota Wildlife and Habitat" at our July meeting, and presented us with a hands-on quiz using more that 40 specimens of Minnesota flora and fauna. This meeting was planned as a pot luck picnic at Fort Snelling's Picnic Island. Rain drove us indoors where we enjoyed the pot luck without the barbecue.
The President of the Bush Lake Chapter of the Izaak Walton League, John Crampton, spoke at our September meeting. His memorable talk recalled the rich history of the League in Minnesota and across the country, and told the story of the pivotal role it played in setting aside land that later became the core of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (MVNWR).
In November, at our last meeting of the year, Dr. Leif Hembre of Hamline University presented a talk on the "Causes and Consequences of Eutrophication." He explained how nitrogen and phosphorus are impacting our lakes and streams, and displayed data-based graphical comparisons of lakes in various trophic states.
Field Trips
The Chapter Activities Committee arranged and conducted four field trips in 2010.
In May, we visited the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (WRC) in Roseville. The WRC's Communications Director Tami Vogel provided an overview of the Center's work, and staff members demonstrated various rehabilitation techniques. Fourteen TCCMMN members attended the event.
On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in June, under the tutelage of park ranger Judy Geck, a group of us saw a short film and toured the the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Reserve.
We visited the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory on Hennepin Island in Minneapolis in August. Man Liang server as our tour guide, and explained the mission and work of the world's only fluid-mechanics laboratory that uses a natural waterfall as its prime water source.
Pete Clearly conducted an early October tour of West Saint Paul's Dodge Nature Center for us. Eight of us enjoyed the opportunity to see and identify the property's wealth of native prairie flowers and grasses, as well as a hands-on visit to the Center's working farm.
Volunteer Opportunities
Chapter members were given the opportunity to participate in Fort Snelling State Park's "Green Touch Day" in May.
In July, TCCMMN members joined forces with the National Park Service and others to do some brush hauling in a new addition to the Mississippi National River and Recreation area. (That's Tom Hamel at left, smiling as he hauls buckthorn.)
Liz Stanley will introduce participating TCCMMN members to the Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count on December 18 in and around Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield.
We have an opportunity to pitch in at Fort Snelling's annual "New Years Eve Candlelight Walk and Ice Skating" event. (Contact Linda Radimecky if you would like to volunteer to help.)
Bookclub
Alison Rotel and Lee Scholder organized a Chapter Book Club and conducted five meetings in 2010 at a couple of different Minneapolis cafes. Book clubbers read and discussed:
- Bernd Heinrich - Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival
- Aldo Leopold - A Sand County Almanac
- Terry Tempest Williams - An Unspoken Hunger
- Rachel Carson - Silent Spring
- Sue Halpern - Four Wings and a Prayer: Caught in the Mystery of the Monarch Butterfly
Looking Forward
It was a busy year, and we are excited to continue to build our group in 2011.
