Saturday May 16

Presenters: John Loegering

Level of activity:  A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Experienced

Presenter Biography:

• John is a Certified Wildlife Biologist, Professor of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Minnesota Crookston, and an Extension Wildlife Specialist.  He has worked with the University of Minnesota Extension on wildlife-related issues with the Master Naturalist, Master Gardener, and Woodland Adviser programs since 2001.  He regularly speaks to groups on human-wildlife interactions, wildlife damage management, and enhancing landscapes for wildlife.  John holds a BS in Biology and Zoology from North Dakota State University, a MS and PhD in Wildlife Science from Virginia Tech and Oregon State University, respectively. 

Presenters:  Kacey Tait

Description:  Whether you are new to guiding nature walks or a seasoned expert looking to share your tips, this collaborative nature walk is designed to gather and grow skills in trail interpretation. Explore techniques in open-ended questioning, creating weather-ready teaching supplies on a budget, trail safety, and using your environment to keep audiences engaged.

Level of activity:  A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Presenter Biography:

• With degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (Wildlife Ecology) and Miami University of Ohio (Biological Teaching), Kacey brings over a decade of experience in environmental education, ranging from instruction to curriculum development to program leadership, throughout the north-central states. She is trained as a Certified Interpretive Guide, Wilderness First Responder, and has taught in forest schools in Wisconsin and Illinois.

Presenters:  Misi Stine

Description:  There are many teaching techniques in environmental education to connect with your audience and deliver content. This session will explore the use of storytelling to deliver education messages that are memorable to participants and discuss how we can use storytelling to build relationships with a diverse audience.

Level of activity:  Inactive

Audience Experience Level:  Beginner, Intermediate

Presenter Biography:

• Misi Stine has worked in environmental education for more than 25 years. Misi is passionate about her work and enjoys working with people with diverse perspectives. Her background in psychology and communication gives her a unique lens.  

Presenters:  Megan Farka

Description:  Climate change can feel like an issue that is too big for one individual. This session will focus on creating action steps that you can take into your community to create real change. Move from imagining the future to helping shape it!

Level of activity:  A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Presenter Biography:

• Megan (she/her) has always had a passion for environmental education and has taught students and adults of all ages. She is excited to expand the Bell Museum’s programming throughout the state by creating and delivering engaging science-based programs for classrooms, camps, and outreach events. Outside of work, she loves to be outside enjoying nature with her family or cozying up with a craft.

Presenter:  Phylesha Grauman

Description:  Each spring, Minnesota’s forests offer a brief, but rewarding, harvest. Fiddlehead ferns! This presentation introduces participants to the art of safely foraging edible spring greens while learning to confidently distinguish true fiddleheads from look-alikes that could introduce toxicity. We’ll explore ethical harvesting, preparation methods like blanching and freezing, and the nutritional benefits of this asparagus-like delicacy. While foraging alone can be peaceful, sharing the adventure with families and children can bring a special kind of joy, curiosity, and connection to nature. Join us to learn, explore, and savor the sumptuous but brief offering of a MN spring!

Level of activity:  A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner

Presenter Biography:

• I am a mother of eleven beautiful children and have spent over twenty years homeschooling while weaving nature-based learning into daily life. Much of my time is spent outdoors foraging, exploring, gardening, and preserving food through canning, freezing, processing, and other traditional methods. For the past six years, I have operated an in-home forest school childcare program serving my community. I am a Certified Lactation Consultant, Community Health Worker, Notary Public, and Qualified Trainer in multiple fields and capacities.  Nature is more than a hobby for me—it is how I breathe, learn, teach, and connect families to resilience, health, and the living landscape around them.

Presenters:  Ya Yang, Matthew Meshulam, and George Weiblen 

Description:  The Bell Museum is developing a new website, Minnesota Flora, to preserve long-term access to the popular Minnesota Wildflowers Information (https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/) in partnership with its founder Katy Chayka. The new website features a modern database and user interface, improved plant identification tools, and integration with the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas specimen database and iNaturalist citizen observations. We will guide participants through beta-testing the new website for functionality and ease of use, and gather feedback to further improve it. We will also discuss general strategies for plant identification using digital tools. Participants will be rewarded with a gift card for completing their homework. We ask participants to bring a laptop to the workshop. 

Level of activity:  A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Experienced

Presenter Biography: Dr. Ya Yang is an associate professor of Plant Biology at the University of Minnesota and Curator of Plants at the University of Minnesota Herbarium. She teaches General Botany at the University of Minnesota, and her research interests are in plant systematics -- how plants evolve, diversify, and how their morphology, biochemistry, and genomic features change over time. 

Matthew is a software engineer at the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute.  He is the lead developer of the new Minnesota Flora website. Prior to joining MSI, Matthew worked as a software engineer in the e-commerce, data analytics, and finance industries. He has extensive experience developing, maintaining, securing, and scaling web applications. 

Dr. Weiblen is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Science Director & Herbarium Curator, Bell Museum, University of Minnesota. Dr. Weiblen's research involves tropical forest dynamics, community ecology, coevolution in fig-pollination systems, Cannabis genetics, biotic responses to climate change, floristics, and biodiversity conservation. He teaches Minnesota Flora and World Flora at the University of Minnesota.  

Presenter:  Benjamin Gieseke

Description:  Are you interested in birding, but not sure where to start? Do you have an old pair of binoculars lying around that you aren't sure how to use? Come learn from DNR Wildlife Education Coordinator Benjamin Gieseke how to get started birding, select your optics, and start ID'ing your neighborhood birds with confidence! Participants will learn how to select the right pair of binoculars for them, set up and use them properly, and introductory strategies and tools for identifying birds. This presentation will include some time outside putting our skills to work.

Level of activity:  A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Participants are encouraged to bring their own binoculars and bird identification books as well as smartphones, however none are required. Binoculars will be provided for participant use. 

Presenter Biography:

• Naturalist, youth worker, and Minnesota Master Naturalist instructor, Benjamin Gieseke is an experienced environmental educator who believes that building understanding of the natural world is the key to cultivating an ethic of stewardship and care for it. Benjamin currently works for the Minnesota DNR Nongame Wildlife Program, where he runs Bird by Bird, a birdwatching program serving St. Paul and Minneapolis area schools, as well as a teen-focused career pathways program (EPIC). Benjamin previously worked as a naturalist at Camp Fire MN, holds a BS in Environmental Science, and is in the MA program for Environmental Education at Hamline University.

Presenters:  Jeffrey Flory

Description:   At this session, you’ll learn the basics to help you identify aquatic plants, along with some of the more common species you are likely to encounter.  This is typically an all-day training that the DNR provides in the summer, so this 60-minute session will focus on learning the invasive aquatic plants and the native plants that can be confused with them, plus a few bonus native species.

Level of activity:  A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner

Presenter Biography:

• Jeffrey Flory is an Aquatic Invasive Species Specialist who works for the Ecological and Water Resources Unit at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Presenters:  Michelle Davis

Description:  Come enjoy a session of field sketching/nature journaling!  Learn about releasing drawing expectations, using your natural curiosity and observational skills to connect with nature in this unique way. We’ll start indoors, seeing examples and learning tips, and then we’ll shift to the arboretum grounds for an open practice session. This will have a plant-life focus. 

Level of activity:  A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Presenter Biography:

• Michelle Davis is an artist and scientific illustrator focused on the natural world and working in both traditional media like watercolor and digital software like Photoshop. She previously gained close to 15 years experience as a production artist and production manager in the field of medical illustration and animation. Her formal education includes a B.A. in Graphic Design and B.S. in Neuroscience from Drake University, and an M.S. in Medical Illustration from Augusta University. She lives in the greater Twin Cities area of Minnesota, with her husband, 2 cats, and 2 school age children. mdavisstudios.com

Presenters:  Heather Holm

Description:  Did you know that we have over 500 species of bees in Minnesota? Learn about their astounding diversity, nesting and plant preferences, habitat, and lastly, rare specialist bees. Female native bee specialists or oligoleges collect pollen from a narrow range of native plants; this could mean just one plant genus or species, or many genera that belong to one plant family. Explore many of these native plant-bee specializations as well as the overlapping habitat requirements of the bees and plants. Lastly, learn about a new free public resource and website project, Minnesota Native Bees, and how to use this resource that illustrates the 500+ species that occur in Minnesota. www.BeesMN.org

Level of activity:  Inactive

Audience Experience Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Experienced

Presenter Biography:

• Heather Holm is a pollinator conservationist and award-winning author of four books: Pollinators of Native Plants (2014), Bees (2017), Wasps (2021), and Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States (2022). Both Bees and Wasps have won multiple book awards including the American Horticultural Society Book Award (2018 and 2022 respectively). She is the founder and chair of Minnesota Native Bees, an online field guide illustrating the native bees of Minnesota and beyond. Heather’s expertise includes the interactions between native pollinators and native plants, and the natural history and biology of native bees and predatory wasps. 

Presenters:  Melissa Boman

Description:  Join DNR Bat Biologist Melissa Boman to learn about community initiatives and methods for monitoring bat populations. Participants will learn about current bat conservation efforts, population status in Minnesota, and a new participatory science program led by the Nongame Community Science Program to aid statewide monitoring efforts. Dive into the unique ecology of bats and learn how summer roosts, such as bat boxes, are supporting the next generation of bats. Methods for identifying bat roosts, conducting evening roost emergence counts, and deploying ultrasonic acoustic detectors for bats will be shared.   

Level of activity:  Inactive

Audience Experience Level: Beginner

Presenter Biography:

• Melissa Boman has been working with MBS as a mammal survey specialist since 2016. She is the lead for monitoring and survey activities related to bats and small mammals. Bat work has included statewide acoustic monitoring for the North American Bat Monitoring Program, locating maternity roosts for the federally-endangered Northern Long-eared Bat, winter surveys to monitor the spread of White-nose Syndrome in hibernating bats, and investigating strategies for improving the use of bat boxes as a conservation tool. 

Presenters:  Wabishkii Noozhek - Erin Delaney

Description:  Join members of Bell Museum staff and BIPOC Cohort for a practical session on making nature programs more welcoming. We’ll share universal design strategies that support Accessibility, cultural diversity, and different lived experiences in outdoor spaces leading to a more welcoming environment and greater diversity of participation. 

Level of activity:  A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Presenter Biography:

• Wabishkii Noozhek - Erin Delaney, Bell Museum Staff, and Bell Museum BIPOC Cohort Member

Presenters:  Roger Sorensen

Description:  This outdoor workshop in the Gustavus Arboretum will review pollinator survey methodology. Then you’ll team up & walk a warm-up casual survey to work on pollinator and host ID. Use iNaturalist to record observations. For a more formal survey you’ll set transects and walk a timed survey. After that the teams will report observations and debrief.

Level of activity:  Moderately active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Experienced

Presenter Biography: Roger Sorensen has been mucking about outdoors since age four in Michigan. Eventually, he grew up (sort of) and took a BA in Biology and MS in Ecology from Case Western Reserve Univ., then taught Biology, Naturalist Studies, and Environmental Studies until 1994 at Jordan College. Following a slow slide into Information Technology, he was seduced by the dark side (administration) and moved to Minnesota as an Academic Technologist for CSB / SJU. Upon retiring, he returned to his roots and joined MN Master Naturalists. He’s currently VP of Central Chapter and a Director for St. Cloud Wild Ones.

Presenters:  Amy Rager

Description:  Gyotaku is the art of fish printing, once used as a method for fishermen to keep track of their catch, it has become a modern art form.  Come and learn how to create beautiful fish prints, and teach about the anatomy of fish.  

Level of activity:  A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Experienced

Presenter Biography: Amy Rager is an Extension Educator and Professor with the Minnesota Master Naturalist program, specializing in volunteer engagement. She is passionate about teaching natural resources and has been creating fish prints for over 25 years. Amy combines her expertise and enthusiasm to inspire others in environmental education and conservation.

Presenters:  John Loegering

Description:  What IS actually in the water we see every day?  Come and find out!  Participants will have the opportunity to find and identify macroinvertebrates that are found in water at Gustavus!  You will learn how these small creatures can give us an indication of the water quality.

Level of activity:  Moderately active

Audience Experience Level:  Beginner

Presenter Biography: John is a Certified Wildlife Biologist, Professor of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Minnesota Crookston, and an Extension Wildlife Specialist.  He has worked with the University of Minnesota Extension on wildlife-related issues with the Master Naturalist, Master Gardener, and Woodland Adviser programs since 2001.  He regularly speaks to groups on human-wildlife interactions, wildlife damage management, and enhancing landscapes for wildlife.  John holds a BS in Biology and Zoology from North Dakota State University, a MS and PhD in Wildlife Science from Virginia Tech and Oregon State University, respectively. 

Presenters:  Tanner Barnharst

Description:  Join Tanner Barnharst to touch and learn lichens! You will learn how lichens are classified and which ones you are most likely to encounter. Tanner will share tools and resources to help you get closer to the world of lichens!

Tanner is a published author, naturalist, photographer, and educator. He published the Minnesota Lichen Guide in 2025 and he has been educating for over 15 years!

Level of activity: A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner

Presenter Biography: Tanner Barnharst published the Minnesota Lichen Guide for the MN Master Naturalist program in 2024 and has since sold 500 copies. Tanner has been leading mushroom and lichen walks for 10 years and holds a BS in Microbiology and an MS in Environmental Engineering. 

Presenters:  Ya Yang, Matthew Meshulam, and George Weiblen 

Description:  The Bell Museum is developing a new website, Minnesota Flora, to preserve long-term access to the popular Minnesota Wildflowers Information (https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/) in partnership with its founder Katy Chayka. The new website features a modern database and user interface, improved plant identification tools, and integration with the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas specimen database and iNaturalist citizen observations. We will guide participants through beta-testing the new website for functionality and ease of use, and gather feedback to further improve it. We will also discuss general strategies for plant identification using digital tools. Participants will be rewarded with a gift card for completing their homework. We ask participants to bring a laptop to the workshop. 

Level of activity:  A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Experienced

Presenter Biography: Dr. Ya Yang is an associate professor of Plant Biology at the University of Minnesota and Curator of Plants at the University of Minnesota Herbarium. She teaches General Botany at the University of Minnesota, and her research interests are in plant systematics -- how plants evolve, diversify, and how their morphology, biochemistry, and genomic features change over time. 

Matthew is a software engineer at the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute.  He is the lead developer of the new Minnesota Flora website. Prior to joining MSI, Matthew worked as a software engineer in the e-commerce, data analytics, and finance industries. He has extensive experience developing, maintaining, securing, and scaling web applications. 

Dr. Weiblen is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Science Director & Herbarium Curator, Bell Museum, University of Minnesota. Dr. Weiblen's research involves tropical forest dynamics, community ecology, coevolution in fig-pollination systems, Cannabis genetics, biotic responses to climate change, floristics, and biodiversity conservation. He teaches Minnesota Flora and World Flora at the University of Minnesota.  

Presenters:  Dr. Paul Red Elk

Description:   Dive into the different oak tree medicines with Dr. Paul Red Elk. Learn how different parts of the tree are used for herbal medicine along with their cultural connections. This session will be a mixture of lecture and outdoor learning and exploration.

Level of activity:  A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Experienced

Presenter Biography: Dr. Paul Red Elk is a member of the Mnikoju Lakota tribe (pronounced Miniconjou (plants by water)). He is of the grizzly bear clan and grew up on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. He was trained in medicine by his grandparents since childhood. Paul is also trained in Dakota, Anishinaabe, Ho Chunk, Chippewa, Onida, Sac and Fox. Additionally, he is trained in Western Herbalism.

Presenter:  Emily Stone

Description: Treasure Finders are magical, inexpensive, and easy-to-carry teaching tools that work with any age group. They challenge students (and you!) to find value in the most unexpected parts of nature while honing observation skills and deepening connection. Naturalist/Education Director Emily Stone will inspire you to incorporate Treasure Finders into your next field day or nature walk. 

Level of activity:  Moderately active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner

Presenter Biography:

• • Emily Stone is a naturalist by birth, training, profession and passion. A childhood spent as a “mud and water daughter” in NE Iowa led to a degree in outdoor education with a minor in geology from Northland College and a Field Naturalist Master’s from the University of Vermont. As the Naturalist/Education Director at the Cable Natural History Museum in Cable, Wisconsin, Emily writes a weekly “Natural Connections” column published in more than 20 local and regional newspapers. She has earned multiple Excellence in Craft awards from the Outdoor Writers Association of America and recently published her third Natural Connections book. 

Presenter:  Ellie Hecht

Description: Within this session, learn about different natural resources that can be foraged and used to make natural dyes. Learn about how to sustainably forage these resources, and go on a walk with other participants to collect some. We will then come together to practice making fabric dyes from collected items. Then, you can try your hand of dying some fabric on your own to take home! All experiences welcomed, but the content will be intended for beginners to foraging and dye making.

Level of activity: A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner

Presenter Biography: 

• • Ellie (she/her) works as the Bell Museum Family Engagement and STEM Nights Coordinator where she works with and supports educators and community members across Minnesota in hosting STEAM-focused events for their community. From curriculum development to activity pack assembly to event support, she aims to create equitable opportunities for all communities to engage with, enjoy, and explore science and nature. In her free time, she enjoys a cozy night of crafting, being on the water, and wildlife photography!

Presenter:  Joe Gartner

Description:  The natural world is endangered.  One of the significant causes is the invasive species that are displacing natural ecosystems.   Humans are the cause, humans are the solution .  Participants will learn how to identify and control the "Dirty Dozen of Invasive Plants."  Plants include Common Buckthorn, Tartarain Honeysuckle, Creeping Miscanthus (Silver Amur Grass), Queen Anne's Lace, Wooly Cupgrass, Siberian Elm, Leafy Spurge, Dames Rocket,  Canada Thistle, Garlic Mustard, Wild Parsnip, Spotted Knapweed, 

Level of activity:  Moderately active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner

Presenter Biography:

• • Joe Gartner is a retired Interpretive Naturalist, First Robotics Coach, and Science Teacher.  He and his wife Julie have over a decade of expertise in the identification and control of invasive terrestrial plants.  They are Minnesota Master Naturalists and volunteer at New Ulm City Parks (The Pollinator Park and others) and Flandrau State Park.  Joe has taken the Terrestrial Invasive Plant Management Certificate Course offered by NAISMA.   Native plant propagation and invasive plant termination are their skills.

Presenter:  Ryan Tomazin

Description:  Did you know there are around 10x as many moth species, yet butterflies get all the notice. You'll learn different methods to attract moths, best means for collecting data without harming the moths, and some websites you can upload your data too. Also, a series of photos of Minnesota moths from the 2025 moth nights will be shown.

Level of activity: A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner

Presenter Biography:

• • I have been doing moth photography for the past six years, mainly in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and now Minnesota. I have a strong natural history background, as well as a professional background in image editing.

Presenter:  Grace Milanowski

Description:  Remote cameras are increasingly being used for research to observe wildlife behavior, estimate populations, and find rare species. We will talk about the history of camera trapping, different settings, techniques and setups used for different research questions. We can also take a short hike to look at different cameras and talk about current research taking advantage of this tool (including the Offal Wildlife Watching project). Participants will have the opportunity to practice setting up cameras themselves. 

Level of activity: A little bit active

Audience Experience Level: Beginner

Presenter Biography:

• • Grace Milanowski is the Coordinator of the Offal Wildlife Watching project with University of Minnesota Extension. OWW is a research and participatory science project to better understand scavenging of deer gut piles provided by hunters across Minnesota, using remote cameras to capture images of offal wildlife visitors. Grace has a degree in Environmental Science and has held various conservation-related roles around the world. She most enjoys roles that include work with volunteers, facilitating volunteers' roles in contributing to ecological research and that include plenty of time outdoors.