Central time
Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center
12718 10th St. NE
Spicer,
MN
56288
Laura Molenaar, [email protected] or 320-894-9092
In this weeklong course, participants explore the region’s unique features. The course aims to deepen understanding of how the landscape formed and to examine the plants, animals and people that have lived in this biome, past and present.
The program blends classroom instruction with outdoor exploration. Weekly activities include paddling the Middle Fork of the Crow River in a voyageur canoe, kayaking or wading into wetlands to collect macroinvertebrates for observation, visiting Ordway Prairie to view its expanse, explore a fen and walk an esker alongside team members who work to keep the prairie healthy, and touring Sibley State Park.
Potential and current Master Naturalist volunteers.
$295
If you would like to receive a scholarship, do not register now. Instead, complete this scholarship form and wait to be contacted before enrolling.
Cancelation requests received more than two weeks before the start of class are refunded minus a $20 processing fee. Cancelation requests received less than two weeks before the start of class are refunded minus $50.
The University of Minnesota requires this Code of Conduct and photo release form to be signed by all students taking the Minnesota Master Naturalist program. Please digitally sign the form before class begins
University of Minnesota Extension is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. To request accommodations for persons with disabilities, reach out to the event contact two weeks before the start of the event. Requests received after this date will be honored whenever possible.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this course material is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to Julie Larson, [email protected], at least two weeks in advance of the course start date.
This offering is delivered in English. Interpreter services may be available with an advance request.
The official name for the ecological province called the Prairies and Potholes by the Minnesota Master Naturalist Program is the Prairie Parkland Province. This biome was historically composed mainly of tallgrass prairie. Today it is used for agricultural purposes. The glaciers deposited between 100 and 600 feet of drift over the entire region. The Prairies and Potholes biome covers just over 16 million acres on the western edge of the state.
The biome is a hot and dry place, where evapotranspiration is annually higher than precipitation. In the northern portions of the biome, glacial kettles have filled with water and form the "potholes" that dot the landscape. These bodies of water are important for migratory waterfowl, and waterfowl production. The Minnesota River now flows through the old channel carved by Glacial River Warren, an outlet for Glacial Lake Agassiz.
Participants must complete the full 40 hours of training to become a certified Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteer.
Each participant must complete a group capstone project. Participants will choose a capstone that they can complete before finishing the course.
© 2026 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.