Event information
Date
Time
Central time
Location
Eastman Nature Center
13351 Elm Creek Road
Dayton,
MN
55369
Prairies and Potholes - Twin Cities
Experience a fall prairie in bloom. Join us as we share the wonders of our state’s rarest biome on the re-created prairies within the Three Rivers Park District. Eastman Nature Center is a backdrop for hands-on learning about the ecology, natural history, management and stewardship of prairies and associated wetlands.
Two all-day field trips will travel to the edge of the prairie biome to experience native and restored prairies. Attendance at all classes and field trips is required for Minnesota Master Naturalist certification. All participants will complete a small group capstone service project.
- Class meets on Thursday evenings, 6-8:30 p.m., for 11 weeks, from Aug. 15 to Oct. 24.
- Saturday field trips meet from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sep. 7 and 28.
Audience
Potential and current Master Naturalist volunteers.
Cost
$295. Includes manuals and supplies.
If you would like to receive a scholarship do not register now. Instead, complete this scholarship form and wait to be contacted before enrolling.
Registration
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. Capstone options will be presented on the first day of class, and participants will choose a capstone that they can work on and complete before finishing the course.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this course material is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to Julie Larson, larso143@umn.edu, at least two weeks before the course start date.
Please inform instructors before the class begins of any accessibility or mobility needs, especially regarding outdoor activities.
About the Prairies and Potholes course
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.