Greetings Ely Field Naturalists!
Earlier this month I spent three days with your friend Bill Tefft, geologist Tom Fitz, and seven other naturalists exploring the Ely Area.
Day 1) We paddled on Low Lake the first morning, and learned all about the local loons and loon behavior with Sharry Abts. Then we continued on to the Bass Lake Trail, and had a great time imagining and interpreting the blowout of the glacial moraine. We compared soil development and vegetation on the gravel, old lakeshore, and old forest. Then we had time for a delightful afternoon swim before eating dinner cooked for us at the Wilderness Field Station. The sunset over Low Lake was amazing!
Day 2) We started our morning in a gravel pit, where recent rains had created a mini demo of the Low Lake blowout in the sediments there! Then Tom Fitz provided a more detailed interpretation of the last glaciation, and we observed how the glacial deposits result in different forest types. Then we headed to the Pillow Rock and outcrops on campus so Tom could dive deeper into the 2.79 billion year history of the area. At the Rock Crusher/Green Mountain, Bill shared some of the fascinating history of the area, and we found bog star flowers--truly delightful! There were also quite a few tiger beetles in the sediment near the Green Mountain, and we got up-close looks at them. Our next stop was the ice cream shop in Ely, and then on to an old iron mine with some really spectacular banded iron formation. We swam some more, and capped off our day with a summary discussion and songs and s'mores around the campfire.
Day 3) We headed a bit south on our final day so that Tom could show us outcrops from the mid-continent rift 1.1 bya. First was a hunk of granite that represents the beginning of "continentalization," then an outcrop of gabbro that's been the subject of a flurry of research relating to copper deposits. Then we oohed and ahhed at a big old white pine that Bill showed us, explored a gabbro quarry, and visited a bog. Pitcher plants, sundew, and even one last blooming orchid were the highlights there! We ended the program at a recent burn site that really bookened the story of this landscape--born in fire and maintained by fire!
The program:
Saturday, August 9 –
Tuesday August 12
Landscape Ecology in
Northern Minnesota
(Master Naturalist Advanced Training)
Join several
professional naturalists, including geology professor Tom Fitz and Cable
Natural History Museum Naturalist Emily Stone, to explore beautiful natural
areas around Ely, Minnesota. From the bedrock up, we’ll investigate the
intricate web of connections that bring a landscape to life. Meet in Ely, MN, Saturday
evening, finish up by 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Food and lodging provided at a rustic Wilderness
Field Station with lake access and a sauna. Commuter option available. Be
prepared for walking over uneven terrain. Basic canoe paddling and hiking ability
required. You don’t have to be a certified Master Naturalist to participate!
Any adult learners are welcome.
We may try to run another version of this program next year, with new locations and even more natural communities! Hope to see you there! in the meantime, you can check out the Cable Natural History Museum's upcoming events here. And sign up for our email newsletter if you don't want to miss out on new programs as they are published.
I'll be keeping track of your programs and hope to join you on another field trip in the Ely area soon!
All the best,
Emily
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