Minnesota Master Naturalist

Course Registration

BWBR - Robert Ney Memorial Park - Maple Lake

Robert Ney Memorial Park, Maple Lake, MN website

5212 73rd St NW
Maple Lake, MN 55358

The nature center at Robert Ney Memorial Park — halfway between St. Cloud and the Twin Cities — will serve as our home base for this weeklong exploration of Minnesota's central biome. We'll offer a mix of classroom instruction, hands-on activities, and field trips within Wright County parks and Lake Maria State Park to discover the unique geology, birds, fungi, trees, plants and aquatic insects of the region. Excursions will include a visit to the banks of the Mississippi River.

During class, each participant will complete a team capstone project, culminating with oral presentations on Saturday morning.

A refrigerator and drinking fountain are available at the nature center. Bring a bag lunch and a water bottle.

Wright County Parks is our official host for the course. Please inform instructors of any accessibility or mobility needs when registering.

NOTE: Saturday hours are from 8:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.

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The course cost is $295 and includes course manuals and supplies.

If the course cost is a hardship, please fill out the scholarship application. After the scholarship is fully processed, you will receive a code to be entered in the on-line registration process. Please wait until you receive that code to complete registration.

Course Dates:

Meeting from 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. on:

Instructor Information

Elizabeth Knuth

Has lived in Minnesota for 35 years. Has visited every Minnesota state park. College degree in photography. Is an iNaturalist ambassador. President of the Central Minnesota Chapter of Minnesota Master Naturalist.

Kacey Tait

Kacey is an Extension Educator with Minnesota Master Naturalist. Primarily from the Chicago area, she began her Naturalist path in 2007 as a teen wildlife rehabilitation and animal rescue volunteer. From there, she pursued degrees in Wildlife Ecology and Biology at UW-Stevens Point. She has worked as an environmental educator at the Forest Preserve Districts of DuPage and Lake counties in Chicagoland, the Saint Louis Zoo, and Brookfield Zoo. She has also volunteered at museums, including the Milwaukee Public Museum and the Field Museum in Chicago. After receiving her Master's in Biological Teaching from Miami University in Ohio, she transitioned to program management at Riveredge Nature Center in Saukville, WI, and at Evanston Ecology Center. With 8 years of experience in program coordination and over 15 years in the environmental field, Kacey is passionate about connecting people to the natural world around them. She particularly likes the less-loved taxa such as amphibians and reptiles, fungi, and non-dino fossils.

Sponsor Information

Wright County Parks Administrator

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