Interpretive_Panel_Sign_106017.pdf

Deer, Oh Deer!

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Deer exclosures (tall fences) were built at Wood-Rill SNA to keep whitetail deer out. This protects tree seedlings and young trees inside the fence from deer browsing. Scarce winter food shift deer to eat readily available tree twigs.

The fences also allow for research and monitoring differences outside the fence where deer browse compared to inside the fence where deer cannot browse.

Exclosures can help to document these changes. This information can assist in restoration of the forest community here.

1. Tallgrass Aspen Parkland Groves of aspen among prairie create an intricate quilt known as the tallgrass aspen parkland. In northwestern Minnesota, it is a place where plants must be adapted to extreme conditions.

2. Laurentian Mixed Forest Pine forests grow in this biome, along with spruce, fir, and tamarack. In many northern forests, these conifers mingle with deciduous trees, particularly aspen, birch, sugar maple, and basswood.

3. Eastern Broadleaf Forest Deciduous (broadleaf) forests are characterized by trees that lose their leaves in autumn. In Minnesota, trees in these forests include sugar maple, basswood, and elm. At the prairie’s edge oaks dominate.

4. Prairie Parkland Prairies are defined by drought-tolerant plants with extensive areas devoid of trees. Prairie parklands range from sparsely vegetated sand dunes to lands rich with tall grasses and wildflowers.0.3 Mile0

Exploring Minnesota’s natural diversity

An old-growth hardwood forest providing habitat for a variety of plants and animals

TOWNSEND WOODS

SCIENTIFIC and NATURAL AREA

The “Big Woods” Wildflowers and trees Old-growth forests

Exploring Townsend Woods SNA

You’re invited to visit this SNA throughout the year.

Hiking, bird-watching, nature photography, or similar activities that do not disturb natural conditions are encouraged.

Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas www.mndnr.gov/snas sna.dnr@state.mn.us

888-646-6367

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

The state’s biomes are determined by climate, geology, soils, and topography. They occur over large areas. Over 165 Scientific and Natural Areas (dots on the map) protect natural diversity based on these regions.

Big Woods (original extent)

Townsend Woods

SNA

American basswood (Tilia americana)

Red oak (Quercus rubra)

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)

Large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

Wild ginger (Asarum canadense)

Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)

White trout lily (Erythronium albidum)

Sharp-lobed hepatica (Anemone acutiloba)

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You’ll see a variety of wildflowers and trees here at Townsend Woods SNA.

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Townsend Woods

SNA

Sugar Maple (Big Woods) Forest Unclassified Woodland Unclassified Wetland Northern Mixed Cattail Marsh Willow Dogwood Shrub Swamp Forest Restoration Parking Interpretive Sign

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right-of-way

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Su eu r A ve powerline

Much of the forest here at Townsend Woods SNA exhibits old-growth characteristics. So, what does that mean? An old-growth forest is more than old trees.

Abundant woody debris in the old-growth forest at Townsend Woods SNA.

Old-growth forests elements

• A relatively undisturbed forest with a canopy of trees that have reached old age.

• A forest exhibiting unique habitat: abundant snags (standing dead trees) and downed trees.

• An understory of wildflowers, shrubs, and small trees tolerant of shade.

Additional elements found in this forest

• A canopy composed primarily of sugar maple, basswood, and red oak trees.

• Abundant spring ephemerals. These perennial wildflowers bloom early in spring, before tree leaf-out, then wither soon after that.

• Rich soils formed from the breakdown of leaves and dead wood.

Spring in the Big Woods at Townsend Woods SNA.

The maple-basswood forests known as the Big Woods, are moist, shady forests primarily composed of sugar maple, basswood, and red oak.

These trees form a solid canopy that blocks out much of the summer sunlight. Shrubs and wildflowers are limited to those tolerant of shade or that emerge early in spring before the trees fully leaf-out. Large expanses of Big Woods are ideal habitat for forest-dependent birds such as flycatchers, vireos, and thrushes.

Townsend Woods SNA remains as one of a few high quality examples of this forest type in Minnesota.

MN DNR

The maple-basswood forests known as the Big Woods, are moist, shady forests primarily composed of sugar maple, basswood and red oak. These trees form a solid canopy that blocks out most of the summer sunlight. Shrubs and wildflowers are limited to those tolerant of shade or that emerge early in spring, before the trees fully leaf-out.

Large expanses of Big Woods are ideal habitat for forest-dependent birds such as flycatchers, vireos, and thrushes.

The “Big Woods”

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Big Woods (original extent)

Wolsfeld Woods

SNA

You’ll find large maple trees here, some over 200 years old.

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Old-growth forests elements:

• A relatively undisturbed forest with a canopy of trees that have reached old age.

• A forest exhibiting unique habitat: abundant snags

(standing dead trees) and downed trees.

• An understory of wildflowers, shrubs, and small trees tolerant of shade.

Elements of this forest:

• A canopy composed primarily of sugar maple, basswood, and red oak trees, with some trees nearly 400 years old.

• Abundant spring ephemerals. These perennial wildflowers bloom early in spring, before tree leaf-out, then wither soon after that.

• Rich soils formed from the breakdown of leaves and dead wood.

Much of the forest here at Wood-Rill SNA exhibits old-growth characteristics. So, what does that mean? An old-growth forest is more than old trees.

A Glacier-made Pond glacier retreating glacier ice block kettle lake errattictill

About 16,000 years ago a massive continental glacier covered this land. As the climate warmed and the glacier retreated, a large ice block became trapped in a low spot here. Once the ice block melted, this kettle-shaped depression filled with water. Today we call this kettle lake Bufflehead Pond.

Notice the large rocks around the pond and elsewhere on your walk. The glacier, acting like a bulldozer, picked up rocks and soil from distant locations and deposited them here.

The large rocks are called erratics, the soils are called till.

Imagine the amount of rock and soil the glacier must have moved!

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Wood-Rill Scientific and Natural Area

Sugar Maple Forest (Big Woods)

Black Ash - Alder Swamp Tamarack Swamp Sedge Meadow Forest Restoration Deer Exclosure (tall fence) Parking Interpretive Sign Hiking Luce Line State Trail

Bu�ehead Pond

Long Lake

Lydiard Lake

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W ayzata Boulevard

Old Long Lake Road

Luce Line State Trail

Wayzata Country

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The black ash swamp before you may have been a small pond several hundred years ago. As aquatic plants on the pond’s edge decomposed, they created a solid environment upon which other plants began to grow. Eventually the pond was covered by vegetation creating a wet meadow. More recently trees began to take root.

Changes continue today as the trees gradually mature here. This process of change is called succession.

A Golden Surprise

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Surprising trees grow in the swampy wetland before you—tamaracks. Often found in the vast swamps and bogs of northern Minnesota, this is about as far south as these trees grow.

It may also be surprising to learn these trees are also deciduous conifers.

Like conifers, tamaracks

• Are conical-shaped trees.

• Produce seed-bearing cones.

Like deciduous trees, tamaracks

• Have soft, bright green needlelike leaves.

• Turn color (golden yellow) in fall and leaves drop from the tree.

intricate quilt known as the tallgrass aspen parkland. In northwestern Minnesota, it is a place where plants must be adapted to extreme conditions.

2. Laurentian Mixed Forest Pine forests grow in this biome, along with spruce, fir, and tamarack. In many northern forests, these conifers mingle with deciduous trees, particularly aspen, birch, sugar maple, and basswood.

3. Eastern Broadleaf Forest Deciduous (broadleaf) forests are characterized by trees that lose their leaves in autumn. In Minnesota, trees in these forests include sugar maple, basswood, and elm. At the prairie’s edge oaks dominate.

4. Prairie Parkland Prairies are defined by drought-tolerant plants with extensive areas devoid of trees. Prairie parklands range from sparsely vegetated sand dunes to lands rich with tall grasses and wildflowers.

A woodland with a history of protection and care

CHAMBERLAIN WOODS

SCIENTIFIC and NATURAL AREA

The Chamberlains of Chamberlain Woods

Exploring Chamberlain Woods SNA

The trees of Chamberlain Woods Helping out to control invasive species

You’re invited to visit this SNA throughout the year.

Hiking, bird-watching, nature photography, or similar activities that do not disturb natural conditions are encouraged.

Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas www.mndnr.gov/snas sna.dnr@state.mn.us

888-646-6367

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

The state’s biomes are determined by climate, geology, soils, and topography. They occur over large areas. Over 165 Scientific and Natural Areas (dots on the map) protect natural diversity based on these regions.

Chamberlain Woods

SNA

American basswood (Tilia americana)

Red oak (Quercus rubra)

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)

Black cherry (Prunus serotina)

Black walnut (Juglans nigra)

Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

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Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)

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Minnesota River

380th Street

Pin Oak - Bur Oak Woodland Silver Maple - (Virginia Creeper) Floodplain Forest Parking rai lro ad

YOU ARE HERE

Horace and Esther Chamberlain birding on land they gifted to the state to become Chamberlain Woods SNA

Sometimes, an area escapes development and disturbance because of one family. Chamberlain Woods Scientific and Natural Area is one of those places.

Horace F. and Esther Chamberlain acquired the 302-acre property piece by piece, over time, in four parcels. In 1988, they gifted it to the state for designation as an SNA.

Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

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SNA staff and volunteers lend a hand in ongoing management of invasive species at this SNA.

Control of invasive buckthorn and non-native honeysuckles are a major focus. Other invasive species such as dame’s rocket and garlic mustard are kept in check by pulling.

Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Removing invasive species enhances the native habitat at Chamberlain Woods.

MN DNR, Kelly Randall intricate quilt known as the tallgrass aspen parkland. In northwestern Minnesota, it is a place where plants must be adapted to extreme conditions.

2. Laurentian Mixed Forest Pine forests grow in this biome, along with spruce, fir, and tamarack. In many northern forests, these conifers mingle with deciduous trees, particularly aspen, birch, sugar maple, and basswood.

3. Eastern Broadleaf Forest Deciduous (broadleaf) forests are characterized by trees that lose their leaves in autumn. In Minnesota, trees in these forests include sugar maple, basswood, and elm. At the prairie’s edge oaks dominate.

4. Prairie Parkland Prairies are defined by drought-tolerant plants with extensive areas devoid of trees. Prairie parklands range from sparsely vegetated sand dunes to lands rich with tall grasses and wildflowers.

An outstanding and diverse natural area

DINNER CREEK

SCIENTIFIC and NATURAL AREA

Native plant communities

Exploring Dinner Creek SNA

Orchids found here Outstanding biodiversity

You’re invited to visit this SNA throughout the year.

Hiking, bird-watching, nature photography, or similar activities that do not disturb natural conditions are encouraged.

Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas www.mndnr.gov/snas sna.dnr@state.mn.us

888-646-6367

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

The state’s biomes are determined by climate, geology, soils, and topography. They occur over large areas. Over

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Dinner Creek SNA

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Large expanses of undisturbed native plant communities (see map below) like those found at Dinner Creek SNA are becoming increasingly rare in Minnesota. This site lies at the heart of a much larger expanse of rolling uplands covered by fire-dependent pine woodlands, large patches of rich forested peatland, and beaver-influenced meadows and swamps along Dinner Creek.

Enjoy exploring natural diversity in this SNA. It is part of an interconnected natural landscape providing habitat for a wide variety of northern Minnesota’s plants and animals.

Round-leaved orchis (Amerorchis rotundifolia)

Green adder’s-mouth (Malaxis unifolia)

Showy lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium reginae)

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Tall northern orchid (Platanthera aquilonis)

Early coral-root (Corallorhiza trifida)

Blunt-leaved rein-orchid (Platanthera obtusata)

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Ten of Minnesota's 49 orchid species are listed as rare, others are uncommon and a few are relatively common. Dinner Creek SNA is to home several of these orchids, including:

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Dinner Creek SNA is a place of outstanding biodiversity significance. This ranking, determined by DNR ecologists, is based on its ecological condition and statewide importance for the natural landscapes, native plant communities, and native plant and animal species that occur here.

What makes this site outstanding?

• High quality native plant communities with minimal human impact.

• Multiple records of rare plant and animal species.

• Large, mostly unfragmented intact forests, peatlands, and other plant communities.

Wood frog at Dinner Creek SNA.

Rich black spruce swamp at Dinner Creek SNA.

Two Inlets State Forest

Dinner Creek snowmobile tra il

Tw o I nl et s S ta te F or es t

Aspen-Birch-Fir Forest Fire Dependent Pine Forest Wet Forest Rich Black Spruce Swamp Acid Peatland Beaver-altered Meadow/Swamp Parking intricate quilt known as the tallgrass aspen parkland. In northwestern Minnesota, it is a place where plants must be adapted to extreme conditions.

2. Laurentian Mixed Forest Pine forests grow in this biome, along with spruce, fir, and tamarack. In many northern forests, these conifers mingle with deciduous trees, particularly aspen, birch, sugar maple, and basswood.

3. Eastern Broadleaf Forest Deciduous (broadleaf) forests are characterized by trees that lose their leaves in autumn. In Minnesota, trees in these forests include sugar maple, basswood, and elm. At the prairie’s edge oaks dominate.

4. Prairie Parkland Prairies are defined by drought-tolerant plants with extensive areas devoid of trees. Prairie parklands range from sparsely vegetated sand dunes to lands rich with tall grasses and wildflowers.

Minnesota River

Browns Valley

Canada

USA

Glacial Lake

Agassiz

Gneiss Outcrops

Lake Superior

Hudson Bay

Old rock, monster rivers, and strange plants make for an unusual natural area

GNEISS OUTCROPS

These rock outcrops are very old A monster river once flowed here Cactus in Minnesota

Exploring Gneiss Outcrops SNA

You’re invited to visit this SNA throughout the year.

Hiking, bird-watching, nature photography, or similar activities that do not disturb natural conditions are encouraged.

Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas www.mndnr.gov/snas sna.dnr@state.mn.us

888-646-6367

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

The state’s biomes are determined by climate, geology, soils, and topography. They occur over large areas. Over

Now imagine this:

Look around you and think about what formed the landscape in this immediate area. Do you envision mammoth continental glaciers, massive lakes, and monster rivers?

Tens of thousands of years ago, as continental glaciers began their retreat north, a glacial lake larger than all the Great Lakes formed in northwestern Minnesota, North Dakota, and Canada. When waters from this Glacial Lake Agassiz breached a divide near Browns Valley, about 100 miles northwest of here, the Glacial River Warren formed. Torrents of glacial meltwater cut a great gash–a valley as much as five miles wide and 250 feet deep.

Glacial Lake Agassiz at its maximum extent shown under current landscape and political features.

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Minnesota River

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Minnesota River

Rock Outcrop

Parking Interpretive Sign powerlineYOU ARE HERE

Yes, there are cacti in Minnesota! In fact, the state is home to three cactus species.

You might spot brittle prickly pear among the rock outcrops, while the rarer plains prickly pear (devil’s tongue) is also here. Endangered ball cactus grows in the state as well.

Rock outcrops on this site provide the hot, dry conditions favorable to cacti.

Brittle prickly pear (Opuntia fragilis) among the rock outcrops of this SNA.

Gneiss Outcrops SNA

Later, as Glacial Lake Agassiz found new outlets to the north and east, Glacial River Warren subsided. Today the much smaller Minnesota River winds through that enormous old valley and its outcrops of ancient bedrock. You are standing in that ancient river valley!

Rock outcrops on this natural area are some of the oldest known in the world, originating some 3.6 billion years ago.

The rock here is known as gneiss (sounds like “nice”).

The ancient rock exposed here is a colorful mix of pink to red granitic gneiss, darker gray and black pyroxene gneiss, and black to light gray biotite gneiss.

This bedrock formed from molten magma that slowly cooled deep below the earth’s surface. Extreme heat and pressure over 1 to 1.5 billion years transformed it into a metamorphic rock.

Gneiss Outcrops SNA protects these unique rock features in their natural state.

intricate quilt known as the tallgrass aspen parkland. In northwestern Minnesota, it is a place where plants must be adapted to extreme conditions.

2. Laurentian Mixed Forest Pine forests grow in this biome, along with spruce, fir, and tamarack. In many northern forests, these conifers mingle with deciduous trees, particularly aspen, birch, sugar maple, and basswood.

3. Eastern Broadleaf Forest Deciduous (broadleaf) forests are characterized by trees that lose their leaves in autumn. In Minnesota, trees in these forests include sugar maple, basswood, and elm. At the prairie’s edge oaks dominate.

4. Prairie Parkland Prairies are defined by drought-tolerant plants with extensive areas devoid of trees. Prairie parklands range from sparsely vegetated sand dunes to lands rich with tall grasses and wildflowers.

Icelandite outcrop with white calcite veins.

Aerial view of the fen, between Highway 61 (top) and the beach (bottom).

Hike this beautiful Lake Superior beach and know that a rare wetland here is also protected

ICELANDITE COASTAL FEN

What is a fen? What is icelandite? The coast of Lake Superior

Exploring Icelandite Coastal Fen SNA

You’re invited to visit this SNA throughout the year.

Hiking, bird-watching, nature photography, or similar activities that do not disturb natural conditions are encouraged.

Enjoy hiking the beach within this SNA and the segment of the Superior Hiking Trail known as the Lake Walk.

Camping is not allowed on the SNA.

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Rich Fen Tamarack - Alder Swamp Lake Superior Beach - Shore Spruce - Fir Woodland Disturbed Area/Restoration Superior Hiking Trail Parking Interpretive Sign

East Covill

Wildlife

Management

Area

Lake Superior

Storm waves formed this beach starting a few thousand years ago and it frequently changes with the weather. The power of the big lake continues to sculpt the coastline here even today and is a significant draw for visitors like you.

It is a reason the Superior Hiking Trail drops down from the highlands above to this “Lake Walk”.

Pause to listen to the wind and waves; experience the power Lake Superior has on these shores. Know that nearby a small and rare jewel of Minnesota’s natural history, the Icelandite Coastal Fen, will continue to be protected for generations to come.

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The bedrock at this site is a volcanic rock (lava flow) called icelandite. Lighter gray than the more abundant dark basalt of the north shore, icelandite is relatively rare, especially in the Midwest.

These rocks formed about

1.1 billion years ago.

Take a walk along the beach, composed of a variety of stones, which runs the length of the SNA. Here and there you’ll see the gray outcroppings of icelandite.

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A fen is a grassy or shrubby wetland fed by slow moving groundwater with a buildup of peat. The groundwater is why this fen exists.

You may be familiar with bogs, also a type of wetland, which differ in that they only receive water from precipitation. Bogs are often forested by black spruce and tamarack with carpets of sphagnum moss. Fens are typically more open and covered with sedges, grasses, and shrubs.

To help protect the sensitive nature of the fen we ask that you only view it from the beach.

What makes this fen rare?

• It is one of only two existing coastal wetlands on Minnesota’s north shore of Lake Superior.

• Fens support uncommon plants, some of which are rare.

• It takes special conditions to create a fen (upwelling groundwater with a build-up of peat).

MN DNR, Kelly Randall

Icelandite Coastal Fen SNA

YOU

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Exploring Minnesota’s natural diversity

The state’s biomes are determined by climate, geology, soils, and topography. They occur over large areas. Over 165 Scientific and Natural Areas (dots on the map) protect natural diversity based on these regions.

Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas www.mndnr.gov/snas sna.dnr@state.mn.us

888-646-6367

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

intricate quilt known as the tallgrass aspen parkland. In northwestern Minnesota, it is a place where plants must be adapted to extreme conditions.

2. Laurentian Mixed Forest Pine forests grow in this biome, along with spruce, fir, and tamarack. In many northern forests, these conifers mingle with deciduous trees, particularly aspen, birch, sugar maple, and basswood.

3. Eastern Broadleaf Forest Deciduous (broadleaf) forests are characterized by trees that lose their leaves in autumn. In Minnesota, trees in these forests include sugar maple, basswood, and elm. At the prairie’s edge oaks dominate.

4. Prairie Parkland Prairies are defined by drought-tolerant plants with extensive areas devoid of trees. Prairie parklands range from sparsely vegetated sand dunes to lands rich with tall grasses and wildflowers.

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Lost Lake Peatland

SNA

Lost Lake

Little Lost Lake

Lake Vermilion

Sturgeon River State Forest

Sturgeon River State Forest private

Parking Interpretive Sign snowmobile trail snowmobile tra il

Ranked among the least disturbed peatlands in the state

LOST LAKE PEATLAND

SCIENTIFIC and NATURAL AREA

A land of bogs and fens

Exploring Lost Lake Peatland SNA

A peatland’s peculiar plants A natural area shaped by collaboration

You’re invited to visit this SNA throughout the year.

Hiking, bird-watching, nature photography, or similar activities that do not disturb natural conditions are encouraged.

Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas www.mndnr.gov/snas sna.dnr@state.mn.us

888-646-6367

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

The state’s biomes are determined by climate, geology, soils, and topography. They occur over large areas. Over

Bogs Fens

• Water in bogs comes from precipitation, they’re often waterlogged. No water flows through them and they’re isolated from groundwater.

• Have carpets of sphagnum moss with stunted black spruce or tamarack trees.

• They receive upwelling groundwater and precip-itation, making them saturated (continually wet).

• Can have occasional stunted black spruce or tamarack trees with sphagnum moss, but tend to be more open with sedges, reeds, and grasses.

So what is a peatland then?

A peatland is a wetland which includes bogs and fens. Peat consists of layers of partially decayed vegetation, found in constantly wet habitats. Low oxygen conditions prevent normal decomposition.

As a result, organic materials accumulate year-after-year, forming a peatland foundation.

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Check out these plants adapted to a harsh, cold, and wet peatland environment with few nutrients.

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Pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea subsp. purpurea)

Round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)

Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum)

Leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata)

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Pitcher plant and sundew supplement their nutrient intake by capturing insects.

Labrador tea and leatherleaf retain their leaves throughout the year, reducing nutrients needed to create new leaves.

A bog or a fen, can you tell them apart?

Lost Lake Peatland SNA

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This natural area is preserved today through the efforts of many people.

The Wetland Conservation Act of 1991 protected the first parcels for this natural area.

Soon after, Earl and Ruby Fairbanks generously gifted part of a parcel to add to the site.

Leonard Haakonson first purchased wildland on Lost Lake decades prior to this. He planned to develop a resort, but over time those thoughts faded. “I was drifting past that rock ridge one day and wondered what it would look like with cabins on it. That’s when I shook my head and said no. It’s just too nice the way it is.” To keep it permanently that way he sold his property to be included in the SNA.

The Nature Conservancy was crucial in the quick purchasing of both private properties.

They were later sold to the state as additions to the Lost Lake Peatland SNA.

St. Louis County has been a key player. The county owns much of the acreage within the legislative boundaries of the SNA. Their stewardship has helped this area remain wild.

Quotes from Mr. Haakonson courtesy of Timberjay newspaper intricate quilt known as the tallgrass aspen parkland. In northwestern Minnesota, it is a place where plants must be adapted to extreme conditions.

2. Laurentian Mixed Forest Pine forests grow in this biome, along with spruce, fir, and tamarack. In many northern forests, these conifers mingle with deciduous trees, particularly aspen, birch, sugar maple, and basswood.

3. Eastern Broadleaf Forest Deciduous (broadleaf) forests are characterized by trees that lose their leaves in autumn. In Minnesota, trees in these forests include sugar maple, basswood, and elm. At the prairie’s edge oaks dominate.

4. Prairie Parkland Prairies are defined by drought-tolerant plants with extensive areas devoid of trees. Prairie parklands range from sparsely vegetated sand dunes to lands rich with tall grasses and wildflowers.0.3 Mile0

A large wetland complex, home to uncommon birds

MCGREGOR MARSH

A home for uncommon birds A large, connected wetland landscape Managing these wetlands

Exploring McGregor Marsh SNA

You’re invited to visit this SNA throughout the year.

Hiking, bird-watching, nature photography, or similar activities that do not disturb natural conditions are encouraged.

Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas www.mndnr.gov/snas sna.dnr@state.mn.us

888-646-6367

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

The state’s biomes are determined by climate, geology, soils, and topography. They occur over large areas. Over 165 Scientific and Natural Areas (dots on the map) protect natural diversity based on these regions.

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Wet Meadow Aspen Woodland/Brushland Soo Line Trail Parking Interpretive Sign powerline

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Maintaining these wetlands is key for the continued well-being of the uncommon birds found here.

Prescribed burn.Woody removal.

Springtime marsh marigolds at McGregor Marsh SNA.

Along with the SNA, nearby Kimberly Wildlife Management Area and Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge, create a large, connected landscape. The large expanses of public conservation lands help the birds who depend on wetlands here to find abundant habitat and the conditions they require for breeding and nesting.

The Audubon Society recognizes the vast wetland landscape that include all of these public lands as an Important Bird Area.

The extensive wetlands you see around you are home to birds that are uncommon in Minnesota. Yellow rail and Nelson’s sparrow forage and nest in this natural area. Because this area offers a good chance to view these unique birds, birdwatchers from across the country come to see and hear them.

Nelson’s sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni)

• A species of special concern in Minnesota.

• Prefer open peatlands or wet meadows for nesting habitat.

• Eats insects and seeds.

Yellow rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis)

• A species of special concern in Minnesota.

• Extremely uncommon and shy.

• Prefer sedge meadows for nesting habitat.

• Feed mostly on snails, insects, and seeds.

McGregor Marsh SNA

The open character of these wetlands may be enhanced by:

•Removal of trees and shrubs to keep them from spreading into the wetlands.

•Prescribed burns to remove dead plant material, release nutrients into the soil, and reduce trees and shrubs.

ColdSnap Photography intricate quilt known as the tallgrass aspen parkland. In northwestern Minnesota, it is a place where plants must be adapted to extreme conditions.

2. Laurentian Mixed Forest Pine forests grow in this biome, along with spruce, fir, and tamarack. In many northern forests, these conifers mingle with deciduous trees, particularly aspen, birch, sugar maple, and basswood.

3. Eastern Broadleaf Forest Deciduous (broadleaf) forests are characterized by trees that lose their leaves in autumn. In Minnesota, trees in these forests include sugar maple, basswood, and elm. At the prairie’s edge oaks dominate.

4. Prairie Parkland Prairies are defined by drought-tolerant plants with extensive areas devoid of trees. Prairie parklands range from sparsely vegetated sand dunes to lands rich with tall grasses and wildflowers.

An old-growth forest shaped by fire and Lake Superior

MOOSE MOUNTAIN

A fire-shaped forest A “Superior” hardwood forest An old-growth forest

Exploring Moose Mountain SNA

Although there are no maintained trails, you’re invited to visit this SNA throughout the year.

Hiking, bird-watching, nature photography, or similar activities that do not disturb natural conditions are allowed troughout the site.

Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas www.mndnr.gov/snas sna.dnr@state.mn.us

888-646-6367

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

The state’s biomes are determined by climate, geology, soils, and topography. They occur over large areas. Over 165 Scientific and Natural Areas (dots on the map) protect natural diversity based on these regions.

Moose Mountain SNA

American basswood (Tilia americana)

Red oak (Quercus rubra)

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)

Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis)

Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)

Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana)

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Sugar Maple - Basswood Forest (old-growth northern hardwoods)

Red Oak - Sugar Maple - Basswood Forest Aspen - Birch Forest Aspen - Birch Woodland Black Ash - Aspen - Balsam Poplar Swamp Parking/Interpretive Sign powerlin e

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Some forest stands here at Moose Mountain SNA exhibit old-growth characteristics. So, what does that mean?

An old-growth forest is more than big, old trees.

Old-growth forests elements include:

• A relatively undisturbed forest with a canopy of trees that have reached old age.

• A forest exhibiting unique habitat: abundant snags (standing dead trees) and downed trees.

• An understory of wildflowers, shrubs, and small trees tolerant of shade.

Old-growth hardwood forest at Moose Mountain SNA.

Fires have shaped the forests here at Moose Mountain (see map). Fires burned frequently and intensely following 19th and early 20th century logging of Minnesota’s pine forests.

Aspen-birch-fir forests grew up in the wake of these fires.

Forests of northern hardwoods (maple-basswood and oak), spruce-fir, white cedar, or pines remained in areas not logged or burned.

• Lake-moderated weather keeps summers cooler and winters comparatively mild. Sugar maples are common within about six miles of Lake Superior but not in harsher climates further inland.

• Higher humidity near Lake Superior is favorable for many hardwoods.

• “Built-in” fire resistance. Combine cooler temperatures and higher humidity with moisture-holding leaf litter and you have an ideal recipe for protecting fire-sensitive hardwoods from wildfire.

• Areas of steep topography serve as fire breaks (along ridges) that protect fire-sensitive trees.

The hardwood forests of Moose Mountain SNA are very different from the conifer forests further inland. Why?

Lake Superior is the answer.

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1918 Cloquet Fire (approximate burned area in Moose Mountain SNA) contour interval 10 feet

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MN DNR, Megan Zeiher intricate quilt known as the tallgrass aspen parkland. In northwestern Minnesota, it is a place where plants must be adapted to extreme conditions.

2. Laurentian Mixed Forest Pine forests grow in this biome, along with spruce, fir, and tamarack. In many northern forests, these conifers mingle with deciduous trees, particularly aspen, birch, sugar maple, and basswood.

3. Eastern Broadleaf Forest Deciduous (broadleaf) forests are characterized by trees that lose their leaves in autumn. In Minnesota, trees in these forests include sugar maple, basswood, and elm. At the prairie’s edge oaks dominate.

4. Prairie Parkland Prairies are defined by drought-tolerant plants with extensive areas devoid of trees. Prairie parklands range from sparsely vegetated sand dunes to lands rich with tall grasses and wildflowers.0.25 Mile0

Thanks to the efforts of Max and Betty Partch, these woods remain today. In 1957 Max Partch learned of this nearly undisturbed maple-basswood forest and recognized it should be preserved.

Attempts to raise money from various organizations to buy the land failed. A lumber company bought the woods but after a winter of selective cutting withdrew their equipment due to heavy spring rains.

Negotiations followed. The Partchs decided to buy the woods. They then gifted the land to The Nature Conservancy which managed the site until 1981 when they donated it to become a Scientific and Natural Area.

Science and concern for natural areas were the foundation for preservation of these woods

PARTCH WOODS

Quick action saved these woods Trees and shrubs you might see here The science of scientific and natural areas

Exploring Partch Woods SNA

You’re invited to visit this SNA throughout the year.

Hiking, bird-watching, nature photography, or similar activities that do not disturb natural conditions are encouraged.

Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas www.mndnr.gov/snas sna.dnr@state.mn.us

888-646-6367

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

The state’s biomes are determined by climate, geology, soils, and topography. They occur over large areas. Over 165 Scientific and Natural Areas (dots on the map) protect natural diversity based on these regions.

American basswood (Tilia americana)

Red oak (Quercus rubra)

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)

Black cherry (Prunus serotina)

Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana)

Blue beech (Carpinus caroliniana)

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County Ditch 25

Red Oak - Sugar Maple - Basswood Forest Black Ash Seepage Swamp Wet Meadow Shrub Swamp and Meadow (degraded) Parking Interpretive Sign

Scientific research has been a focus here for decades, starting with studies done by Dr. Max Partch and his plant ecology classes at St.

Cloud State University. A detailed record of 40 permanent study plots documented changes in vegetation over 27 years.

You may encounter metal posts of research plots in Partch Woods SNA.

These mark vegetation sampling grid and the specific spots where plant counts, their frequency and percentage of ground cover were recorded for later analysis and compilation.

Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

Leatherwood (Dirca palustris)

Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)

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Partch Woods SNA intricate quilt known as the tallgrass aspen parkland. In northwestern Minnesota, it is a place where plants must be adapted to extreme conditions.

2. Laurentian Mixed Forest Pine forests grow in this biome, along with spruce, fir, and tamarack. In many northern forests, these conifers mingle with deciduous trees, particularly aspen, birch, sugar maple, and basswood.

3. Eastern Broadleaf Forest Deciduous (broadleaf) forests are characterized by trees that lose their leaves in autumn. In Minnesota, trees in these forests include sugar maple, basswood, and elm. At the prairie’s edge oaks dominate.

4. Prairie Parkland Prairies are defined by drought-tolerant plants with extensive areas devoid of trees. Prairie parklands range from sparsely vegetated sand dunes to lands rich with tall grasses and wildflowers.

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A rare plant encourages protection of this prairie

PURRINGTON PRAIRIE

SCIENTIFIC and NATURAL AREA

How this prairie came to be protected

Exploring Purrington Prairie SNA

Protection of a prairie rarity Restoring diversity

You’re invited to visit this SNA throughout the year.

Hiking, bird-watching, nature photography, or similar activities that do not disturb natural conditions are encouraged.

The state’s biomes are determined by climate, geology, soils, and topography. They occur over large areas. Over 165 Scientific and Natural Areas (dots on the map) protect natural diversity based on these regions.

Purrington Prairie SNA

Purrington Prairie has long been the focus of monitoring and conservation efforts related to prairie bush clover, a rare plant found here. The species was first documented by Rose Purrington, who had learned to recognize it when volunteering on a survey for the plant.

Like the prairie here, the Purrington family has deep roots in this land. The family's ownership reaches back to 1892, when John and Orinda Purrington purchased the first 80 acres. Three generations and over a hundred years later their direct descendants still occupied the homestead, which had grown to 192 acres.

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In 1996, three of John Purrington’s great-grandsons (Norm, Brian, and Rose's husband, Doug) purchased the family farm from their father, Herbert. Grazed but largely untilled, it included native prairie they wished to preserve. Roughly twenty years later they put a Native Prairie Bank easement on the land to permanently conserve the prairie. The family continued to own “the pasture” until 2019, when the brothers and their families chose to donate 41 acres to become a Scientific and Natural Area.

Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya) is a rare plant protected in Minnesota. It is found only in the prairies of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Prairies in this region, including this natural area, are critical to the survival of this rare species.

Prairie bush clover has two different flower types. Pink pea-like flowers bloom mid- to late July and are pollinated by insects. Green, petal-less flowers, form from July to September and are self-pollinating. More green flowers are observed when the plant is stressed, such as in a drought. These self-pollinating flowers act as a safety net, ensuring that seed is produced. It is is known to live for decades. Seedling survival seems to be the barrier to increasing the species’ population.

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Management work here at Purrington Prairie focuses on restoring natural processes. This includes:

Maintaining prairie through controlled burns. Fire invigorates native plants and sets back invasive species.

Controlling invasive species, including buckthorn and wild parsnip. Repeated cutting and treatments will allow native plants to expand.

Removing aggressive woody vegetation. Clearing red cedar will keep it from invading into prairie openings.

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Upland Prairie Wetland Prairie Prairie Complex Degraded Area Parking Interpretive Sign

2023 MN DNR

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Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas www.mndnr.gov/snas sna.dnr@state.mn.us

888-646-6367

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

intricate quilt known as the tallgrass aspen parkland. In northwestern Minnesota, it is a place where plants must be adapted to extreme conditions.

2. Laurentian Mixed Forest Pine forests grow in this biome, along with spruce, fir, and tamarack. In many northern forests, these conifers mingle with deciduous trees, particularly aspen, birch, sugar maple, and basswood.

3. Eastern Broadleaf Forest Deciduous (broadleaf) forests are characterized by trees that lose their leaves in autumn. In Minnesota, trees in these forests include sugar maple, basswood, and elm. At the prairie’s edge oaks dominate.

4. Prairie Parkland Prairies are defined by drought-tolerant plants with extensive areas devoid of trees. Prairie parklands range from sparsely vegetated sand dunes to lands rich with tall grasses and wildflowers.0.25 Mile0

A rare wetland with distinctive and rare inhabitants

SAVAGE FEN

What is a fen? Why are calcareous fens important? Distinctive plants found here

Exploring Savage Fen SNA

You’re invited to visit this SNA throughout the year.

Hiking, bird-watching, nature photography, or similar activities that do not disturb natural conditions are encouraged.

Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas www.mndnr.gov/snas sna.dnr@state.mn.us

888-646-6367

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

The state’s biomes are determined by climate, geology, soils, and topography. They occur over large areas. Over 165 Scientific and Natural Areas (dots on the map) protect natural diversity based on these regions.

Savage Fen SNA

American grass of parnassus (Parnassia glauca)

Shrubby cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa)

White turtlehead (Chelone glabra)

Sterile sedge (Carex sterilis)

Whorled nutrush (Scleria verticillata)

Hair-like beak rush (Rhynchospora capillacea)

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Mesic Hardwood Forest Wet Meadow Rich Peatland (Calcareous Fen) Upland Prairie Disturbed Areas Parking Interpretive Sign

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Savage City Hall private land

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A fen is a grassy wetland fed by groundwater springs.

Groundwater is why fens exists.

Protection of the water source—the limestone bluffs above this site—keeps the fen healthy here.

This SNA protects a unique type of fen known as a calcareous fen. This fen system is rare, sensitive to disturbance, and supports a distinctive natural community.C ol dS na p

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• Calcareous fens, found throughout the world, are globally rare.

• About 200 of them exist in Minnesota, and these have special legal protection.

• They are typically small, most are less than 4 acres.

• They support many rare plants, including 4 almost exclusively found in calcareous fens.

• It takes special hydrology to create them (upwelling groundwater rich in calcium—hence the name calcareous fen—and other minerals, with a build-up of peat).

• Their water chemistry makes them unique from other fen types.

Do you know how Minnesota defines its rarest inhabitants?

A threatened species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range within Minnesota.

MN DNR, Mark Cleveland