Long Lake Conservation Center near Palisade
Hayden, Shay and Lyndon are from the Forkhorn I firearm safety training camp.
“Hi, this is Hayden, Shay and Lyndon from Forkhorn Summer Camp at Long Lake Conservation Center, June 28 through July 2.
“The temps for our camp week were a high of 86 degrees; jumping in the lake felt so good! The low was 58 degrees.
“We had a pretty spectacular storm on June 29 that produced thunder, LOTS of lightning and 1.33 inches of rain.
“In the LLCC neighborhood, a game camera caught a black bear roaming the area at 5:30 a.m.
“An American Bittern was seen hunting and eating earthworms from a grassy area. We looked it up and read that American Bitterns do not eat earthworms. But then, through more research, we did find other reports of them eating worms. Good news for the hungry Bittern, or we would have had to tell it to stop! In fact, they are not picky eaters and will eat just about anything. Kind of like summer campers.
“We also saw white-tailed deer, turkeys, loons, chipmunks, and a fledgling robin. We did not see but heard the constant song of the Red-eyed Vireos.
“’In bloom’ notes include; black-eyed Susan, Canada thistle, yarrow, cow parsnip, bindweed, daisies, meadow buttercup and bluebell.
“We had a great week of camp, and we want to remind everyone to go jump in a lake! AND to unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!”
Roots and Wings Forest School in New York Mills
Steve Neu in Grand Rapids
Listener observations
What have you seen out there? Let us know: email us at comments@kaxe.org or text us at 218-326-1234.
For more phenology, subscribe to our Season Watch Newsletter and podcast or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.
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).
-
Contributed/Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcesThe intent of the ban is to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease spread, following detections of CWD in wild deer in new areas of the state last year. -
Contributed/Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning CenterA conservation easement will protect the property spanning forests, wetlands, cliffs and streams. Half of the protected acreage is considered to be "high biodiversity." -
Contributed/Chad KaddatzJonathan Schilling, a mycologist with the U of MN, discusses wood-eating fungi. The dead and dying trees series is produced by Mark Jacobs. -
Contributed/CanvaResearchers are asking Minnesotans to count roadkill during Wildlife Casualty Count Week of Action, May 22-29, 2026, to help inform problem areas so that protections can be added. -
Contributed/St. Louis CountyThe St. Louis County Land & Minerals' forestry division oversaw the planting of red and white pine seedlings over about 48 acres of tax-forfeited land that had burned. -
Contributed/Voyageur Wolf ProjectThe high-quality video shows a mother and three kittens up close and feeding south of Voyageurs National Park in Northern Minnesota.
