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There will be no presentation tonight because many people go to their neighborhood gatherings. There will still be a meeting with the usual discussion about trips and socializing afterwards. If you do go to your neighborhood gathering maybe you can chat to people about Rovers and get some Rover business cards to hand out.
Bring your favorite fire starting secrets to share with others and bring your favorite version of the basic s’more to share too.
After we employ everyone’s fire starting hacks we’ll use the resulting fire to roast up some marshmallows for s’mores.
About a dozen roasting sticks will be provided along with ingredients for STANDARD s’mores. You’ll need to provide ingredients for your special versions.
Facilitator Rob Chase
Tom O’Neal, a Wilderness First Aid Instructor, will talk about 1st Aid when you are away from easy access to medical care. We won’t be talking primarily about specific first aid skills, but more about how to start thinking about 1st Aid…about prevention, preparation, equipment, and training.
Yoga is a great way to take a break and get energized for the next leg of a long hike, bike ride or paddle. It can be done in the outdoors without any equipment – a mat is truly optional. You probably know that yoga increases balance, flexibility, and strength, but did you also know it protects the spine, cartilage and joints so we can continue to pursue an active lifestyle?
Bring a mat or blanket if you don’t want grass or dirt on your clothes and Tammy N. (6 year Rover member) will lead us in some yoga poses and stretches.
With more and more camping areas restricting or prohibiting open fires we are confronted with carrying stoves with us when backpacking or canoe/kayak camping. This entails carrying stoves and fuel canisters which need to be humped back out.
I have shown some homemade versions of what I call twig stoves in the past but this will cover a different source. Manufactures have jumped into the breach and developed an array of stoves which use the abundant small wood (twigs) available almost anywhere we go. A couple of them can also be adapted to use alcohol as fuel but that is carry in weight we can avoid. This presentation will show six of these stoves which I have and have test driven, but there are many other ones available. A couple of them are older models but still examples of the genre. Most are available in current models. One of the stoves is a Swiss Army issue item which is no longer available but can occasionally still be found in thrift stores, flea markets and online.
Websites and current prices for all except the Swiss stove will be given out in a handout.
Elevate your camping experience! Learn about the benefits of hammock camping, what you need, and how to set up.
Did you know that there exist approximately 75,000 edible plant species in the world? But that only 30 species produce 95% of the food we eat? This means that more than 99% of edible plant species are drastically underutilized. And a surprising number of these species live right in your own backyard— even in urban environments! Join Maria Wesserle of Four Season Foraging to learn some foraging basics and discover common wild edible plants.
Four Season Foraging is a Minneapolis-based business that connects people with the resources necessary to start harvesting and preparing wild foods and medicines. This is accomplished by promoting trustworthy sources, writing informative blog posts, and offering classes and workshops.
When you are camping, should you store food in your tent, your car, a steel container, a bear bag, a bear barrel, a rat sack…There are a lot of options depending on your camping situation. Join us to learn about the different options and also how to hang a bear bag in a suitable tree.
Presented by Barry Shillingford and Frank Taft
Did you know that there exist approximately 75,000 edible plant species in the world? But that only 30 species produce 95% of the food we eat? This means that more than 99% of edible plant species are drastically underutilized. And a surprising number of these species live right in your own backyard— even in urban environments! Join Maria Wesserle of Four Season Foraging to learn some foraging basics and discover common wild edible plants.
Four Season Foraging is a Minneapolis-based business that connects people with the resources necessary to start harvesting and preparing wild foods and medicines. This is accomplished by promoting trustworthy sources, writing informative blog posts, and offering classes and workshops.
Join Chris & Jerry for an intense and in-depth discussion about features and benefits of tents of all sizes. We will have a number of tents set up in the park.
Quality used gear from people who know their stuff.
Set-up starts at 6:30 p.m. in Como Park in St. Paul (first outdoor meeting of the season). Open to the public, feel free to bring friends and family.
See where we are 4 years into restoring the MN Rover woodlot in Elm Creek Park Reserve. We will talk about progress on garlic mustard and buckthorn removal, tree protection, native flower restoration and various research projects directly related to restoration.
Presented by: Cheryl Batson and Tom Harris.
Tonight instead of the normal program we will have the Intro Show at the REI in Bloomington.
September, 2017 backpacking trip led by Mike Hogan in the Sierra Nevada mountains. We hiked 60 miles on one of the best loop trips in the Sierra, crossing three 12,000 foot passes in Kings Canyon NP. We also hiked on JMT and other trails, incredible vistas, wildflowers and Mt. Humphreys basin highlights.
If you have thought about taking a trip to Europe with various World War II historic sites as one of the focuses of your trip, this is the presentation to attend. Learn about some of the significant World War II sites and experience some of the back roads of Europe.
What started out as a plan for a post-college backpacking trip turned into the learning experience of a lifetime. Father/Daughter pair Blaine and Courtney Jones traversed 10 countries in 46 days by train and car, uncovering the historic moments of the last World War while experiencing the back roads of Europe. From restored London, to somber Dachau, to battle scarred Remagen, to the beaches of Normandy on the anniversary of D-Day, this was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (and proof that you never stop learning!).
This presentation will cover a trip from Vancouver, B.C. through the Alaskan waterway with stops and adventures in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay Natl. Park, College Fjord, Anchorage, Denali, and finally to Fairbanks, Alaska.
Presented by Carrie, Jen, Barry & Steve.
Thunder Bay, Ontario and Sleeping Giant Provincial Park are only about six hours north of the Twin Cities, and it’s worth the effort to visit because there is so much to see and experience. Fur trade and Native American history at Grand Portage and Fort William, a Native American powwow, Ouimet Canyon, the thunderous Kakabeka Falls, scaling the Sleeping Giant, amethyst mines, and wildlife galore. Grab your passport because you’ll be making plans to cross the border once you see what the area has to offer!
Presented by Shelly G. & Stacey G.
Executing successful research looking for rare dragonflies or studying dragonfly phenology requires a lot of ecological knowledge, strong outdoors skills, and a bit of tenacity. Come hear Ami Thompson talk about the Minnesota Dragonfly Society’s surveys for rare and threatened species in Minnesota’s bogs, peatlands, and rivers and about her own Ph.D. research studying the effects of climate change on the Common Green Darner. Learn how you can contribute to this research!
The Minnesota Dragonfly Society is a citizen science focused organization who’s member participate in organized surveys and do survey work on their own. In 2018, the Minnesota Dragonfly Society is hosting the Dragonfly Society of the Americas conference which includes many unique field outings that will be open to the public.