2023

In person at Como Park in St. Paul — West Picnic Grounds, near the SE corner of the parking lot (near the restroom building).

Sherry Saterstrom will introduce us to resistance stretching as a way to strengthen muscles while lengthening them and increasing a sense of flexibility.  It’s an easy practice to use to start your day on the trail, to add to that mid-hike rest, or to finish off the day in your campsite.  Feel stronger, more stable, and more easeful as you move through your day.  You may want to bring an exercise/yoga mat or camp chair.

Sherry loves all things physical as each season pulls her outside to hike, kayak, mountain bike, backpack, garden, swim, cross-country ski and snowshoe.

No Rovers meeting – enjoy National Night Out with your neighbors!

In person at Como Park in St. Paul — West Picnic Grounds, near the SE corner of the parking lot (near the restroom building).

Tom Yuska will give a presentation on Basic Bike Repair and Bike Fit.

Would you like to be capable of making basic repairs or adjustments to your bicycle (or be aware of when to have it serviced at a bike shop)? Understand how to tweak your position on the bike to feel more comfortable?

Here’s what will be covered:

• Wheel & tire removal and inner tube repair
• Where and how to lubricate
• Assessing chain wear
• Brake pad adjustment
• Choosing tire pressure
• Handlebar & seat adjustments

Bring your bike! There will be an opportunity to practice removing your wheels and tires, and prepare & apply an inner tube patch. (I will bring glue, patches and old tubes so you don’t have to puncture your own!)

In person at Como Park in St. Paul — picnic area northwest of Estabrook Drive & Midway Parkway (near the zoo).

If someone is injured in a trip in a remote area, would you know what to do? This presentation will be a short review of ways to be prepared in case something happens miles from civilization. Tom O’Neal will be talking about how to think about first aid in remote settings, with a focus on ‘being prepared’.

Tom is a Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness First Aid instructor. He loves to kayak, cross country ski, hike, and hang out anywhere ‘out there’. He is a volunteer bike medic, supporting local endurance races.

In person at Como Park in St. Paul — picnic area northwest of Estabrook Drive & Midway Parkway (near the zoo)

Carol Schwarzkopf joins us again to get us stretching for outdoor adventure. Her plan is to do chair yoga. Please bring a camp chair to the meeting. This class will focus on the strength, flexibility, and balance necessary to remain active and pain free to enjoy the great outdoors. Additional online resources available at Carol’s website carolschwarzkopf.com and her YouTube channel.

Rover Carol Schwarzkopf was raised in the Southwest United States with 7 brothers and a Boy Scout Leader dad. This was the beginning of her love for the outdoors which has led to
many adventures across the world. Professionally, Carol is a health and wellness coach and has worked as a professional movement educator all her adult life. She enjoys sharing movement
and wellness strategies with clients, students, and outdoor enthusiasts.

No Rovers Meeting – be safe, have fun and enjoy the 4th!

In person at Como Park in St. Paul — picnic area northwest of Estabrook Drive & Midway Parkway (near the zoo).

Join us as Rovers gear gurus, David and Bruce, give a tour of the gear available in our Gear Locker. You may think the Rovers Equipment Locker has only tents and sleeping bags, but we have way more than that with an extensive gear inventory. Join our presentation for a full reveal of the Gear we have available for members to check out for you next trip.

In person at Como Park in St. Paul — picnic area northwest of Estabrook Drive & Midway Parkway (near the zoo).

John Daniels of the Minnesota Orienteering Club talks with us about the sport of orienteering.

John has been actively involved with the sport of Orienteering for many (30+) years, both as a participant/competitor and in many roles supporting the Minnesota Orienteering Club (MNOC). John and his wife Gwen began orienteering together in the 1990’s and have continued to participate, now with their three children and, more recently, with their four grandchildren. It is truly a sport and activity that works for all ages and abilities and has been a great family and friends activity that combines physical and mental challenge at all levels.

John will be coming to the Rovers on June 20 to introduce us to the great sport of orienteering. We will have some talk time to learn about some of the basics and, based on conversation and questions, perhaps dive into more detail. We will also have the opportunity to participate in a short orienteering course – there is no better way to get a feel for orienteering than to actually orienteer!

In person at Como Park in St. Paul — picnic area northwest of Estabrook Drive & Midway Parkway (near the zoo).

This is a participatory movement class taught by Carol Schwarzkopf. This class will focus on the strength, flexibility, and balance necessary to remain active and pain free to enjoy the great outdoors. Additional online resources available at Carol’s website carolschwarzkopf.com and her YouTube channel..

Rover Carol Schwarzkopf was raised in the Southwest United States with 7 brothers and a Boy Scout Leader dad. This was the beginning of her love for the outdoors which has led to
many adventures across the world. Professionally, Carol is a health and wellness coach and has worked as a professional movement educator all her adult life. She enjoys sharing movement
and wellness strategies with clients, students, and outdoor enthusiasts.

In person at Como Park in St. Paul — picnic area northwest of Estabrook Drive & Midway Parkway (near the zoo).

A presentation by Mike Shaw, night photography teacher. Stay tuned – More information to come!

In person at Como Park in St. Paul — picnic area northwest of Estabrook Drive & Midway Parkway (near the zoo).

Tanner  Barnharst will share the basics of mycology (the study of fungi, including mushrooms) using preserved and fresh mushroom specimens. He will share what makes Minnesota a unique environment particularly suited to the mushrooming hobby. Tanner will provide additional resources to learn more about the hobby and concrete steps for how you too can get out there and enjoy the world of mushrooming! Tanner encourages you to come prepared with questions and a readiness to get your hands on some mushrooms! He will leave plenty of time for questions, sample handling, and audience participation.

Tanner is a board member of the Minnesota Mycological Society (MMS) and has been leading mushroom forays and performing identification for the last seven (7) years. Tanner holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree where he used fungi for environmental remediation. Tanner grew up in the SE part of the metro Twin Cities and has been a lover of the outdoors since childhood. He currently resides in Minneapolis and enjoys spending his time hiking, camping, mushrooming, and reading.

In person at Como Park in St. Paul — picnic area northwest of Estabrook Drive & Midway Parkway (near the zoo).

No presentation – come to the Gear Swap! Twice a year the Minnesota Rovers host a gear swap at one of the regular Tuesday night meetings. Anyone who has any type of gear that they are no longer using can bring it to the swap and either sell it outright or make a trade with someone else. The gear is in good shape, and usually, the owners have simply chosen to upgrade or no longer have a need for that particular piece of equipment. It is a great way to get your hands on some gear if you just want to try it out without having to make a huge investment in brand new equipment.

Welcome Back to the Park Potluck

In person at Como Park in St. Paul — picnic area northwest of Estabrook Drive & Midway Parkway (near the zoo). Bring an appetizer to share. Come see all of your Rover friends in person and welcome new people to our Como meetings.

We return to in-person meetings at Como Park. There will not be a regular presentation, just a chance to get together outside with fellow Rovers. bring an appetizer, dessert, or beverages to share, enough for about 6 people. We will have some activities including a slackline. It will be great to see old and new friends in person. Of course, there is always the concern about a rainout. For this first outdoor meeting, we will rent a pavilion so there is protection and we can still meet even if it rains.

Online via Zoom

This is the Rover twice a year program to inform prospective members who we are and what we do. There will be a presentation initially about the club, then the famous slide show of various Rover trips and activities. See if you are in a picture from that trail clearing trip or the Extravaganza. Look for your Rover friends. After the slide show, we will set up breakout rooms focused on various activities so you can check out your specific outdoor interests. Talk to members and ask specific questions about biking or climbing or paddling or whatever other activity you enjoy.

More info

Online via Zoom

Each fall and spring, millions of birds migrate via the Central corridor, one of the premier flyways of North America. An average of 90,000 raptors and hundreds of thousands of other migratory birds are counted annually during the fall and spring counts conducted by Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory.  These phenomenal natural events are amazing to observe! A single day can easily yield thousands to tens of thousands in single species counts. Why do we see such huge numbers? What are we learning from these birds who fly by twice annually? This presentation will teach you about the science of migration, such as the differences between fall and spring migrations, what species are observed and when is the best time to see them, trends observed in nearly 50 years of data, as well as research and education efforts underway at Hawk Ridge.

One part educator, one part naturalist, and one part bird nerd! Margie joined the Hawk Ridge staff as a Naturalist in 2011 and currently is the Director of Education for Hawk Ridge. Providing naturalist programming for the general public furnishes many colorful and meaningful experiences with every day on the job. She loves birds, learning, and sharing the natural world with people of all ages. She also works with passerine banding at Hawk Ridge during migration and with three MAPS stations studying summer breeding birds at Hawk Ridge, Wolf Ridge, and Sugarloaf Cove. She has a BA in Biology from Bethel University, and a MA in Education from University of St. Thomas.

Online via Zoom

Christy Rounds’ relationship with Peru began over 25 years ago when she and her husband hiked the Inca Trail on their honeymoon. Since then, they’ve taken half a dozen trips to the Sacred Valley and lived in Pisac for six months. In June 2021, Christy and her two teenage daughters did the Asungate Trek, which reaches an altitude of 17,000 feet… twice. In November of 2022, she returned to spend 10 days with four Peruvian paqos (priests) at the foot of the sacred mountain of Asungate.

In this presentation, Christy will talk about:

1. The pros and cons of independent travel in Peru
2. The animistic beliefs of the indigenous people
3. How plant-based medicines are used in these cultures
4. The role of nature in the lives of the people who live in the Andes
5. The most awe-inspiring treks (as opposed to the ones that get the most views on Instagram)
6. My documentary film to be produced in September.

Christy Rounds is a 4th generation native of Two Harbors, MN, who just returned to northern Minnesota after spending most of her adult life in Michigan, Colorado, California and western New York. After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College with a degree in International Relations with an Eastern European focus, Christy worked for an international cultural exchange organization called Friendship Ambassadors. During the Cold War, she traveled with American performing groups behind the Iron Curtain and organized trips in the U.S. for Eastern European performing groups touring the U.S. In her mid-20’s, Christy lived in Minneapolis, where she was a product manager for PUR Drinking Water systems. She joined the Minnesota Rovers, where she learned to rock climb, winter camp, and white water canoe.

After getting married in her late 20’s, Christy and her husband spent two decades running several successful business ventures in the outdoor industry. Christy has had the opportunity to travel to over thirty countries, live outside the United States for a month or longer a dozen times, hike the Inca Trail in Peru twice, and summit Aconcogua, which is the highest mountain in the western hemisphere. In December of 2022, she published her first book, Escape Bound, which is a travel memoir documenting an 18,000 mile road trip with her teenage daughter in the wake of a divorce. Christy loves running, mountain biking, cross country skiing, international travel, high altitude hiking, writing, playing piano and singing.

Online via Zoom

Participatory science, sometimes also called citizen science, is a growing field where members of the public help with scientific research. Research projects may have strict protocols that require significant volunteer training or may be as easy as uploading photos to a free mobile app. One popular app is iNaturalist, a platform for sharing and learning about nature that is used across the world. This presentation will introduce the app and website, demonstrate ways to contribute to and use public data, as well as share information on the City Nature Challenge, a global effort to explore urban biodiversity held annually. The 2023 City Nature Challenge will take place April 28 – May 1.

Britt Forsberg (she/her/hers) is an Extension Educator with the Minnesota Master Naturalist Program. She holds a BA in Biology and Environmental Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College and an MEd in Family Education from the University of Minnesota. Within the Minnesota Master Naturalist program, Britt develops and leads advanced training opportunities that lead to volunteer service. When she’s not working, you may find her hiking with her nose to the ground to look for bees and other pollinators or wrangling her rambunctious toddler, Wren.

Hybrid Meeting: In person at Westwood Hills Nature Center (8300 W. Franklin Ave, St. Louis Park) and Online via Zoom

Fifteen years ago Steve Porter did a Rover presentation titled “The Kathmandu of Caving” about the 1994 Sistema Huautla cave expedition in the Sierra Mazateca mountains of Southern Mexico. The cave is the deepest in the Western Hemisphere. Exploration required hauling a thousand pounds of equipment 1353 meters (4,439 feet) vertical distance from the surface to begin the diving operation using prototype rebreathing equipment. The presentation was a slide show (still photos).  Nineteen years later, in 2013, a new attempt to establish Sistema Huautla as the world’s deepest cave retraced the 1994 expedition with newer technology and digital video equipment not available in 1994. This presentation is a video enhanced look at the challenges encountered exploring Sistema Huautla that still photos can’t convey of what is still the deepest cave in the hemisphere.

Steve started diving in 1979. By the late 80s, early 90s he had logged many deep dives on some of the most challenging shipwrecks in Lake Superior. In 1992, to reduce risks of deep diving using compressed air, he earned certifications in Advanced Nitrox and Trimix diving. In 1993 and 1994, as a member of the United States Deep Caving Team, he and other team members extended the exploration of both the longest and deepest caves in Mexico using prototype Cis-Lunar MKIV rebreathers. In 1994 he was awarded the Abe Davis Safe Cave Diving Award by the National Speleological Society Cave Diving Section. From 1996 – 2003 he served as a volunteer scuba diver with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Water Recovery Unit. In addition to diving, he played a major role in team training, was highly instrumental in modernizing and standardizing the unit’s scuba gear, was a key contributor in compiling and writing the dive unit’s Standard Operating Guidelines Manual and secured funding through grant writing to upgrade the team’s dive gear.

Online via Zoom

This presentation is about how to apply the Natural Climate Solution to your landscape. Urgent action is needed to reverse biodiversity declines and mitigate climate change. Marilynn will briefly review topics covered during the October presentation including the benefits of landscaping with native plants, garden site selection and preparation. The rest of the presentation will cover grant opportunities, plant selection, garden design, installation and maintenance. When you are gardening with natives, many traditional rules do not apply, so join in to learn how to turn your landscape into a nature sanctuary.

Marilynn Torkelson is passionate about the concept of “Bringing Nature Home”. For the past 7 years, Marilynn has been the president of the Prairie Edge chapter of Wild Ones: Healing the Earth One Yard at a Time. If you want more information a great place to start is by reading Douglas Tallamy’s books Bringing Nature Home and Marilynn’s favorite, Nature’s Best Hope.

Online via Zoom

Rolf Peterson is a Research Professor at Michigan Technological University.  He led or co-led wolf and moose research in Isle Royale National Park for over 50 years.  He and his students have also conducted research on wolves and their prey in Alaska, Minnesota, mainland Michigan, and Yellowstone.  His talk on March 28 will focus on the indirect effects of wolves in the Isle Royale ecosystem.