Presentations

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

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.

Note: If you are a seller, you may want to start setting up before 7:00 p.m. Some buyers come before 7:00 to start shopping early.

P.S. Tell your outdoor friends about this great opportunity to buy gear they need OR sell gear they no longer need!

7:00p.m. — In person at Como Park in St. Paul – West Picnic Grounds, near the SE corner of the parking lot (near the restroom building).

Learn the very basic steps to planning a BWCA trip from someone who has done it but still muddles through the process. The hope is to inspire some Rovers to post a BWCA trip in 2026. Rob will have several BWCA maps to aid the process and is COUNTING ON PARTICIPATION, suggestions, etc…from veteran BWCAers.

Presented by Rob C.

7:00p.m. — In person at Como Park in St. Paul – West Picnic Grounds, near the SE corner of the parking lot (near the restroom building).

Rob and others will demonstrate various ways to load various boats (canoes & kayaks) onto your vehicle safely and securely.
We’ll cover different systems (roof racks, J-hooks, Hullinator lift systems etc.) and teach a few basic knots that are simple and applicable in mount anything to anything.
There will be sections of rope handy to use to practice the knots you learn.

IF YOU HAVE A UNIQUE BOAT LOADING SYSTEM PLEASE LOAD YOUR BOAT ON YOUR VEHICLE AND BRING IT ALONG if you’re willing to demo your system to others. Past demos of this sort have proven that just a handful of people learning at each system is more effective so folks can learn the system that best suits their own boat & vehicle.

Presented by Rob C.

7:00p.m. — In person at Como Park in St. Paul – West Picnic Grounds, near the SE corner of the parking lot (near the restroom building).

You will learn the primary lichen forms and major features needed for identification. Basic lichen biology and their role in the environment will also be covered. There will be plenty of time for questions and resources available for further learning, and Tanner will give you hands on time with lichens letting you learn about them intuitively. Come and learn more about these easily missed beauties!

Presented by Tanner B.

7:00p.m. — In person at Como Park in St. Paul – West Picnic Grounds, near the SE corner of the parking lot (near the restroom building).

Rovers are movers — hiking, biking, kayaking, canoeing, skiing, skating, climbing — and your moving Rover body deserves a bit of recuperation after a morning on your bike, an afternoon on the trail, or a day in your kayak. So tonight we will try out some exercises to rejuvenate muscles tired out from repeating the same actions for hours and hopefully refresh the whole body for your next adventure.
Bring a fitness or yoga mat.

Presented by Sherry S.

7:00p.m. — In person at Como Park in St. Paul – West Picnic Grounds, near the SE corner of the parking lot (near the restroom building).

Do you enjoy the sight of bluebirds and chickadees in your backyard and other places? Learn how to provide nesting opportunities for these wonderful birds.

Presented by Barry S.