Traveler - Behind the Scenes

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parks and rec

Traveler

A monthly e-newsletter to encourage “I Can!” program participants and other families to continue learning about the outdoors.

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October 2018


Park Highlight:  John A. Latsch State Park

 

View from Latsch state park

  

Each of the 75 state parks and trails in Minnesota has a unique story behind its existence.  Often these stories are not well known.  For example, John A. Latsch State Park, located a few miles north of Winona overlooking the Mississippi River along Highway 61is named after a Winona businessman who today is recognized as one of the most influential conservationists from the area.  In 1925 Latsch donated land to the state to establish a park at this location.

John A. Latsch State Park is known for its three rocky-headed bluffs called Faith, Hope, and Charity. The bluffs were used by steamboat captains on the Mississippi River as navigational way points.  The park is often overlooked by visitors because of its lack of infrastructure, but what it lacks in facilities is compensated with breathtaking views of the Mighty Mississippi (literally - it's a half-mile hike up Mount Charity).   The park is designated for day-use only and restroom facilities are rustic.  Locals favor the site for picnics, bird watching and photographing the scenic bluff top views.

 


Itasca headwaters sign

The List: History Lessons in Parks

 

Since the late 1800s, Minnesotans have led the country in protecting and preserving public lands for future generations.  Behind each Minnesota state park and trail is a champion like Latsch, whose story often goes unrecognized..

Below are a few examples of the people and efforts that shaped the Minnesota state parks and trails system we have today.

  • In the late 1800s, Jacob V. Brower, historian, anthropologist and land surveyor, saw the region around the Mississippi River headwaters being quickly transformed by logging and was determined to protect some of the pine forests for future generations.  His tireless efforts and urging led the state legislature to establish Itasca as the first Minnesota State Park on April 20, 1891.
  • Wild River State Park was established to protect natural and cultural resources and to provide recreational opportunities along the St. Croix River. The park's name "Wild River" is derived from the fact that the St. Croix River was one of the original eight rivers protected by the U.S. Congress through the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. Nearly 5,000 of the park's total 6,803 acres were donated by Northern States Power Company.
  • Owned at one time by the Minneapolis Tribune Company and then the Cowles Media Company, the property we know today as Glendalough State Park was once used as a private family and corporate retreat by the Cowles family. During the 1950s, former presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon were among the many notable guests at Glendalough. On Earth Day, 1990, this largely natural and undeveloped property was donated to The Nature Conservancy. On June 10, 1992, the deed was transferred to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for use as a state park.
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Find out where you can learn more Minnesota state parks history.

Game Time: Outdoors in Every Language

 

Encourage your family to love the outdoors by exploring a variety of activities and finding ones that you enjoy together!  

Below is an outdoor action word to share with young children and non-native English speakers to build new literacy skills and to experience the joy of connecting with nature.

This month's outdoor action word is discover!  Take a walk around your yard, neighborhood or local park or trail to discover different wildlife signs: feathers, tracks, burrows, fur, scat, chewed leaves, nests, etc.  When you get home, make a list of all the different signs you found.

discover translated with photo of kids pointing


An excerpt from “Let’s Play Outside! 50 Ways to Connect Kids with Nature,” a project of the 2014 Collaborative Leadership Fellows Program, Rochester, MN.



park volunteers

Traveler Tip:  Meet a Friends Group

 

Have you ever wondered how you can volunteer to help support our amazing state parks and trails?  One way you might get involved is through a Friends Group.

Friends Groups are non-profit organizations established to support the mission and goals for a particular piece of public land for which they are often named.  For example, the Friends of Frontenac State Park (AKA Frontenac State Park Association) work tirelessly to preserve, protect and enhance Frontenac State Park and its surroundings.  Members help raise funds to assist with special projects at the park and they help with candlelight events and service projects such as prairie maintenance and tree planting.

Many Friends Groups exist thanks to the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota (PTC), a non-profit organization based in St. Paul.  The PTC serves as a fiscal agent for many Friends Groups, providing financial oversight as well as guidance and mechanisms to support advocacy of public lands.

If you have a favorite state park or trail you enjoy, you may want to inquire about Friends Groups or volunteer opportunities for the site.

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Meet some Friends Groups.

latsch sculpture

Discover:  The Legendary Latsch

 

Have you ever paddled the Upper Mississippi River between Wabasha, MN and Rock Island, IL?  Have you ever hiked the Dakota Trail at Whitewater State Park or hunted or fished at one of thousands of wetlands protected by the Izaak Walton League?  Have you visited a National Wildlife Refuge?  If so, you can thank John Latsch for these special places!  

Latsch was born in 1860 near Winona and grew to become a wealthy grocery distributor in the region. Described as humble, eccentric and charitable by those who knew him, Latsch was inspired to protect natural places for public use after a tense encounter with an angry landowner who refused him refuge along the Mississippi River shoreline while canoeing during a lightning storm.

Latsch purchased that very property shortly after the incident and turned right around and donated it to the state.  He went on to donate some 20,000 acres to Minnesota, Wisconsin and the City of Winona to be used for the development of parks.  

Latsch's efforts inspired Wil Dilg, a Chicago businessman who fished the Upper Mississippi River near Winona, to form the Izaak Walton League and lobby congress to establish fish refuges along the river where draining and locks and dams were being planned.  The Izaak Walton League is one of the earliest conservation organizations to set an aggressive course to defend wild America by changing public policy. Almost every major, successful conservation program that America has in place today can be traced directly to a League activity or initiative.  Today, our 562 national wildlife refuges exist, in part, because of the Izaak Walton League's founders who were inspired by John Latsch.

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    Read more about John Latsch and his legacy.

    park ranger

    Meet the Field Staff

     

    Each day, hundreds of staff across Minnesota report to their parks and trails units ready to protect these special places for the benefit of the public today and tomorrow.  The stories of the people behind the scenes are important in understanding why we have such a great parks and trails system in Minnesota.

    Meet Jody Propesh, Assistant Park Manger at Bear Head Lake State Park for the past 8 years.  Jody has also worked at Lake Vermillion-Soudan Underground Mine, St Croix, Old Mill, Itasca, and Nerstrand Big Woods State Parks and Iron Range OHV State Recreation Area.

    Jody loves managing lands near where her great-great-grandparents settled in the late 1800s.  Part of managing the land and people consists of having the opportunity to meet guests and hear their stories. 

    Her favorite spot in the park is a huge granite outcrop overlooking a wetland and she visits the location to put things into perspective.  Jody enjoys hunting, especially antler sheds and her favorite wild animal is the river otter because they love to play around... while getting the job done.

    Jody recognizes how fortunate she is: out of 5.5 million Minnesota residents, only a little more than 100 can currently call themselves State Park Rangers!

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    Explore careers within the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

    hiking boots and fall colors

    October Events 

     

    Whether you're thinking about touring a cave, hiking to a fire tower or getting some great fall colors photos, you don't have much time.  Don't forget the Fall Color Finder on-line tool can help you track down the last of the colorful leaves!

    Explore some of these last chance opportunities before winter arrives!

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        Find more programs and events.

        Find past issues of the Traveler.