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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

ELY FIELD NATURALISTS

Sharing a love of nature

Marshall Helmberger
Posted 6/20/16

EGIONAL— While rain was in the forecast, that didn’t deter about a dozen area residents who spent much of a recent Friday morning exploring the flora and fauna of the Lost Lake Swamp. But neither …

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ELY FIELD NATURALISTS

Sharing a love of nature

Posted

EGIONAL— While rain was in the forecast, that didn’t deter about a dozen area residents who spent much of a recent Friday morning exploring the flora and fauna of the Lost Lake Swamp. But neither threat of rain or clouds of biting insects is enough to discourage members of the Ely Field Naturalists as they go about the business of exploring the North Country’s natural riches.

On this cool and cloudy early June day, the group was traveling with Dr. John Pastor, a well-known UMD ecologist who was there to introduce members to the fascinating world of Minnesota peatlands. Within minutes of entering the swamp, one member of group fell into a nearly invisible hole, soaking herself up her chest in the cold, dark water. But she managed to crawl out, emptied out her boots, and trudged on, laughing it off as her “baptism in the bog.”

It’s the kind of spirit that animates the roughly 420 members of this group, who share a common love of all things “nature.”

While it takes its name from the town at the end of the road, the Ely Field Naturalists have taken on a broader constituency since they formed the group online in 2009. For many members, it provides a handy, regular update of interesting sightings and insights that members regularly share with each other as they explore the North Country, using the email list-serve the group has set up through Google.

That’s the biggest appeal for Julie Grahn, of rural Cook, who is both a member and regular contributor to the list-serve, mostly sharing her bird sightings in and around her neck of the woods. “It’s fun when you see something of interest to be able to share it with someone who’s interested in the same thing,” she said. “Sometimes I get a little positive feedback from posts. So far, no one has told me to stop,” she joked.

But sharing sightings is just one small part of the group’s much broader mission, which includes significant educational outreach, citizen science projects, naturalist training, and more.

“A lot of people used to ask me why we didn’t have an Audubon group up here,” said Bill Tefft, a retired ornithology instructor at Vermilion Community College, who spearheaded the formation of group. “But we wanted a group that was much broader than just birds.”

According to Tefft, the group was inspired by Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists, a group started in Fort Frances in northwestern Ontario, which undertakes a wide range of projects and events focused on outdoor and nature-related activities and conservation.

Tefft said he was also looking for a way to meet and collaborate with others in the area, especially those with a professional background in the natural sciences. Tefft said the area has attracted a number of retired scientists and professors who can add a great deal to the understanding of everything from the region’s geology to wildlife and even insects. “It was a question of how do we put that into something meaningful,” said Tefft.

Given the area’s limited population, Tefft said he had long assumed he knew of everyone locally with such a background. Then, one day, he said he was surprised to meet retired professor David Bixler, who, by then, lived in Tower, and who had both a wealth of knowledge, particularly on insects, and a collection of natural history books that would make almost any scientist or naturalist green with envy. He’s since met others through the group with similar expertise.

The group is also helping to train a whole new cadre of naturalists, through their involvement with the state’s Master Naturalist program. Tefft, who has trained many of those who’ve taken the intensive program, said he’s been pleased to see some of his students, many of whom are retirees, getting involved in helping to educate others about the world around them.

Norma Malinowski, of Ely, is one of those. She spent her career as an outdoor recreation specialist with the Kawishiwi District of the U.S. Forest Service until her retirement a few years ago. While her work heightened her interest in the natural world, her active involvement with the field naturalists has expanded her knowledge base to the point where she has become one of the group’s most sought-after group leaders for field trips. “She’s really one of our go-to people for so many things,” said June Keibler, a northern Illinois resident who regularly visits her summer cabin on Lake Vermilion’s Pine Island with her husband, Steve. The couple has long been interested in the natural world and serve as stewards of two restored prairie sites near their home southeast of Rockford. When they spend time in the North Country, however, it’s a whole new natural world.

“Of course, we’re full of questions,” said Steve Keibler, “and the Ely Field Naturalists is just a terrific source of information. They do so many things and everybody is so knowledgable. They’re a top-notch group of people.”

When not leading groups to interesting natural areas, Malinowski is often in the woods by herself, conducting breeding bird and frog surveys, or keeping tabs on area DNR Scientific and Natural Areas, where she serves as steward for one of the sites. “It’s year-round,” said Malinowski, who turns to skiing and snowshoeing in the winter to engage her natural interests.

Informal and open

to everyone

While the group’s founders originally considered a more formal organization, with member dues and officers, they eventually opted for the more casual collaboration of a Google group, which anyone can join. Just go to groups.google.com and search for Ely Field Naturalists. Then click on “Apply to join group.”

Members post sightings daily, often including photos or questions about things they’re seeing in the wild. The focus is on nature, and members are actively discouraged from voicing their political views on the list-serve. “We started out and continue to be apolitical,” said Tefft. “That was something we agreed on from the beginning.”

You can also keep tabs on the group’s events at their website, located at elyfieldnaturalists.wordpress.com. Tefft leads regular Wednesday morning birding and nature hikes, starting at 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and you can find more information at the group’s website. The group also sponsors the twice-monthly Nature Nights presentations at Vermilion Community College, which feature speakers on a wide range of interesting topics.