There are five walk with naturalist programs coming up on selected Saturdays – two in June, one in July and two in August at various locations in the county.
Fridley’s Manomin County Park is one of the locations where these walks will take place. Manomin is a hidden gem that provides a temporary escape from the hustle and bustle of the Twin Cities metro.
“I’ve heard so many stories of people coming up to a park where they say, ‘I had no idea this existed,’ ” said Whitney Loher, an Anoka County Parks Naturalist.
Located at the confluence of Rice Creek and the Mississippi River, Manomin is a great way to experience the great outdoors.
“Oftentimes people go through a park and they’re walking and they say ‘what’s that’ or wonder what that animal is and they don’t have the resources with them to be able to find out,” Loher said. “A naturalist might not know every single species in every single park but we know a little bit about a lot of different things. We have a pretty broad depth of knowledge. We’ll be able to answer those questions you might have about animals or plants that live in the park.”
Loher believes natural experiences are good for everyone.
“The value of getting outside is getting to know your community of plants and animals that live around you,” Loher said. “Getting to know the land. Fresh air is really, really great for mental health, for physical health. Just being outside is a really great thing to do for yourself and getting to know what is around you.”
For more information click the YouTube video on this page.
