Dodge Log

January 26, 2026

Space is essential for all living things across the animal kingdom to survive. In Minnesota, available space shrinks in the winter. What do wildlife do to survive? Let’s take a look under the snow!

December 19, 2025

Winter can test your outdoor spirit. Gray skies and bare trees may make it feel like the world has paused for the season.

If you can muster the will to venture outdoors, you’ll discover signs of life right beneath your feet. Winter’s blanket of snow reveals what the rest of the year keeps hidden: the stories of animals on the move, written in their tracks.

November 18, 2025

As November creeps along, winter weather finally arrives. Most migratory birds have made their way out of state to overwintering locations. It’s commonly said that birds “fly south for the winter”—but is that true for all birds?

October 30, 2025

November is almost here, and that means it’s time for turkey talk—literally! Let’s make anupcycled turkey call craft. It’s fun for all ages and will take your hand-turkey game to the next level.

October 14, 2025

Time spent in nature offers physical and mental benefits for people of all ages. For students who identify as neurodivergent, outdoor learning is more than beneficial—it’s transformative.

“In a traditional classroom setting, success is measured by a rubric,” Michael Harrison, Naturalist and Elementary Liaison, explains. “Outdoor learning offers new ways for neurodivergent students to feel successful and build confidence.” 

October 14, 2025

“Who wants a tasty sword?” Naturalist Mick Garrett calls out to his campers. It’s the last day of Guardians of Dodge summer camp, and “tasty swords”, aka freeze pops, are the perfect parting treat on a hot July day. Campers have been playing hard for four days.

Dodge camps are less structured around school curriculum than field trips at the nature center. But learning is always happening.

September 30, 2025

If you visit the nature center on these beautiful, sunny fall mornings, be sure to watch your step! Naturalists have been noticing lots of banded woolly bear caterpillars inching along the trails. Folklore says their fuzzy bands can foretell the winter.

Let’s find out if that’s really true—and learn a little bit about these fascinating insects.

August 26, 2025

Not all signs of fall are colorful or sweet. While fruits ripen, leaves turn autumnal shades, and wildlife prepares for winter, wasps too begin their seasonal shift. For people, that means more encounters with these insects that seem far less patient than they were in midsummer.

July 24, 2025

Orange isn’t the most common color in nature, but at this time of year, you might notice a spot of orange flitting around the prairie. What are you seeing? That would be a monarch butterfly!

June 27, 2025

Summer is all around us at the nature center. Birds are singing, turtles are basking, and wildflowers are blooming. But perhaps the sweetest part of summer is the delicious berries waiting to be snacked on as you wander the trails. Late June into July is peak season—and yes, they really are berry delicious!

May 28, 2025

As spring turns to summer, the trails at Dodge (and elsewhere in Minnesota) are home to many wild edibles: morel mushrooms, fiddlehead ferns, wild ramps, and more.

May 6, 2025

It’s a brisk, windy spring day at the nature center. But adults with toddlers in tow are ready for a morning outside at Nature Tots. Launched in October 2024, this six-week-long program for ages 16 months to 3 years old helps families gain confidence outdoors and offers strategies to support their children’s development.

May 6, 2025

When Hilary Chart started exploring childcare for her son Rohan and first toured Dodge Nature Preschool in 2017, she knew it was the right place for him. “It seemed so magical,” says Hilary. “Being outside all the time, there were so many different opportunities.”

May 1, 2025

For 25 years, the backyard behind Dodge Nature Preschool has been an essential part of the early childhood learning experience. With room to run, dirt to dig in, and logs to climb, imaginations bloom and naturally curious minds are nurtured. Over the decades, the backyard has evolved alongside the needs of students, staff, and the community.

April 29, 2025

Spring is in full swing at Dodge. Yellow-rumped warblers (affectionately known by our naturalists as “butter butts”) dart from branch to branch, flashing their bright yellow tail feathers. Trills from chorus frogs echo across the wetlands of the Main Property. The grounds are covered in flowers—tree flowers that is!

November 21, 2024

This time of year can be hard on our wellbeing. With early sunsets and gray days, maybe you find yourself nesting down into your couch and keeping cozy. Well, animals are doing the same!

October 30, 2024

Fall temps can be unpredictable. We already experienced lows in the 30’s and highs in the 80’s this October—and our first frost at Dodge on October 16. What happens to plants and animals when frost forms?

August 20, 2024

Last fall, the Education Center at Shepard Farm opened its doors. Brand-new classrooms, a spacious teaching kitchen, and easy-to-navigate outdoor spaces welcomed people for programs. Two new naturalists are now staffed at the Cottage Grove property and ready to serve schools in South Washington County.

August 8, 2024

When was the last time you colored with your kids, picked up a paint brush, or even doodled in your daily planner? On a Thursday evening at Dodge, adults of all ages are gathered around tables scattered with vibrant paints to try their hand at watercolors.

August 7, 2024

Every idea starts with curiosity and a question. For Alice Berquist, her concern about the undesirable highway grass behind her house led her to ask, “How could this habitat be better?”

April 3, 2024

Ella and Savannah Carr practically grew up at Dodge. They attended the Preschool, returned for field trips throughout elementary and middle school, and spent their free time helping their mom, Preschool teacher Kristin Carr, in her classroom.

Now as young adults, the sisters are giving back to Dodge by volunteering at summer camps.

March 12, 2024

Mary Brickweg gathers her group and heads through the prairie towards ‘Wonder Pond’, a favorite destination at the Main Property affectionately named by her kids. A gaggle of children, including six of her own, and three other moms are at Dodge for their routine walk. Mary has been bringing her family to hike at the nature center for years.

March 5, 2024

Springtime at Dodge is full of seasonal sights and sounds. Trails crunch with frozen mud underfoot, red-winged blackbirds trill from cattail perches, and ducks putter around an ice-free pond. Among the sounds of nature awakening after the long winter months are the small clicks of a camera shutter.

November 2, 2023

What makes gardening at Dodge an enriching experience? The supportive community of fellow gardeners and experienced volunteers, who are always eager to get in the weeds (quite literally) and help you have a successful season.

November 2, 2023

Kathy Messerich and Betsy Moran-Johnson love getting their hands in the soil. They’ve been gardening since they were kids in Hawaii, planting zinnias with their parents. Now settled in Mendota Heights, they started gardening at Dodge to get outdoors during the pandemic—and felt inspired to give back.

October 20, 2023

For the past year, new sounds have filled the grounds of Shepard Farm: construction whirring away on the soon-to-be Education Center, ducklings quacking, turkey poults gobbling, chicken and quail chicks chirping in the renovated coop, and blacksmithing students striking iron as they craft in the new forge.

April 13, 2023

More than 55 years ago, Olivia Irvine Dodge had the vision to preserve natural space amid a rapidly expanding urban area. Her legacy lives on through long-time staff whose dedication keeps Dodge a thriving oasis for outdoor learning. Read how 20+ year Dodge staff members are creating lasting legacies of their own.

April 13, 2023

The Lilly Property, Dodge’s 170-acre nature destination in Mendota Heights, is home to abundant wildlife and flourishing native habitat—but rarely hosts guided nature programs for school and family groups. Hear from Buildings and Grounds Director Sean Gokey on how space for hiking and habitat still offers opportunity for environmental education.

April 13, 2023

Senior programming returned in Dodge in 2022, increasing access for older adults to experience outdoor learning at Dodge. Green Seniors welcomes lifelong learners interested in the natural world—and fosters connections with each other.

September 16, 2022

Naturalist Fellow Allie Steffen noticed a gap in Dodge’s programming—LGBTQIA+ youth in our community need more outdoor opportunities and places to be themselves. She stepped up and created Pride Outside, a nature and outdoor skills program for 5th-12th grade youth of any sexual or gender identity.

September 16, 2022

On April 2, 2022, Shepard Farm opened to the public and welcomed people of all ages to the trails. Longtime fans and first-time visitors explored this new nature destination in Cottage Grove and learned what’s coming next Shepard Farm.

June 21, 2021

Dodge is paving the way for greater access to the wonders of the natural world, thanks to the support of the Nourishing Everyone’s Need for Nature comprehensive campaign. With parking lot and trail improvements, more people can explore the wetland habitats and reach educational programs in all four seasons.

December 4, 2020

The last session of Outdoor Learning Days was one for the geologic record books. In the latest post on the Dodge Log, settle into your seats at the School of Rocks. Join juvenile geologists as they sweep for magnetic minerals, cement their understanding of sedimentation and unbottle volcanic activity.

November 4, 2020

Dodge wants to do more for middle schoolers, an age at which many kids stop visiting the nature center. The pandemic ended up being the perfect time to pilot a program for this age group. In this blog post, learn how Dodge naturalist Mary Dybvig developed the after-school program to get middle school girls learning together outside, provide them female role models, and foster their interest in science at critical age.

July 21, 2020

If you spend your childhood summers at Dodge, what could you grow up to be? Maryland arborist Meg Smolinski says her interest in horticulture stemmed from happy days hiking at the nature center. In the latest post on the Dodge Log, Meg reconnects with one of the naturalists that cultivated her love of trees, gardens and growing a greener world.

July 13, 2020

Whooo would you say is the most excellent educational animal at Dodge? An owl? A fowl? A pig with big jowls? Some of our staff select their favorite resident animals in the latest Dodge Log post.

June 22, 2020

“I love hearing the audible ‘wow!’” Every Dodge naturalist aims for those kinds of marvelous moments in their classes and camps. In this post, they talk about what they like to teach best and their standout memories in the outdoor classroom.

June 8, 2020

What’s fiery, fun and foraged from the forest? Campfire cooking at Dodge! Outdoor cooking is a great way to bring a little Dodge into your yard, and naturalists Mick and Pete have the wild-style recipes to get you going.

April 16, 2020

Dodge preschoolers may be staying home, but that doesn’t mean learning—or reading—stop! Our teachers have savvy selections for books to keep your preschooler laughing, lively and feeling loved. Picks range from fiction to nonfiction, fantasy to nature-based, animals to animation, and silly to serious. Snuggle up for some stories!

March 9, 2020

Dodge naturalist Teresa Root developed the Signs of Spring contest to honor a feeling shared by many Minnesotans in early March: “You’re so tired of winter, and really looking forward to spring.”

February 21, 2020

Dodge doesn’t pause when temps drop. Horses prep to pull sleighs, Naturalist Fellows dig snow shelters (no, they don’t have to live in them), and bonfires bring some warmth to the most Siberian season.

February 4, 2020

Dodge’s yearlong Naturalist Fellowship trains college graduates as environmental educators, readying them to teach everything from Animal Tracks to Wilderness Survival. What’s teacher training like at Dodge? It’s outside, it’s hands-on—and it’s crammed with questions.