Welcome to the Dodge Log
Discover the stories behind Dodge Nature Center and Preschool. In blog posts filled with photos, you’ll hear from naturalists, teachers, and students about their meaningful, memorable experiences at Dodge.
Dodge Log
Stories from Dodge Nature Center and Preschool
Posts
Fresh flavors from the forest
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.
Nature Tots: Outdoor learning for little learners
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.
Following their footsteps outdoors
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.”
25 Years of play, discovery, and community
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.
Raining catkins and frogs
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!
Bringing Dodge curriculum into more classrooms
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.
From campers to contributors
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.
Wonder and curiosity on the trails
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.
Nature through a new lens
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.
Supportive sisters
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.
Sounds of progress at Shepard Farm
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.
Legacy: Leaders from within
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.
Sustainability: Revitalizing habitat and human connections
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.
Taking pride in nature
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.
Making strides in access
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.
Nature is magnetic
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.
Off screens and outdoors
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.
An arborist with roots at Dodge
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.
Best book picks from Dodge Nature Preschool
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!
Naturalists up next
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.