New nature content posted every week
Tune in to Dodge Nature Center on YouTube for educational videos brought to you by Dodge naturalists!
Virtual Learning with Dodge
Browse all of our online resources to bring Dodge into the classroom and home!
Dodge Nature Center on YouTube
Videos
Learn how to make Campfire Stick Bread, take an inside tour of the farm, and much more. Follow us on YouTube above for new nature content every week!
Nature Safety
Buddy up and go outside this summer! In this Nature Safety video, naturalist Pete is your guide to getting outdoors and going off trail. Meet bees, geese, frogs, toads, turtles and snakes—without anyone getting hurt. Learn how to spot pesky plants like stinging nettle and poison ivy. Take Pete’s prescription (wear long pants, boots, bug spray and sunscreen) and have a safe summer out in nature!
All About Toads
Toaday’s the day to talk toads! Here’s naturalist Jeff to tell you all about the American toad (Anaxyrus americanus). It’s a common species of toad at Dodge and throughout eastern North America. Learn about toads’ defenses against predators and listen to to the male’s melodic mating call.
Minnesota Wildlife Hike
How about a hike? Search for signs of Minnesota wildlife on a hike with Julia, one of our Naturalist Fellows. She’ll lead you to the prairie, forest and wetlands to look up, down, and all around for animals. Hit the trails to learn observational skills in nature and how you can protect wildlife habitat.
Storytime with a Naturalist: Frog and Toad
Feeling amphibious after some record-setting rainfall? Then hop right over as Siri reads “The Corner.” It’s one of five short stories in “Frog and Toad All Year,” a classic children’s book by author-illustrator Arnold Lobel. Save this story for a rainy day—or listen together in any kind of weather!
Storytime with a Naturalist: Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and the Big Red Hen
Settle in and snuggle up for our first Storytime with a Naturalist! Siri, one of our Naturalist Fellows, reads “Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and the Big Red Hen” by Swedish author-illustrator Maj Lindman. This book reminds Siri of teaching about hens and roosters on the Dodge farm. In the book, three young sisters learn to take care of their aunt’s chickens and collect eggs. Share it with the young farm fans in your life!
Make Campfire Stick Bread
You can bake bread in your backyard—over a campfire! Naturalist Mick has all the tricks to mix dough, spiral it on a stick, and twirl ’til it’s toasted. Try making this tasty campfire snack! Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 5 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 2/3 cup water.
Coloring Pages
Color it Wild with Dodge! Created by our very own Naturalist Fellow, Ashley Johnson. Stay inside the lines—or go wild!
Barred Owl
Lunar or later, we all need a break! Color this serene scene featuring a Barred Owl and a Coyote.
Horses
In real life, their coats are dapple-gray. But you can always draw a horse of a different color!
Opossum
It’s an awesome opossum! The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is found in forests and farmland in all parts of Minnesota, except the most northern, coldest areas. At Dodge, opossum have been spotted hanging out on the Main Property. Get out those gray, pink and white crayons and color away!
Prairie Pollinators
Happy Nat’l Pollinator Week! We’re celebrating the bees, butterflies and other pollinators that support healthy ecosystems everywhere. Visit the Dodge prairie to see bees buzzing on Gray-headed Coneflower and butterflies fluttering to Blazing Star.
Robins
Ready for a rockin’ robin coloring page? An American robin feeds a trio of needy nestlings. These hungry babies will reach their parents’ size within 2 weeks of hatching!
Squirrel
Gray and Red Squirrels store food in many places around their habitat, ensuring they’ll have a food source in winter.
Online Classes
Go in-depth and explore these topics in a series of videos! Discover the air around you and dig into dirt.
