The Friends of Nerstrand Big Woods State Park is holding its annual meeting on September 17th, 2023 from 1 to 4 pm, with an additional presentation by Charles Umbanhower.
Charles graduated from Northfield High School in 1981. He attended Carleton College and graduated in 1985. From there he went to the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he obtained a PHD in Botany. He spent a year with the Nature Conservancy in North Dakota before joining the teaching staff at St. Olaf in 1981.
He became interested in the Big Woods while a graduate student and once at St Olaf he had the chance to explore the fire history of the Big Woods using charcoal extracted from the sediments of local lakes. He was a co-founder of the Friends of the Cannon River Wilderness Area and currently serves as the Director of Natural Lands at St. Olaf.
At the annual meeting, he will provide a one hour presentation on the ecology of the Big Woods at the Friends of Nerstrand Big Woods State Park annual meeting. Please check with the web site of the Friends of Nerstrand Big Woods State Park for updates. For more information, please contact Andrew Wendt, Big Woods Park naturalist, at 507-384-6145, andrew.wendt@state.mn.us
Photo: Dave Riewe/P&TC Photo Contest