Needles: Short, soft. Unlike most conifers, the needles fall off in autumn.
Bark: Rough with thin, reddish brown scales. Twigs are light brown and covered with numerous tiny spurs or short branches.

photo: MnDNR

Needles: Short, needle-like, bluish green, swirl
Bark: Grayish to reddish-brown, scaly.
Pinecone: Smallest of all the spruces.
Found: In bogs and marshes and can handle the acidic soil. It has very and grows slowly.

photos: MnDNR

Needles: Clusters of five wispy needles (memory device: 5 needles for the 5 letters in WHITE).
Bark: Smooth and green-gray when young; furrowed and gray-brown when older.
Fun Fact: A favorite for bald eagles to nest.

photo: MnDNR

Blooms: May - August
Found: In bogs.
Petals: "Nodding" purple flowers rising on long stem.
Leaves: Form a "pitcher" that collects rainwater and traps insects for this carnivorous plant.

photos: ASWanderer / Wikimedia CC; Lisa Filter / P&TC

Blooms: May - July
Found: In shade of moist woods and bogs.
Petals: Four white petals.
Leaves: Whirl of smooth, pointed egg-shape. Easy to spot even after the petals are gone.

photo: Lisa Filter / P&TC

Blooms: May - June
Found: In bogs
Leaves: Curled, long and skinny with wooly brown hair underneath. Leaves can be steeped in hot water to make tea, but shouldn't be harvested from within the park.

MN is home to a few native crayfish, plus an invasive one. They all look like baby lobsters that reach 2-5 inches long.
Found: In streams and rivers with rocky bottoms and logs to hide under.
Fun Fact: While humans have 46 chromosomes, crayfish have 200. This allows them to self-amputate limbs if caught and then re-grow them.

ALAN SCHMIERER, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

This water beetle is usually found swimming on the surface of a lake or pond where they swim wildly in circles. This movement makes small waves, which may help them find insects to eat via echolocation.

Udo Schmidt from Deutschland, CC via Wikimedia Commons & Under the same moon via Flickr CC

Color: Bright orange with black veins.
Found: Flying around wildflowers.
Fun Fact: They fly down to Mexico before winter begins.

photo: Peter Miller / Flickr CC

Male: All black with red/yellow patch on wings.
Female: Brown/white stripes/patches.
Found: Perching on reeds near water edge.

photos: Akiroq / Pixabay; Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren / WikiMedia CC

Appearance: These two woodpeckers are nearly identical with the Downy a little smaller at ~6" and Hairy ~9". The female doesn't have the red mark on head.

Found: In the forest.

Photo: Andrew McKinlay/FlickrCC

Appearance: MN's smallest bird at only 3 inches. Only male has red throat.
Found: At forest edges, meadows and along streams.
Fun Fact: Their wings flap so fast it creates a humming sound.

photo: Michael Janke/FlickrCC

Appearance: White-green fuzzy antler-shaped tufts.

Found: Growing on the bark of pines, black spruces, tamaracks, and white cedar.

CAUTION: Never eat any mushroom unless knowledgeable.

photo: Matt Welter / Wikimedia CC & Ryan Hodnett / Wikimedia CC

Appearance: Bright orange-red like a cooked lobster

Found: Early summer to late fall after rain on the forest floor.

Fun fact: This is actually a parasitic fungus that grows on another mushroom (usually milkcap mushrooms) and turns red.

CAUTION: Never eat any mushroom unless knowledgeable.

photo (combined): © Erlon Bailey CC BY-SA & Jason Hollinger CC-BY

Deer hooves (photo) are commonly seen on or near trails. Their hooves make two side-by-side teardrop tracks. Other common prints are from raccoons, rabbits, opossums, and coyotes.

photo: QS Wiki Account, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Everybody poops, and sometimes we're lucky enough to find proof on the trail. Rabbit and deer (photo) poop/scat are like rounded pellets. Carnivores often have fur in their droppings.

photo: Kevin Casper / CC0 public domain

Many animals, such as squirrels, raccoons, owls, bats, weasels, porcupines, songbirds, and others, make their homes inside tree holes. The holes can occur from tree decay or broken branches, or else with the help of woodpeckers. While it's rare to see the occupant, let's assume it's a home for someone.

photo: Lorianne DiSabato / Flickr CC

Color: Brown, olive green, or reddish.
Found: Near water or moist areas.
Toads are amphibians that start life as tadpoles and then emerge onto dry land as tiny toadlets about the length of a fingernail.

photo: National Park Service

Color: Bright green with spots that look like a leopard.
Found: In wet meadows and fields near wetlands or lakeshores.
Listen for: Long, deep snore lasting several seconds and ending with "chuck-chuck-chuck"

photo: Ryan Hodnett / Wikimedia CC