Forest History Center to present winter lecture series
Dec. 26—GRAND RAPIDS — Forest History Center will present a winter lecture series from 1 to 3 p.m. on select Saturdays, Jan. 6 to April 13, at the center, 2609 County Road 76 in Grand Rapids.
Guests will hear from presenters with unique historical perspectives on the history of Northern Minnesota.
The first lecture, "Whose Land is it Anyway?" is set for Jan. 6. Attendees will go on a journey through time to learn how Northern Minnesota's inhabitants have transformed the land, from 12,000 years ago to the 21st century, a release said. Historian Mary Palcich Keyes will tell the story of the North Woods and its people.
Author Aaron J. Brown will present "The World that Grew from Stumps and Slash," on Jan. 20. "As logging and mining in the United States expanded westward, piles of stumps and slash were left behind," the release said. "From stumps and slash, a new world emerged, changing the forests and those who called them home."
On Jan. 27, musician and historian Brian Miller will lead "Logging Area Folksong in Northern Minnesota." Attendees will experience colorful local history through music, photos, and stories, as Miller crafts new arrangements of traditional folk songs from the logging era learned from 100-year-old recordings. Participants are encouraged to bring their instruments to join a friendly jam after the presentation.
"Owls to Orchids" with naturalist, publisher and photographer Sparky Stensaas is scheduled for Feb. 3. "Explore northern black spruce and tamarack bogs without getting wet, frozen feet!" said the release. "Meet the region's birds, flowers, and amphibians." Stensaas will share his wildlife photography and videos, featuring a variety of northern owls and beautiful orchids.
The center will host "Pokegama and Gaaginwaajiwanaag" on March 16. Prior to Euro-American settlement, Itasca County was inhabited for millennia by people indigenous to North America. However, that history is not often reflected in some Northern Minnesota communities. This project works to retrieve the stories of the Pokegama Band of the Mississippi Ojibwe that have been long neglected and ignored, the release said.
On April 13, participants can learn wolf ecology, wolf behavior, why wolves howl, how the wolf pack works as a group and how the pack uses its territory in a "Wolves of Minnesota" presentation. There will also be a discussion of how humans have viewed the wolf throughout history. This program includes a large wolf display featuring historical artifacts, skulls, pelts and biological specimens.
These events are included in the cost of admission to the site. Minnesota Historical Society Members get in for free.
More information about admission pricing, winter lectures and other events at the Forest History Center is available at
