SAX-ZIM BOG FIELD TRIP SCHEDULE FOR MAY & JUNE 2014 Sponsored by Friends of Sax-Zim Bog
WARBLER WEDNESDAYS! Wednesday May 21: 7am-11am (leader Sparky Stensaas) Wednesday May 28: 7am-Noon (leader Sparky Stensaas) Wednesday June 4: 7am-Noon (leader Ben Yokel) Wednesday June 11: 7am-Noon (leader Ben Yokel) Join us at the Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center for these birding field trips in May and June. Not just warblers! We'll be looking for all birds. Beginner and expert are welcome. Relaxed and casual field trips! Meet at 6:45 am at the Welcome Center on Owl Avenue (see directions below). Count on about an hour to 1:15 minutes travel time from Duluth. We will leave from the Welcome Center by 7am-ish. FREE to those who have donated $20 or more to Friends of Sax-Zim Bog (www.saxzim.org) during the last 12 months. $20 per person/couple for those who have not. Your $20 donation will be your membership for the next 12 months and entitle you to free participation in all future field trips for then next year. Please RSVP to spa...@saxzim.org ...Or call Sparky 218.341.3350 DIRECTIONS TO WELCOME CENTER ON OWL AVENUE (Also marked on our birding map available at www.saxzim.org) Directions from Cotton, MN on US53... *Go West from Cotton on CR52/Arkola for 11 miles *Turn South (left) on Owl Avenue *Go 1.75 miles (second curve) to Welcome Center Directions from Meadowlands, on CR133... *Go East on CR133 to CR229/29 *Turn North (left) on CR229/29 *Go North to T at Correction Line Rd *Turn West (left) on Correction Line Rd *Road curves North and becomes Owl Ave *Go North on Owl Avenue for 2.5 miles to Welcome Center PADDLE THE ST. LOUIS RIVER! Saturday June 28th, 8am to 3pm (roughly) This remote stretch of the St. Louis River runs through the western edge of the Sax-Zim Bog area. Though it doesn't go through actual bog, it meanders through hardwood forests and mixed coniferous/deciduous woods. Sparky did this stretch last year and saw 3 RIVER OTTERS, 2 BALD EAGLES, and heard DOZENS OF NORTHERN PARULAS. It is a lazy stretch with no whitewater or rapids...and requires minimal paddling effort. We will not see many cabins either! WHEN?: Meet at 7:30 am at the Welcome Center on Owl Avenue (and we'll caravan up to the put-in) then at 8am we'll depart for the boat landing along CR52 (Arkola) in Toivola. See map below—The boat landing is about 14 miles west of Cotton (US53) along CR52 (Arkola) at the St. Louis River bridge. WHO?: Anyone who has a canoe or kayak to paddle can join us! Even if you don't have a boat, please feel free to call Sparky (218.341.3350) or email him (spa...@saxzim.org) to arrange a paddling partner...We'll try our best! HOW MUCH?: FREE to FOSZB members (anyone who has donated $20 or more to Friends of Sax-Zim Bog in the last 12 months. $20 per person/couple if not a member (and this fee will make you a member for the next year with free field trips and more) HOW LONG?: We'll try and get going as close to 8am as possible. Depending on the flow of the river, the trip should take about 3 to 4 hours. Then we'll have to shuttle folks back to the cars. ROUTE: We will paddle from Toivola to Meadowlands and take out either at CR156 or at the CR133 crossing near Meadowlands. We'll then caravan back to the boat-landing to pick up vehicles. FACILITIES: None...but you can put ashore many places and go in the woods WILDLIFE & BIRDS: River Otters, Mink, Beaver all possible. We'll listen and identify bird songs as we drift/paddle. One of the densest populations of Northern Parulas in the state (at least in 2011!) Bald Eagles, Kingfishers, herons, ducks all possible. Please RSVP to spa...@saxzim.org ...Or call Sparky 218.341.3350 BIOBLITZ Coming in August! Details soon ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
