Visit Bluff Country

A guide to Historic Bluff Country

Visit Bluff Country

Climate Change and the Fish on Your Plate

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Dr. Nicolas Mink, CEO and co-founder of Sitka Salmon Shares, will be the featured speaker at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center’s Dinner on the Bluff event on Leap Day, Saturday, February 29.

Dr. Mink’s talk, “Climate Change and the Fish on Your Plate,” will explore the complex relationship between commercial fishing, climate change, and sustainable foods. He will highlight the challenges facing modern fisheries and detail how a community-supported fishery model can increase transparency in the fishing industry, build sustainable fishing communities in Alaska, and protect at-risk fish populations in our seas.

Global fisheries are in peril, facing threats of pollution, overharvest, habitat loss, and impacts from a changing climate. Mislabeling in the fish industry is rampant, leading to confusion for consumers and degradation for the oceans and globally important fisheries. The community supported fishing model, similar to community supported agriculture, connects consumers in the midwest to independent fishermen who use sustainable harvest methods. In a future where global fisheries and Alaskan communities alike are increasingly imperiled by the impacts of climate change, developing resilient models of commercial fisheries that build bridges and preserve the oceans are essential.

“As Midwesterners, it could be easy to say that what’s happening to the oceans or Alaskan fisheries is not our problem, but that could not be further from the truth,” Eagle Bluff Adult Education Manager Henry Whitehead said. “The oceans and their wild creatures, including fish, are a resource shared by all people. Understanding the nuanced relationship between fish, coastal communities, and us as consumers is a necessary first step to making informed ecological decisions.”

Dr. Mink’s speech will be preceded by a three-course dinner featuring sockeye salmon provided by Sitka Salmon Shares. Doors open at 5 p.m. Guests may choose to bring an adult beverage of their choice. Tickets for this event are $30. For more information or to register, visit eaglebluffmn.org/dinner or call (507) 467-2437.

Dinner on the Bluff is sponsored in part by the Southeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership through the University of Minnesota and the Lanesboro Community Foundation. Eagle Bluff’s “Dinner on the Bluff” speaker series, now in its 16th year, is designed to give thought-leaders and experts in the environmental field the opportunity to discuss issues with the broader Eagle Bluff community.

Located in the scenic bluff country of southeast Minnesota, Eagle Bluff is a nonprofit, year-round residential environmental learning center providing education programs and outdoor adventures to more than 16,000 children and adults each year.  Through transformative hands-on experiences we aim to increase environmental awareness and appreciation for the natural world, and empower people to care for the earth and each other.

Eagle Bluff to host annual Banquet on the Bluff October 12

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Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro will host its 23rd annual fall banquet fundraiser, Banquet on the Bluff, on Saturday, October 12. The event raises funds that support Eagle Bluff’s year-round outdoor environmental education programming. Eagle Bluff serves more than 16,000 students, adults and families every year, providing outdoor-focused experiences that empower people to care for the earth and each other.

For many children, Eagle Bluff offers the rare opportunity to experience nature and the environment first-hand while supplementing their classroom learning in history, language arts, and the sciences. The Eagle Bluff curriculum adheres to the state of Minnesota academic standards and reinforces STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) objectives. Attendees of Banquet on the Bluff will be making these transformative experiences happen for children with their generous support.

“We offer students the chance to self-discover the natural sciences hands-on,” Eagle Bluff Executive Director John Torgrimson said. “Imagine learning geology by studying our karst region first-hand, or calculating the velocity of arrows while shooting archery, or navigating the night sky by studying constellations.”

This year Eagle Bluff welcomes Murt Boyum from the Lanesboro Sales Commission as the evening’s featured auctioneer. Guitarist Kerry Klungtvedt will serenade guests while they enjoy an exquisite main course of beef top sirloin medallions, garlic herb mashed potatoes with mushroom sauce, and seasoned tri-colored carrots followed by a dessert of poached pears and cranberries. Vegan and gluten-free meal options will be available. Doors open with beer, wine and appetizers at 5:00pm.

Fun and entertainment will round out the evening as guests try their hand at various drawings, a game of heads-or-tails, and bidding on many unique auction items. The following is just a taste of what the auctions have to offer:

  • Half-day Guided Drift Boat Tour
  • Custom Eagle Bluff High Ropes Experience
  • Bluff Country Airplane Tour
  • Rustic Cabin Getaway Weekend
  • Overnight Hunting Experience on Private Land
  • Community-Supported Fishery Share

The event is Saturday, October 12, 2019 at the Eagle Bluff Dining Hall on their campus in Lanesboro. Tickets can be reserved online at eaglebluffmn.org/banquet or by calling 507-467-2437. Ticket packages range from $60, which includes dinner and drinks, to a Patron package of $100 (valued at $140) which includes dinner, drinks, a drawing ticket package, and specialty Eagle Bluff recycled ChicoBag. The evening is presented by F & M Community Bank.

Located five miles northwest of Lanesboro, Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is empowering people to care for the earth and each other.

Second winner of the summer

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Rebecca Wangen Kahn of Plainview, Minn., stands next to her brand new kayak she won in a recent contest.

On June 30, 2019, Visit Bluff Country Magazine conducted the second prize giveaway drawing of the summer, which was a brand new kayak. As the magazine celebrates 34 years as the premier tourism publication of Historic Bluff Country (a.k.a. The Driftless Area), they will be conducting prize giveaways each month from May through September. Prizes include kayaks, a Grizzly cooler, and a Green Mountain Grill (with WiFi).

Nikki van den Heever of Cresco, Iowa, won the first kayak drawing on May 31, 2019.

The next drawing for a brand new kayak will be July 31, 2019. Please to go www.visitbluffcountry.com/thebest to enter this drawing.

Photo by Jason Sethre

International Festival of Owls

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Have you ever been interested in the lives of owls? The International Festival of Owls in Houston is the place to be! There will be speakers that will come with live owls and teach you about their feeding habits, habitat, nesting, and more. The International Festival of Owls will run from March 1-3, 2019, and there will be activities taking place all three days.

At the festival, some events will include: programs, art, fun things for the kids, and different projects that you can do with your family. Artists will come and create things dedicated to owls. Experts will come to teach you about the owls. All food and crafts will be related to owls in some way. There will be breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the event. Come enjoy the show, and the owls!

For more information, visit https://www.festivalofowls.com.

Rattlesnake Jubilee

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Saturday, September 15, 9:30 – 4:00 at the Houston Community Center in Houston, Minn.

Just like it is important to look both ways before crossing a busy street, when you live in the bluffs of southeast Minnesota it is important to know rattlesnake safety and what to do if an issue arises. The Rattlesnake Jubilee is an event designed to increase education and decrease fear around snakes, especially timber rattlesnakes.

For instance, did you know that only 1 person every 5-6 years dies from a timber rattlesnake bite in the United States, while dogs kill roughly 20-30 people _per year_ and lightning kills an average of 49 people _per year_ in the U.S?

Dr. Dan Keyler, an international expert in venomous snakebites and rattlesnake researcher, will be the featured speaker. He will discuss the life history and habitat of timber rattlesnakes as well as what to do if bitten. Local resident Marty Ambuehl will share his story of what it was like to be bitten by a rattlesnake several years ago. Stephen Winter will give a presentation about the volunteer rattlesnake responder program in the region, so you know you have someone to call if a rattlesnake shows up in a location that poses a safety concern.

Jim Gerholdt will be giving two live snake presentations, so you can learn to identify timber rattlesnakes as well as the local non-venomous snakes. Pre-registration is required for a very special field trip to view wild rattlesnakes on private property with Minnesota DNR personnel and other experts. Throw in people selling books, snake-themed cookies and snacks, T-shirts; free snake crafts for kids, and it will be a very fun and educational event for all ages.

Cost to attend the event is $7 for adults, $4 for ages 4-15, and free for ages 3 and under and members of the Friends of the Houston Nature Center. The field trip by bus is $15/person if registered by Sept. 7, $20 after that date, and is limited to only 20 participants.

For more information or to register for the field trip, visit www.houstonnaturecenter.com. Sponsored by the Friends of the Houston Nature Center and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.