News

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.

Residents of Winona, Fillmore, and Houston Counties, including college students, are specially invited to visit the International Owl Center for FREE on January 18 and 19. The Owl Center is located in Houston, Minnesota, just 30 minutes south of Winona.

Four live ambassador owls work at the Center: Ruby the Great Horned Owl, Uhu the Eurasian Eagle Owl, Piper the American Barn Owl and JR the Eastern Screech-Owl. You’ll also find touchable wings and tails, nine species of extremely lifelike mounted owls, owl art from children around the world, skulls, eggs, cultural items from around the world, and more. The gift shop is stocked with a wide variety of local, fair trade, and other owl items. Highly trained staff present programs each day at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The Houston community has gotten on the owl bandwagon too. You’ll find 12 public owl sculptures located around town and Barista’s Coffee House is completely decorated with owls.

The Center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Regular admission is $7 for adults, $5 for students ages 4-17, and children 3 and under and members are free. More information is available at www.internationalowlcenter.org or by contacting the Center at 507-896-OWLS (6957) or karla@internationalowlcenter.org.

Have you taken photos that represent the unspoiled beauty of Historic Bluff Country (a.k.a. The Driftless Region)?

The design team at Visit Bluff Country Magazine is asking the public for photos to appear on the cover of the 2020-2021 Visit Bluff Country Magazine.

For the 2019-2020 Visit Bluff Country Magazine, the following photographers were recognized for their photos contributions: Rich Aske, Madelyn Bergey, Jana Boyum, Tina Burmeister, Taylor Bushman, KJ Corson, Rylie Gatzke, Gary Gibson, Menno Hershberger, Jim Hoffman, Darla Kelchen, Mia Kelsey, Jennifer Lancaster, Felicity Lewandowski, Joni Mehus, Melissa Meyer, Adrianna Meiergerd, Addie Peters, and Taryn Raaen.

All photo contributors received a $25 gift certificate photo used from businesses that participate in the magazine.  Visit Bluff Country Magazine will again offer a $25 gift certificate per photo used for the 2020-2021 Visit Bluff Country Magazine.

If you are interested in having your photos published on the cover of 50,000 magazines that will be delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, please submit your photos here or e-mail your photos to info@vistibluffcountry.com by no later than January 31, 2020.

Along with each photo, please indicate when and where the photo was taken.

Visit Bluff Country Magazine, the premier tourism magazine of the region, is affiliated with the Fillmore County Journal newspaper, and both publications are celebrating 35 years in 2020.

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.

Date: October 9, 2019

Location: Field of Dreams Movie Site

Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Sixty plein air (in open air) artists from 14 states will paint Dubuque scenes Sunday, Oct. 6 – Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, and THEY’RE COMING TO PAINT THE FIELD OF DREAMS Wednesday evening, October 9 from 6pm-8pm!

Come to the Field for this FREE event and watch true artists at work at our corner of fantasy and reality while enjoying live music and food from a local vendor. Don’t forget to bring your glove and ball for a game of catch under the lights. And who knows, you may see some Ghosts make their way out of the corn!