Programs to be presented at Crow Wing State Park

Crow Wing State Park and the Crow Wing County Historical Society will host a series of programs highlighting the natural and human history of the state.

Each program is free and will be presented at Crow Wing State Park's outdoor amphitheater. In case of rain the program will be held in the picnic shelter. A vehicle permit is required to enter Minnesota state parks.

Saturday, July 14 -- 8 p.m., Early Minnesota: Journals of Traders & Explorers

Ray Nelson, historical and resource manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will present this program about central Minnesota in the 1700s and early 1800s, as seen through the eyes of Jean Baptiste Perrault, George Monk, Zebulon Pike, John Johnstone and others.

Saturday, July 21 -- 9 p.m., Archaeology of Old Crow Wing

Archaeologist Douglas George, who directed the Crow Wing archaeology to identify the original location of the historic Clement Beaulieu House, will use slides of his excavations to illustrate his talk on Old Crow Wing and the research to restore Minnesota's oldest frame house north of the Twin Cities.

Saturday, July 28 -- 9 p.m., Audubon's Words on Minnesota's Birds

America's greatest bird artist was also a naturalist and a writer. His life-sized pictures of North American birds included many species Minnesotans consider their own. This slide-talk about John James Audubon's life and work will use the words and pictures of the master artist-storyteller for an historical and artistic look at loons, ducks and birds of prey. Presenter Thomas O'Sullivan is a St. Paul writer and museum curator with a lifelong interest in birds and art. His article on Audubon is in the July/August issue of the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer magazine.

Saturday, Aug. 14 -- 9 p.m., Wildlife: Through the Camera's Eye

Wildlife photographer Bill Marchel will show slides of wildlife he has taken in Minnesota, as well as other locations throughout the upper Midwest, and will explain the strategies of his craft. An award-winning photographer and outdoor writer, Marchel has had photos in many national publications, including cover photos for National Wildlife magazine.

Saturday, Aug. 11 -- 8 p.m., Scandinavian & Immigrant Music by Paul Wilson and Mary Abendroth

Clad in traditional costume and accompanying themselves on fiddle, accordion, guitar and a few other instruments, Paul and Mary will sing in Swedish, Norwegian, English and even Swinglish. This family-oriented program of music and history is also spiced with a bit of humor.

Saturday, Aug. 18 -- 8:30 p.m., Arctic Loons

DNR Ecologist Mike North will show slides and share his experiences from his research in Alaska, where he studied yellow-billed loons, biological "cousins" of the Minnesota state bird.

Saturday, Aug. 25 -- 8:30 p.m., Camp Ripley Wildlife

Camp Ripley Environmental Supervisor Marty Skoglund has been observing and studying wildlife for many years. He will share his knowledge and observations on the natural history and behavior of wolves, bears, deer, rare turtles and other wildlife that inhabit the 50,000-acre Camp Ripley Military Preserve, which is located just across the river from the park.

Saturday, Sept. 1 -- 8 p.m., All About Loons

DNR Regional Non-game Wildlife Specialist Pam Perry will present this program about the natural history, behavior and conservation of Minnesota's state bird.

Crow Wing State Park is eight miles south of Brainerd, off Highway 371.