Minneapolis Public Schools

Join a park naturalist to learn how to identify the distinguishing characteristics of Minnesota's spring/summer birds, what foods they enjoy and habitats that will attract them to your backyard.

Join us on this beautiful summer adventure from Minnesota through Wisconsin to Michigan. Day 1 - Travel through Northern Wisconsin and hear stories of small Wisconsin towns by historian Dave Bredemus. We will visit the Menominee Indian Reservation and Peshtigo Fire Museum – this area is home to one of the largest forest fires in North American history. We will tour the towns of Marinette, Wisconsin and Menominee, Michigan, and visit a local museum. Our destination tonight is Escanaba Michigan, where we will have a special Scandinavian dinner included. Day 2 - Today we travel along the northern coastline of Lake Michigan and travel to Mackinac City, Michigan, where we will stay for two nights. Some some of the highlights today include Big Springs State Park where we will travel out onto the spring on a floating device to the center of the lake and see one of the largest springs in North America. Fayette Historic Town Site, an old mining town, will also be visited. Today’s trip through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan will take us to many lighthouses and historic bridges and the most famous of them all the Mackinac Bridge. We will visit the burial site of Father Marquette and tour the Museum of Ojibwa Culture. We will also tour Manistique, St Ignace and Mackinac City Michigan. The highlight could be a visit to Sand Dunes Beach which looks like a beach along the Pacific Coast Highway in California with it fine and beautiful white sand on the northern shores of Lake Michigan. Day 3 - Today we spend the whole day on one of the most interesting islands in North America because of the lifestyle, history and architecture. We start our day traveling by boat under the Mackinac Bridge to Mackinac Island. We will take a two-hour tour narrated by local guides-on small carriages pulled by horses around the island. We will tour and have lunch at one of the most famous hotels in America the Grand Hotel. Buffet lunch at the hotel will be a once in a lifetime experience. After lunch, we’ll have a short walk down to the downtown area and you will have the rest of the afternoon and early evening to explore the shops and historical sites on the island. If you’re interested, bikes can be rented to ride on the streets of Mackinac Island. Day 4 - Today we follow the beautiful east shore of Lake Michigan south to Petoskey and Charlevoix, Michigan, both quaint harbor towns, eager to show you the charm of living on the water. We will tour both towns and see the unique and magical, Earl Young hobbit of mushroom houses. We will tour neighborhoods and admire the lake homes of some of Chicago’s wealthiest families. The towns of Traverse City and Glen Arbor, the cherry capital of the nation, are included for a little shopping and taste testing. The final destination today will be Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. Dinner (included) will be in Manistee, Michigan, and our final destination today will be the historic town of Ludington Michigan, where we will be staying overnight. Day 5 - Today we board the Great Lakes cruise ship the S.S. Badger and travel from Ludington, Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin -- a four-hour ride with plenty of things to do on the boat. After departing the boat in Manitowoc Wisconsin, we will tour the city and make a stop at one of the oldest and most interesting candy/confectionary stores in America. Lunch on your own and then we start traveling back to Minneapolis. We will travel through Appleton and Wisconsin Rapids and make a stop at the High Ground Veterans Memorial Park. This park will give you the opportunity to view half million acres of incredible Wisconsin woodlands and glacier moraine landforms. Our last stop will be at one of the best supper clubs in Wisconsin for a final dinner included before continuing on to our final destination at 10 PM. Includes motorcoach, 4 nights lodging, 4 breakfasts, Grand Hotel buffet, 3 dinners, horse drawn carriage ride, ferries, admissions & bakery stop. TIME: July 28: 7:45 am Board Bus 8:00 am Bus Departs Southwest High School Aug 1: 10:00 pm @ Return to Southwest High School Pick-Up & Drop Off Location: Southwest High School - 3414 W. 47th Street, Mpls, MN 55410 Deposit of $400 due with registration. NOTE: Final payment due May 28th. Final Payment Due: 60 Days Prior to Departure Overnight Tour Cancelation Policy: - 60 Days Prior to Departure: 100% Refund of Trip Fee less $5 Processing Fee - 59-45 Days Prior to Departure: 90% Refund of Trip Fee OR $50 admin fee if we can fill your spot (or if you find someone to fill your spot) - 44-16 Days Prior to Departure: 50% of Trip Fee OR $100 admin fee if we can fill your spot (or if you find someone to fill your spot) - 14 Days or Less: We will work to get you a return for some recoverable costs. This will vary by tour and date of cancelation. No guarantees. If tour is full, please enroll for the waitlist. we will let you know if space becomes available.

Take a walk with a naturalist then join musician Dean Johnson around the campfire to sing songs from our campfire days. Meets at North Mississippi Regional Park: Carl W. Kroening Interpretive Center, 4900 N Mississippi Dr. Register online or call 612.668.2478.

Carlson's Llovable Llama Farm boast over 90 personable and curious llamas. Come learn about all their sweet and unique characteristics, see baby llamas and even take a llama on a trail walk. There is also a gift shop for llama yarn and toys. Carlson's Farm is located at 8380 Cty Rd 10 E. near Waconia. Transportation is on your own. Register online or call 612.668.4828.

See first-hand how food scraps, brush, and yard waste are turned into environmentally beneficial compost. Get an up-close look at the equipment and a detailed explanation of the process from start to finish. Questions are encouraged and welcome! All tours take place entirely outside, so it is important to dress appropriately. We recommend clothing to allow comfort in the outdoors, and boots or shoes that can get a bit dirty. Site conditions can be dusty or muddy depending on the weather. Anyone who is sensitive to dust or who has physical limitations with walking on uneven surfaces should keep this in mind. SET (Specialized Environmental Technologies Inc) started in 2000 and describes its Empire organics composting operation as the largest in the Midwest. It receives and processes over 25,000 tons of source-separated organic material each year, “supported by an infrastructure of transfer stations.” The company also accepts and processes over 80,000 tons of yard waste, brush and biomass each year through its residential yard waste program. Transportation is on your own. SET (Specialized Environmental Technologies Inc) is located at 16454 Blaine Ave, Rosemount, MN. *This class is priced on a sliding fee scale. Please pay the price you are able. This helps to ensure that Community Education can provide quality opportunities for all of our participants.

Spend time getting fresh air and exploring a produce garden in Theodore Wirth Park. A garden naturalist will guide you through various seasonal gardening topics and give you tips and tricks for how best to grow your own garden, or just give you a chance to explore what this 1-acre garden has to offer. Herbs and Container Gardening Learn about the various herb plants and how to use them culinary and medicinally. Take a tour of the herbs we have growing at the garden, learn about their care requirements and plant a small herb container to take home and use for your cooking endeavors. Sessions will be entirely outdoors, please dress for the weather. You will be sent an email if session needs to be canceled due to bad weather. Program held at JD Rivers’ Garden, 2900 Glenwood Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55405